England Golf: Ong on top with both Girls’ & Women’s 2024 OOM titles

Norfolk’s Nellie Ong has won both the England Girls’ and England Women’s Order of Merit (OOM) after a stellar 2024 campaign. The 18-year-old qualified 3rd at the French Open to reach the quarter-finals and enjoyed two 2nd-place finishes at the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open and the Scottish Girls’ Open in April, before winning the Welsh Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship in May.

Her success didn’t stop there, as she helped England to a bronze medal at the European Ladies’ Team Championship in July, and later helping her country win both the Home Internationals in August, and the overall gold medal at the Spirit Invitational Amateur Golf Championship in November.

Ong said: “I am over the moon to win these two awards. My aim was to be consistent all year and I think I have done that, by trying to keep backing up good performances and bringing that confidence to the next tournament.

“It was such an amazing experience competing in a professional event at the Aramco Team Series. It gave me the opportunity to experience tour life and also play with the best players in the world and compare my game to theirs. For that I’m very thankful.

“I hope to show the same kind of consistency next year, working my way up the world rankings, and to help Ohio State get to the National Championship Finals.”

England Golf Senior Women’s Order of Merit

Hertfordshire’s Jackie Foster won the Senior Women’s Order of Merit after her impressive year. She secured an outstanding English Senior Women’s Amateur title, before being agonisingly pipped to a second successive Senior Women’s Amateur title by Australian Nadene Gole on the 2nd play-off hole in July at Saunton, while she finished 4th at the English Senior Women’s Stroke Play in June.

Foster said: “I think 2024 would be a hard year to beat for me and I’m delighted to have won the English Senior Women’s OOM. My season started well with a good win in the Senior Amateur, having nearly missed the match play qualifying, and I also played well in the Senior Women’s Stroke Play at Waterlooville.

“At the time I was disappointed to lose the British Amateur at Saunton but on reflection I was pleased to have gone so close to retaining the trophy I won in 2023. That had also given me exemptions to play in this year’s USGA Senior Amateur and professional events, and it was great to be able to take up those opportunities.

“I was proud to be part of the English team that won a bronze medal in the European Team Championships and I was also really honoured to have been selected to represent Team Europe in the first women’s Concession Cup event for seniors and mid-amateurs, against the USA, for the Thompson-Bonallack Trophy in Savannah. Unfortunately we didn’t win but it was another great experience.

“It will be difficult to top this year but I have some great memories to use and help focus on continual improvement in 2025.”