England Golf has confirmed its men’s and women’s teams for the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande in Spain on April 15-18 – including The Longhirst Club’s Charlotte Naughton and Lindrick’s Tom Osborne.
Charlotte is joined in the women’s team by Ellie Lichtenhein (The Buckinghamshire, Buckinghamshire), who recently won the Sunningdale Foursomes, and Annabel Peaford (Walton Heath, Surrey).
Tom and Eliot Baker (Tiverton, Devon) – winner and runner-up respectively at the Spanish Amateur Championship – are part of the four-player England men’s team alongside Ben Bolton (Enville, Staffordshire) and Kris Kim (Wentworth, Surrey).
The competition is a strokeplay event played over 72 holes for both the men and women, with the best three men’s scores counting each day, and the top two women’s scores counting.
England has enjoyed the most success in the men’s event, having won 13 of the 26 editions so far – with Spain second with four wins. Previous individual winners of the tournament include Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington, with the most recent English winners being Tom Sloman (2019) and Todd Clements (2018).
The England team is searching for a first win at the women’s Nations Cup, having played in four of the six editions to-date. Previous individual winners of the women’s event include Solheim Cup stars Carlota Ciganda and Celine Boutier.
England Women’s captain Jenny Henderson said: “Sotogrande is always a superb test – with fast, demanding greens and a strong European field befitting such a historic and prestigious tournament. Although the women’s team is young, they have already achieved a great deal, and with their collective potential they’ll be aiming for English success as a team and as individuals.”
England men’s captain Ben Gorvett added: “Our men have had a strong start to the season individually with several wins and top 10 finishes, so there has been great competition for the four spots in the team. There are a few disappointed players who have shown great form but didn’t receive the call to play on this occasion. The European Nations Cup is a competitive event with a strong field, and the format and course provide a test that our men are eager to play. We have a strong team going into the event and are ready to try and defend our title.”
