The nine players, who have been recognised for their impressive achievements over the past year, will receive England Golf training sessions with support from its world-class coaching team, and will feature in competitive opportunities throughout 2024.
The UK-based squad will train alongside the Girls’ Squad for most of the winter. The US-based players came together last week for a Thanksgiving camp at Florida State University with coaches Steve Robinson and Nick Soto.
Lili-Rose Hunt and Nellie Ong are newcomers to the national programme and join Sophia Fullbrook and Isla McDonald-O’Brien. They have progressed from the England Girls’ Squad, while sisters Mimi and Patience Rhodes are also new additions to the squad for 2023/24.
Performance Manager for Women’s Golf, Becca Hembrough, said: “We’re coming off the back of a very exciting year for the Women’s Squad and players. Now we’re looking forward to continuing to support and challenge these women with a view to future success at the World and European Team Championships for England, and individual achievements across the amateur game and onto the professional stage.
“The new UK-based squad enables us to have a greater impact on players who could transition into women’s England teams in those big events. And the US-based squad remains very strong with all five players contributing to women’s team success in 2023 and inside the world top 170.”
The England Women’s Squads
The UK-based squad is made up of:
– Sophia Fullbrook
– Lili-Rose Hunt
– Isla McDonald-O’Brien
– Nellie Ong
And making up the US-based squad is:
– Jess Baker
– Rosie Belsham
– Mimi Rhodes
– Patience Rhodes
– Lottie Woad
Meet the players
Sophia Fullbrook: The Melbourne Club, Hertfordshire
- Reached the quarter-finals of the R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship
- Top-10 finish in Junior Orange Bowl (USA)
- Represented England in the biennial England v Spain match, Girls’ European Team Championship and World Junior Girls Championship
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals
Lili-Rose Hunt: Redditch, Worcestershire
- Runner-up in English Girls’ Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship
- Finished in top-20 of all 10 World Amateur Golf Ranking qualifying events in 2023, including the ANNIKA Invitational
- Part of England Girls’ Team which won the Home Internationals
Isla McDonald-O’Brien: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Won the 2023 England Golf Girls’ Order of Merit
- Won the Fairhaven Trophy by six shots
- Reached semi-finals of R&A Girls Amateur Championship
- Top-10 finishes at Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Championship and English Girls’ Open Amateur Championship
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals
- Represented England in the biennial England v Spain match, Girls’ European Team Championship and World Junior Girls Championship
Nellie Ong: Eaton, Norfolk
- Finished runner-up at the English Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship
- Top-10 finishes at the English Girls’ Open Amateur Championship, English U18 Championship, Welsh Women’s Open and Scottish Girls’ Open Championship
- Represented England at World Junior Girls Championship
- Part of England Girls’ Team which won the Home Internationals
Jess Baker: Gosforth Park Ladies, Northumberland
- Featured in pro events; US Women’s Open and The Chevron Championship (USA)
- 3rd at The American Championship and also Briar’s Creek Invitational (both USA)
- Top-10 finishes at NCAA Palm Beach Regional (USA) and St Rule Trophy
- Part of England Women’s Team which won silver at European Ladies’ Team Championship
Rosie Belsham: Whitley Bay, Northumberland
- Won the Collegiate Invitational at GCC (Mexico) and the Rainbow Wahine Invitational (USA)
- Top-5 finishes also at T.Hession Regional, Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (both USA) and Copa Andalucia (Spain)
- Represented GB&I in Vagliano Trophy
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals
- Part of England Women’s Team which won silver at European Ladies’ Team Championship
Mimi Rhodes: Burnham & Berrow, Somerset
- Part of the Wake Forest team which won the NCAA Women’s National Championships (USA)
- Won Campeonato Internacional Absoluto de Andalucia (Spain)
- Top-5 finishes at St Rule Trophy, ANNIKA Intercollegiate (USA), The Schooner Fall Classic (USA)
- Top-10 finishes at Nexus Collegiate (USA), ACC Women’s Golf Championship (USA)
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals
Patience Rhodes: Burnham & Berrow, Somerset
- Won St Rule Trophy
- Part of England Women’s Team which won silver at European Ladies’ Team Championship
- Represented Europe in Patsy Hankins Trophy win over Asia-Pacific
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals
Lottie Woad: Farnham, Surrey
- Won the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and also the Florida State Match Up (both USA)
- 2nd at South American Amateur Championship
- Top-5 finishes at Collegiate Invitational at GCC (Mexico), Moon Golf Invitational, NCAA Raleigh Regional, The Schooner Fall Classic, Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational (all USA)
- Helped England to highest-ever 4th-place finish at World Team Championship, while also finishing tied-4th in individual standings
- Represented Europe at Arnold Palmer Cup
- Represented GB&I in Vagliano Trophy
- Represented Europe in Patsy Hankins Trophy win over Asia-Pacific
- Part of England Women’s Team which won silver at European Ladies’ Team Championship
- Part of England Women’s Team which won the Home Internationals