Andy DevaneyThe English Women’s Champion Club 2026 belongs to Walton Heath after Jenny Justice and sisters Annabel and Emily Peaford combined to deliver a five-shot victory at Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club.
Their two-day total of +16 proved enough to see off Princes Golf Club and add another national club title to Walton Heath’s collection.
It was not a procession. The opening day brought conditions Annabel Peaford described as among the worst she had encountered on a golf course, leaving Walton Heath with chasing to do. By the end, however, the Surrey side had made the championship look considerably tidier than the weather apparently intended.
Peaford Sisters Supply Walton Heath’s Scoring Backbone
The format required the best two scores from each three-player team to count each day, and Walton Heath could hardly have asked for a more productive pairing than the Peaford sisters.
Annabel opened with a 71, two under par, before following it with a level-par 73. Both rounds contained an eagle.
Emily added rounds of 81 and 83.
The arithmetic is rather persuasive. Those four rounds produced the +16 total Walton Heath ultimately posted, with Justice completing a trio that had enough depth and resolve to move clear of the field.
Annabel and Emily also arrived with pedigree. Both are members of the England Golf National Squads, while the sisters had already been part of Walton Heath’s victorious team in the same championship in 2023.
Some partnerships need time to develop. Being sisters presumably cuts down on the introductory phase.
Brutal Conditions Turn The Championship Into A Test
Walton Heath’s victory was shaped as much by resilience as scoring.
According to Annabel, the team had been handed the tougher side of the draw on day one and encountered particularly severe weather. Rather than allowing the first round to dictate the championship, they remained close enough to attack when conditions improved.
That mattered in a format capable of changing quickly. With two cards counting and three players available, one damaging round need not end a challenge, but two certainly make life awkward.
Walton Heath avoided that trap.
The second day offered the chance they needed and the Surrey club took it, turning pursuit into a five-shot winning margin.
Annabel Peaford Finds An Eagle On Both Days
Annabel’s contribution supplied the class at the top of Walton Heath’s card.
A two-under 71 followed by a 73 would have represented an influential contribution without embellishment. Finding an eagle during each round gave the performance a sharper edge.
Her ability to score despite the changing conditions also gave Walton Heath something every team event needs: a dependable card when circumstances become distinctly less dependable.
That steadiness was matched by Emily, whose scores counted on both days. There are more glamorous descriptions of successful team golf, but repeatedly providing the number your side needs remains a remarkably effective habit.
Princes Push Walton Heath But Finish Five Back
Princes Golf Club emerged as Walton Heath’s nearest challengers.
The Kent side of Teagan Ford, Alessandra Mitchell and Sandy Hallet finished five shots behind the champions, close enough to ensure Walton Heath could never regard the trophy as packed for the journey home until the scoring was complete.
Northamptonshire County Golf Club finished third, another four shots further back, represented by Katie Amos alongside Harriet and Millicent Billson.
That left Walton Heath alone at the top, with +16 enough to settle a championship played under conditions capable of making every number on a scorecard feel slightly more expensive.
Another National Club Title For Walton Heath
For the Peaford sisters, victory carried a little more history than simply collecting another trophy.
They had been part of Walton Heath’s winning team three years earlier, while Annabel has represented the club she joined as a seven-year-old. This time Jenny Justice joined them in the playing trio, with family and caddie support also part of the championship effort.
Annabel summed up the sisterly element simply: “It is always great when we win together, she is a very determined teammate and we both know that we are giving it our all even when the conditions are horrendous!
After two demanding days, celebration was apparently accompanied by one rather more immediate concern. “Going home and drying off is the priority now! We all had lunch together following the round today and are proud to bring the trophy back to Walton Heath!”
Quite right. Trophies polish nicely. Waterproofs are another matter.
Walton Heath leave Felixstowe Ferry as English Women’s Champion Club once again, five shots clear and with another shared chapter for two sisters who appear to make a useful habit of winning together.
