Andy DevaneyEngland Golf has named 128 players to its Regional Squads for 2026/27, with 64 boys and 64 girls selected across ten regions.
For the golfers involved, it represents an important move along the amateur pathway. County golf remains the foundation, but the regional programme is intended to help those showing national-team potential develop the skills and experience required to compete at a higher level.
This year’s announcement also comes with a significant change behind the scenes. England Golf has reviewed its regional performance structure and introduced more rigorous selection criteria, raising expectations for those hoping to progress.
The youngest selected players are 13, while the oldest are 18. They arrive from clubs across the country, from established championship venues to the local clubs that remain central to England’s junior development system.
A Clearer Route From County Golf to England Selection
The Regional Coaching Programme occupies an important position between county representation and England’s national squads.
Its purpose is to identify boys considered capable of representing England at the relevant age-group level within the following two years, alongside girls demonstrating the potential to compete for England at junior level.
Selection therefore recognises potential rather than guaranteeing a future international appearance.
Players receive targeted coaching and development opportunities intended to prepare them for the standards expected in national competition. The longer-term ambition is to develop golfers capable of competing internationally, although progress will inevitably depend on what happens after selection.
That distinction matters. A place in a regional squad is an opportunity to develop, with further performances and improvement still required.
England Golf Raises Its Selection Standards
England Golf Deputy Performance Director Steve Burnett has confirmed that the organisation’s Performance Staff Team spent the past year reviewing the regional programme.
The resulting changes include updated selection criteria that England Golf considers more demanding than those previously used.
Burnett believes the revised approach has produced stronger regional squads ahead of the 2026/27 coaching campaign.
The programme is also intended to develop more than technical golfing ability. Confidence, preparation and the behaviours required for higher-level competition form part of England Golf’s approach.
Burnett has emphasised the value of giving aspiring players a connected progression route, while maintaining an enjoyable and rewarding experience in the sport.
The underlying challenge is familiar to anyone involved in junior performance golf: identifying ability is one thing; creating the conditions for that ability to develop is another.
Ten Regions, Different Squad Sizes
Although the overall selection divides evenly between boys and girls, the individual regional squads vary considerably in size.
Thames Valley has the largest squad, with 18 players, comprising nine boys and nine girls.
The South West follows with 16 players, split evenly between the two groups, while the South East has 15.
At the other end of the scale, the North, North West and Yorkshire each have nine players.
Yorkshire’s squad is particularly notable for its composition, with seven girls and two boys selected. The East Midlands and South West both have equal numbers of boys and girls.
The announcement does not establish why individual regions have different squad sizes, so those figures should not be interpreted as a ranking of regional strength.
What they demonstrate is the breadth of the programme, with selected golfers representing clubs across England and, in one instance, St Andrews in Scotland.
Coaching Support Beyond the Golf Swing
Every region has a designated coaching structure covering boys’ and girls’ development, with managers and strength and conditioning specialists also identified.
The inclusion of strength and conditioning support across all ten regions reflects the programme’s broader performance-development remit.
One appointment remains unconfirmed: the East Midlands girls’ coaching position is listed as TBC.
England Golf’s Talent Pathway is supported by The R&A and Sport England, linking regional development to the wider structure intended to help young golfers progress through the amateur game.
For these 128 players, the immediate achievement is selection. The more meaningful measure will come through the development that follows.
Full England Golf Regional Squads 2026/27
The complete selections, including ages, clubs and regional coaching teams, are listed below.
East — 14 Players
Boys (6): Harrison Barnett, 13 (Thorpe Hall, Essex); Alfie Dorrington, 17 (Bentley, Essex); Harry Fryer, 16 (Rochester & Cobham, Kent); Oliver McEvoy, 16 (Thorpe Hall, Essex); Hayden Norman, 17 (Romford, Essex); Jenson Ringer, 14 (Rochester & Cobham, Kent).
Girls (8): Maybel Brooks, 13 (Chelmsford, Essex); Amanda Ellis, 15 (John O’Gaunt, Bedfordshire); Lily Frost, 17 (Chelmsford, Essex); Lara Gauntlett, 13 (The Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire); Sydney Greig, 14 (The Rayleigh Club, Essex); Emily Howells, 14 (Chelmsford, Essex); Ria Prabhakar, 17 (West Essex, Essex); Katie Walsh, 16 (Chelmsford, Essex).
Coaching team: Chris Jenkins (boys’ coach), Paul Prebble (boys’ manager), Roly Hitchcock (girls’ coach), Adrian Bullock (girls’ manager), Will Wayland (strength and conditioning).
East Midlands — 14 Players
Boys (7): Dan Agapito, 17 (Belton Woods, Lincolnshire); Harry Banner, 17 (Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire); Josh Bland, 14 (Northamptonshire County, Northamptonshire); Lewis Karim, 17 (Gog Magog, Cambridgeshire); James Matthews, 16 (Gog Magog, Cambridgeshire); William Psenko, 16 (Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire); Oliver Smith, 13 (Saffron Walden, Cambridgeshire).
Girls (7): Ava Allenby, 15 (Waltham Windmill, Lincolnshire); Bethany Gough, 17 (Greetham Valley, Lincolnshire); Isobelle Harriyanto, 14 (Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire); Bella Lowery, 14 (Market Rasen, Lincolnshire); Eva Myers, 17 (Chesterfield, Derbyshire); Abigail Scott, 17 (Kenwick Park, Lincolnshire); Olivia Wilson, 13 (Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire).
Coaching team: Lysa Jones (boys’ coach), Trevor Newton (boys’ manager), girls’ coach TBC, Paul Rymer (girls’ manager), Jack Wells (strength and conditioning).
North — 9 Players
Boys (5): Oscar Hancill, 17 (Wearside, Durham); Ollie Porteous, 16 (Seaton Carew, Durham); Bradley Quayle, 17 (Seascale, Cumbria); Harry Alexander Sheen, 15 (Wearside, Durham); Sam Wilson, 17 (St Andrews, Scotland).
Girls (4): Nixie Corcoran, 13 (Blackwell Grange, Durham); Lexie Dunn, 16 (Ponteland, Northumberland); Amelia Temperley, 14 (Morpeth, Northumberland); Jinhan Wang, 15 (City of Newcastle, Northumberland).
Coaching team: Simon Robinson (boys’ coach), Philip Ross (boys’ manager), John Vallely (girls’ coach), Sian Oakley (girls’ manager), Joel Brannigan (strength and conditioning).
North West — 9 Players
Boys (6): James Clark, 15 (Sandiway, Cheshire); Shane Clayton, 15 (Delamere Forest, Cheshire); Oliver Coleman, 16 (Stockport, Lancashire); Ricky Mohun, 14 (Delamere Forest, Cheshire); Thomas Prescott, 17 (Manchester, Lancashire); Luke Walton, 16 (West Lancashire, Lancashire).
Girls (3): Esme Graham, 16 (Wallasey, Cheshire); Gabriella Schofield, 16 (Hillside, Lancashire); Scout Wilson-Bonner Junior, 14 (Formby Ladies, Lancashire).
Coaching team: Peter Barber (boys’ coach), Ron Harrison (boys’ manager), Mark Pilling (girls’ coach), Claudine Beaver (girls’ manager), Nathan Norris (strength and conditioning).
South — 14 Players
Boys (8): Alfie Batten, 16 (Stoneham, Hampshire); Zahn Bopiah, 16 (Sunningdale, Surrey); Tiago Fernandes, 15 (Wellow, Hampshire); Fred Gill, 18 (Basingstoke, Hampshire); Joshua Jackson, 15 (Burhill, Surrey); Luke Jackson, 15 (Sunningdale Heath, Surrey); Jack Robinson, 15 (Walton Heath, Surrey); Harry Weatherhead, 17 (Burhill, Surrey).
Girls (6): Emily-May Clements, 15 (Sunningdale Heath, Surrey); Alicia Drame, 15 (Windlesham, Surrey); Solveig Holcke, 13 (Windlesham, Surrey); Maryam Kassim, 15 (Liphook, Hampshire); Jess Stofberg, 18 (Wentworth, Surrey); Grace Taylor, 17 (Burhill, Surrey).
Coaching team: Kevin Flynn (boys’ coach), Andrew Rankin (boys’ manager), Alex Saary (girls’ coach), Nick Woad (girls’ manager), Simon Brearley (strength and conditioning).
South East — 15 Players
Boys (9): Luke Antoun, 16 (Wildernesse, Kent); Leo Cahi, 17 (Mannings Heath, Sussex); Justin Chenu, 16 (Rochester & Cobham, Kent); Alexander Dunmall, 14 (Knole Park, Kent); Oscar Ford, 15 (Bearstead, Kent); Oliver McDonnell, 15 (Rochester & Cobham, Kent); Arthur Saunders, 17 (Littlestone, Kent); Harry Wang, 13 (Wentworth, Surrey); Jack Willis, 15 (Piltdown, Sussex).
Girls (6): Kieki Chapman, 17 (Chart Hills, Kent); Sophie Jones, 15 (Piltdown, Sussex); Darci Lewis-Bradbury, 16 (Dyke, Sussex); Amelia McGinty, 16 (West Sussex, Sussex); Esme Medd, 17 (Wildernesse, Kent); Bella Watson, 14 (Langley Park, Kent).
Coaching team: Russell Evans (boys’ coach), Chris Sykes (boys’ manager), Rob Callaghan (girls’ coach), Judith Halliday (girls’ manager), Alex Bliss (strength and conditioning).
South West — 16 Players
Boys (8): Riley Banks, 16 (Wrag Barn, Wiltshire); Alfie Chapman, 16 (St Enodoc, Cornwall); Felix Chippendale, 17 (Cirencester, Gloucestershire); Ambrose Eaves, 17 (Broadway, Gloucestershire); Archie Griffiths, 15 (Sidmouth, Devon); Jack Lockwood, 15 (Bristol & Clifton, Gloucestershire); Jaxson Perry, 16 (The Kendleshire, Gloucestershire); Owen Roach, 16 (Cumberwell Park, Somerset).
Girls (8): Daisy Best, 15 (Broadstone, Dorset); Rosie Boyle, 17 (Long Ashton, Gloucestershire); Evie Brown, 17 (Broadstone, Dorset); Lauren Cowley, 14 (Broome Manor, Wiltshire); Alexis Owen, 13 (Ferndown, Dorset); Millie Potter, 15 (Chippenham, Wiltshire); Alex Simmons, 16 (Tehidy Park, Cornwall); Amelia Slavin, 14 (Broadstone, Dorset).
Coaching team: John Jacobs (boys’ coach), Mark Powell (boys’ manager), Alex Jacobs (girls’ coach), Shelia Davidge (girls’ manager), Nicole Elkins (strength and conditioning).
Thames Valley — 18 Players
Boys (9): Freddie Buck, 14 (Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire); Thomas James, 16 (Frilford Heath, BB&O); Marcus Karim, 13 (East Herts, Hertfordshire); Thomas Kirchner, 17 (Beaconsfield, BB&O); Oliver O’Dell, 16 (The Springs, BB&O); Mihir Pasura, 13 (Moor Park, Hertfordshire); Marcus Smith, 17 (Castle Royle, BB&O); Josh Waldegrave, 17 (Beaconsfield, BB&O); Jack Wilkins, 14 (Harpenden Common, Hertfordshire).
Girls (9): Sommer Chan, 16 (Woburn, Buckinghamshire); Annabel Denyer, 16 (Woburn, Buckinghamshire); Charlotte Denyer, 16 (Woburn, Buckinghamshire); Alecia Ibekwem, 17 (Sandy Lodge, Hertfordshire); Lara Murphy, 16 (Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire); Amelia Parker, 15 (Letchworth, Hertfordshire); Thilanya Rajapaksha, 17 (Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire); Tess Samuels, 16 (East Herts, Hertfordshire); Amelie Stewart, 16 (Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire).
Coaching team: Matt Woods (boys’ coach), Lee Duncan (boys’ manager), Duncan Woolger (girls’ coach), Sue Ashworth (girls’ manager), Fiona Scott (strength and conditioning).
West Midlands — 10 Players
Boys (4): Harry Evans, 17 (Worcester, Worcestershire); Teddy Bailey Jenkins, 13 (Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire); Brodie Miller, 17 (Telford, Shropshire & Herefordshire); Harry Slater, 15 (Wrekin, Shropshire & Herefordshire).
Girls (6): Amelia Bryan, 16 (Gaudet Luce, Worcestershire & Herefordshire); Niamh Bush, 16 (Droitwich, Worcestershire & Herefordshire); Lucy Crump, 15 (Hill Valley, Shropshire); Chloe Ferneyhough, 13 (The Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Herefordshire); Edie Speirs, 17 (Cosby, Leicestershire); Maisie Whittall, 18 (Gaudet Luce, Worcestershire & Herefordshire).
Coaching team: David Brooks (boys’ coach), Dean Guy (boys’ manager), Jason Davies (girls’ coach), Ashley Jones (girls’ manager), Ben Langdown (strength and conditioning).
Yorkshire — 9 Players
Boys (2): Ollie Scott, 16 (Middlesbrough, Yorkshire); Albie Walker, 15 (Abbeydale, Yorkshire).
Girls (7): Mila Dodds, 14 (Sand Moor); Grace Gill, 17 (Garforth); Jessie Lane, 14 (Waterfront Golf); Shona Lawson, 16 (Bedale); Ava McDaid, 15 (Pannal); Sophie McKelvie, 15 (Pannal); Matilda Ward, 17 (Huddersfield).
Coaching team: James Freeman (boys’ coach), Philip Woodcock (boys’ manager), Craig Fricker (girls’ coach), Kevin Fretwell (girls’ manager), Mark Campbell (strength and conditioning).
