Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) secured a historic victory in the 2025 Vagliano Trophy, edging the Continent of Europe 12½-11½ in a nail-biting finale at Royal Hague Golf & Country Club in The Netherlands. This marks GB&I’s first win in the prestigious women’s amateur team event since 2005.
Led by non-playing captain Maria Dunne, GB&I delivered a spirited singles performance to overcome a one-point deficit and deny Europe a ninth consecutive triumph. The emotional win builds on the momentum of their 2024 Curtis Cup victory under Catriona Matthew OBE.
Five players—Lottie Woad, Hannah Darling, Patience Rhodes, Beth Coulter, and Aine Donegan—featured in both the Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy-winning squads, highlighting a strong generational core.
Despite two early singles wins by the Continent of Europe, GB&I turned the tide with decisive victories from Rhodes, Nellie Ong, and Isla McDonald-O’Brien. A stunning eagle at the 18th hole from Ireland’s Aine Donegan and a clutch one-hole win by Sophia Fullbrook sealed the comeback in dramatic fashion.
The win came after a solid Saturday morning foursomes session, where GB&I narrowed the gap with a 2½-1½ result. Key pairings included Woad and Ong, and Rhodes and Fullbrook—both notching 2&1 wins.
Top-ranked amateur Lottie Woad faced newly crowned Women’s Amateur Champion Paula Martin Sampedro, who clinched a 2&1 victory. However, Ong’s emphatic 6&5 win, McDonald-O’Brien’s 2&1 edge, and Rhodes’ gritty two-hole victory were crucial to the comeback.
Donegan’s eagle and Fullbrook’s composure under pressure finalized the 12½-11½ result. Darling fell 2&1 to Marie Eline Madsen in a match that proved academic in the end.
In the Junior Vagliano Trophy, the Continent of Europe retained dominance with an 11½-6½ win, despite a spirited showing from GB&I’s young talents. Scotland’s Carly McDonald made headlines with a hole-in-one on the 17th, though she narrowly lost her match to France’s Alice Kong.
The Vagliano Trophy at Royal Hague follows the venue’s legacy of hosting elite championships, including the 2018 European Amateur. For GB&I, this victory represents a major milestone, reaffirming their place among the elite in women’s amateur golf.
About The R&A
The R&A group of companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A group.
Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 62 million golfers in 148 countries and with the consent of 167 organisations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A stages the AIG Women’s Open and works with the DP World Tour to stage the Senior Open.
The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over ten years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities.
