Staff WriterEngland Golf has rolled the dice on three teenage standouts for the World Junior Girls Championship, sending a team that looks more like a squad of seasoned pros than school-leavers to St. Catharines Golf & Country Club, Canada, from 15–20 September.
The chosen trio – Lauren Crump, Ellie Lichtenhein, and Charlotte Naughton – will be coached by Steve Robinson, with India Clyburn wearing the captain’s armband. Between them, they’ve piled up more silverware than the average clubhouse trophy cabinet, and England will be hoping this is the group to finally crack a tournament that has stubbornly refused to yield to them since its inception in 2014.
Clyburn put it plainly: “We have a really strong team of national champions for the World Junior Girls in Canada. I’m excited to see how they take the opportunity to compete against other strong nations. The course set-up always plays like target golf, so we need to be accurate from tee to green for the best chance of scoring well.”
It’s a tall order. England has never medalled in nine previous attempts, and no player has sniffed the top three on the individual leaderboard. But if history is going to change, these three might just be the ones to do it.
Lauren Crump – the closer who never blinks
At just 16, Shropshire’s Lauren Crump already owns two English Girls’ Stroke Play Championships, a Scottish U16 title, and the ability to stare down professionals without breaking a sweat. She tied for second in the Women’s Open Pre-Qualifier at Delamere Forest against a field packed with hardened tour veterans – not bad for someone still sitting GCSEs.
She’s also a proven match-play assassin, winning all four points in England U16s’ victory over Spain last year, and twice helping England secure the Girls’ & Boys’ Home Internationals. Her résumé reads like a greatest-hits album: wins, near-misses in playoffs, and a knack for delivering under pressure.
Ellie Lichtenhein – Buckinghamshire’s rising star
Also 16, Ellie Lichtenhein arrives at the World Junior Girls Championship on the back of winning the 2025 European Young Masters. She’s no stranger to runner-up finishes – the Fairhaven, Scottish U16, English Stroke Play, you name it – but if golf teaches you anything, it’s that finishing second a dozen times makes the eventual wins taste even sweeter.
Ellie’s already been tested on international stages, representing both England and GB&I, and playing a part in history as the Junior Vagliano Trophy finally went GB&I’s way in 2024. She’s consistent, composed, and the type of player who can turn a leaderboard upside down if she catches fire.
Charlotte Naughton – the history maker
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Naughton did something no English player had ever managed before – she won the German Girls’ International Amateur in 2025.
She’s also twice been runner-up at the St Rule Trophy, collecting the Lawson Trophy both times as the top U18, and finished runner-up at the Girls’ Amateur Championship this year.
Her record screams big-tournament pedigree: top-10s in Scotland, team wins against Spain, European medals, and even a Toyota Junior World Cup appearance. Like her teammates, Charlotte’s got both scars and medals from golf’s early battles, which might be the perfect recipe for Canadian success.
Breaking the curse?
So here’s the question: can this English trio finally shake off a decade of frustration at the World Junior Girls Championship? They’ve got the titles, the temperament, and a captain in Clyburn who knows a thing or two about international golf.
England might still be chasing its first medal, but if momentum counts for anything, Canada could be where history finally tilts in their favour. And if it doesn’t? Well, with this lot, it’s only a matter of time.
