Final-hole eagle and gritty singles wins power GB&I past Europe for their first Vagliano Trophy triumph since 2005.
Royal Hague, Netherlands – June 28, 2025
In a dramatic final-day turnaround, Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) edged out the Continent of Europe 12½–11½ to win the Vagliano Trophy for the first time since 2005. The victory at Royal Hague Golf & Country Club marked the end of a 20-year wait and a powerful follow-up to GB&I's Curtis Cup triumph last year.
Comeback Sparked in the Singles
Trailing by one point heading into Saturday afternoon's singles matches, GB&I were under pressure. Early wins for the Continent of Europe hinted at another disappointment for the visitors. But Maria Dunne’s squad rallied spectacularly.
England's Patience Rhodes, Nellie Ong, and Isla McDonald-O'Brien delivered crucial points to shift momentum. Then, Ireland’s Aine Donegan clinched a sensational win with an eagle on the final hole, followed by a narrow one-hole victory from England’s Sophia Fullbrook to secure the team title.
“It’s been an unbelievable day,” said GB&I Captain Maria Dunne. “I told them last night ‘just keep fighting for every single point or half point’ and that’s exactly what they did.”
Foursomes Set the Stage
The narrow 7–5 deficit after Friday's opening sessions was quickly trimmed as GB&I won the Saturday morning foursomes 2½–1½. World No. 1 amateur Lottie Woad teamed up with Ong for a 2&1 win, while Rhodes and Fullbrook matched that score against their French-Spanish opponents.
Dunne credited last year's Curtis Cup win as a confidence booster: “I reminded them in our team meetings that we had that momentum and belief. My three rookies have also been unbelievable and done the job for me every time I’ve asked.”
Five players from the Curtis Cup-winning side—Woad, Darling, Rhodes, Coulter, and Donegan—featured again this week, bringing experience and composure under pressure.
High Stakes and High Drama
The closing stages were tense. Europe’s Paula Martin Sampedro, fresh off her Women’s Amateur Championship win, and Carolina Lopez-Chacarra gave the hosts an early edge in the singles. But GB&I surged back. Ong posted a dominant 6&5 win, and McDonald-O'Brien edged Camille Min-Gaultier.
Rhodes, a key figure in last year’s Curtis Cup final day, won again before Donegan and Fullbrook closed the match in GB&I’s favor. Despite a late point for Europe from Madsen over Darling, the result was sealed.
“This group has shown what belief, resilience, and teamwork look like,” Dunne said. “For GB&I to now hold both the Curtis Cup and the Vagliano Trophy is fantastic.”
Junior Vagliano Trophy: Europe Retain Title
While GB&I celebrated in the senior match, the Continent of Europe continued their dominance in the Junior Vagliano Trophy 2025, winning 11½–6½. After trailing by one point on day one, Europe swept the Saturday morning foursomes and maintained control through the singles. Scotland’s Carly McDonald delivered a standout moment with a hole-in-one at the 17th, despite narrowly losing her match.
