Andy DevaneyAt just 18, the Longhirst Hall golfer has turned a remarkable season into a place in European golf’s record books, with a major championship opportunity, Curtis Cup experience and a Ladies European Tour invitation to show for it.
There are impressive amateur seasons, and then there are the sort that leave the opposition needing a telescope. Charlotte Naughton has produced the latter, becoming the inaugural winner of the Women’s European Amateur Order of Merit after finishing more than 500 points clear of the chasing pack.
The 18-year-old England international secured the historic title on the strength of a 2026 campaign that included victory at the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in Sweden, an appearance for Great Britain and Ireland at the Curtis Cup and a place in the AIG Women’s Open.
For Naughton, who plays at Longhirst Hall, the reward is an EGA gold medal and an invitation to compete on the Ladies European Tour. The significance extends beyond another trophy in the cabinet. She is the first player to have her name engraved on a new honour recognising performance across the European women’s amateur game.
The European Championship victory that defined her season
Naughton began 2026 with a succession of top-five finishes, establishing the consistency that would eventually underpin her Order of Merit triumph.
The decisive result came in Sweden, where she captured the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship. Winning one of the continent’s most prestigious amateur titles provided the points that helped her pull decisively clear in the standings. It also secured her a place at the 2026 AIG Women’s Open, her first major championship.
For a player still in her teens, that represents quite a collection of milestones from a single tournament.
“My highlight from 2026 is the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship – winning one of the most prestigious tournaments in Europe is my biggest achievement to date and I’m so proud my hard work paid off,” Naughton said.
“Another highlight was being part of Team GB&I in the Curtis Cup – it had been a dream of mine for the longest time. It was so much fun being able to test my game against the top American amateurs.”
The Curtis Cup offered an entirely different competitive examination. Representing Great Britain and Ireland against the leading American amateurs brought team expectations and international match-play experience into a season already distinguished by individual achievement.
A winning season on both sides of the Atlantic
Although Sweden supplied her defining victory, Naughton’s success was hardly confined to one particularly productive week.
Earlier in the year, she won the Junior Orange Bowl in the United States, adding another significant international title to her amateur record. She also finished third at the German International Women’s Amateur and recorded a top-five finish at the Portuguese Amateur Championship.
At the European Nations Cup, Naughton placed third in the individual standings while helping England achieve a joint-best-ever team finish of tied second.
Her contribution to the national side continued at the European Ladies’ Team Championship, where England collected bronze, and at the Women’s Home Internationals, which England won.
There was also a familiar outcome at the St Rule Trophy. Naughton claimed the Lawson Trophy, awarded to the leading under-18 player, for the third consecutive year.
Having finished second overall in both 2024 and 2025, she tied for fifth in the 2026 competition. It was another result that demonstrated her sustained presence near the top of the amateur game.
Taken together, those performances explain how she accumulated such a substantial advantage in the European Order of Merit. The championship victory provided the defining result, while her consistency across international competitions made the final standings particularly emphatic.
England Golf’s role in Naughton’s development
Naughton’s achievements also reflect several years spent progressing through England’s amateur golf system.
She credits the England Golf set-up with providing coaching, competitive opportunities and the support necessary to develop her game at international level.
“Being part of the England set-up has helped me develop all aspects of my game. The coaching team have given me so much support and advice throughout the years and I’ve been given the most amazing opportunities to compete at great tournaments and make memories that will last a lifetime.”
Her family have been equally important in enabling her to travel and compete internationally.
“The love and support from my family has helped me so much throughout my golf journey. They have given me so many incredible opportunities and taken me all over the world to allow me to pursue my dreams.”
The England Golf Talent Pathway, supported by The R&A and Sport England, provides opportunities for players to develop and compete at increasingly demanding levels. Naughton’s progression offers a clear example of a player making the most of that environment.
Texas awaits as Naughton sets her sights on 2027
Despite everything she has achieved in 2026, Naughton’s immediate ambitions remain firmly focused on amateur golf.
She is preparing for her freshman year at the University of Texas, where she will combine her studies with the next stage of her golfing development.
“My targets for 2027 are to have a successful freshman year at the University of Texas, to continue to represent my county, and to put myself in contention at high-level tournaments.”
The Ladies European Tour invitation adds another opportunity to experience competition beyond the amateur ranks, while her Curtis Cup appearance and Women’s Open qualification have already brought her into contact with different levels of the elite game.
For now, her ambitions are straightforward: settle into university life, continue representing her county and keep challenging for major amateur titles.
Naughton heads to Texas with an unusually substantial collection of achievements for an 18-year-old. And whatever comes next, she has already secured one distinction nobody else can claim: the first Women’s European Amateur Order of Merit title belongs to her.
