Staff WriterEllie Lichtenhein didn’t just become the European Young Masters Champion this weekend — she led an English charge so emphatic it could’ve been choreographed by the Royal Ballet.
On the classic fairways of Racing Club de France (RCF) La Boulie, the 15-year-old from Buckinghamshire clipped together rounds of 70, 70, and a gritty 73 to finish at -3 and edge out defending champion Annabel Peaford by two shots.
“I’m feeling amazing,” said Lichtenhein, who now owns bragging rights across the continent. “It’s so nice to get a big win, and it was one of the big things on my list for 2025.
I’m really glad that I was able to pull it off and play some solid golf all week.” Spoken like someone who just ticked off the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, and a major junior title in the same weekend.
The final round wasn’t a coronation—it was a duel. Peaford, from Walton Heath and already battle-tested, threw down an eagle on the par-5 18th like a gauntlet.
But Lichtenhein, cool as a cucumber in a walk-in fridge, answered with a birdie at 17 and closed with a nerveless par to seal it.
In true English fashion, the pair will swap out their berets for bucket hats and head straight to Old Fold Manor for the English Girls’ U16 Championship (29-31 July).
No rest for the talented. That event boasts past champions such as Georgia Hall, Annabell Fuller, Lily May Humphreys, Florentyna Parker, and Felicity Johnson — in other words, a list with more firepower than a Ryder Cup locker room.
Peaford, despite falling short in her title defence, held her chin high: “It was a good defence coming 2nd.
It was an interesting round, but I’m looking forward to the events ahead.” Judging by her closing eagle, there are plenty more trophies with her name on them.
And lest we forget the boys in blue: George Whitehead of Hillside finished a respectable tied-11th, while Teesside’s Tom Hartshorne had a tougher ride, landing in a tie for 35th.
England’s combined effort across the board put them in a tie for fourth in the overall standings, heartbreakingly one shot shy of a team medal at -5. Still, a whisker away from the podium is nothing to sniff at in international play.
With Lichtenhein now firmly on the radar as the new European Young Masters Champion, and Peaford proving she’s got staying power, the England Girls’ Squad are sending a clear message: the next generation is here — and they’ve brought their A-game.
