Elaine Ratcliffe, Janet Melville and Stuart Wilson have been named as captains of the Great Britain and Ireland teams for the 2022 Curtis Cup, Junior Vagliano Trophy and St Andrews Trophy, respectively.
Ratcliffe returns as captain for the 2022 match to be played at Merion from 10-12 June. She also fulfilled the role at The 41st Curtis Cup at Conwy where she guided the GB&I team to an opening day lead which was overtaken by a strong USA line-up on the final day.
Hailing from Sandbach in Cheshire, Ratcliffe has a distinguished resumé having captained England in several international matches, including the Women’s Home Internationals and the European Amateur Team Championships, and has twice led the European team in the Patsy Hankins Trophy against Asia-Pacific.
As a player she won the Finnish Amateur Championship in 1997 and the English Amateur Championship the following year. Ratcliffe was a member of the GB&I team which defeated the United States 11½- 6½ in the 1996 Curtis Cup at Killarney. She also played for GB&I in the Vagliano Trophy against the Continent of Europe, who won the match 14-10 at Halmstad in Sweden in 1997.
Pursuing a professional playing career, she was named Rookie of the Year by the Ladies’ European Tour in 1999 before being reinstated as an amateur in 2008.
Ratcliffe commented, “I am delighted to be returning to captain the Great Britain and Ireland team at the Curtis Cup next year.
“I was so privileged to lead the girls this year. They played impressive golf and showed just how much this match meant to them. I look forward to travelling with the 2022 team for an away match which I am sure will be played with great enthusiasm and friendship.”
After leading the GB&I team in 2021, Melville reprises her role of captain at the Junior Vagliano Trophy, which will be played against the Continent of Europe at Blairgowrie on 26 and 27 August.
With a glittering amateur career, the highlights of which were her 1978 AIG Women’s Open and 1987 Women’s Amateur Championship wins, Melville draws on her own experiences to inspire the younger generations and has captained English teams to victory at the Girls’ Home Internationals.
Melville commented, “I am so pleased to be the Captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team for the Junior Vagliano Trophy. Working with these young golfers and helping them to develop is a true passion of mine.
“Golf has brought me so much joy over the years so to continue to be involved with the sport and support the next generation of players is a real honour.”
Meanwhile, Stuart Wilson will continue as the GB&I Men’s Team Captain for the St Andrews Trophy to be played against the Continent of Europe in Slovakia on 21 and 22 July 2022.
The former Amateur Champion was appointed to Captain the GB&I side in the 2020 St Andrews Trophy before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This continues his tenure in the role following on from an impressive debut at the 2021 Walker Cup. Wilson’s GB&I team put in an emphatic performance before ultimately succumbing, on the final day, to a narrow defeat at the hands of a strong USA team.
“I am very pleased to return as the Captain of the men’s Great Britain and Ireland team. The Walker Cup was a fantastic experience; it taught me a lot which I plan to put into action with the team at the St Andrews Trophy next year.”
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer of The R&A, said, “We are delighted to re-appoint Elaine Ratcliffe, Janet Melville and Stuart Wilson as the captains of the GB&I teams for the Curtis Cup, Junior Vagliano Trophy and St Andrews Trophy. It is wonderful that they continue to embrace these roles, as they are inspiring mentors who bring a great deal of knowledge and passion to the teams.”
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