World's top juniors chase glory at Girls Amateur Championship

Lily Reitter, from France, has a handicap of +5 and is one of the favourites for the title this week

Eighty of the world's leading junior golfers are chasing glory at the R&A Girls' U16 Amateur Championship in Cambridgeshire.

Competitors aged between 12 and 16 from 26 different countries are taking part until Sunday at The Gog Magog Golf Club, near Cambridge.

"It is a huge championship; one of the biggest in Europe," said England golfer Ellie Lichtenhein, playing in the event for a fourth time.

"It is such an enjoyable week competing against the best amateur girls."

Ria Prabhakar from Essex smashes her drive up the first hole at the Gog Magog Golf Club

The three-day, 54-hole event features players with handicaps ranging from one to +5 and runs until Sunday.

It was first played at Fulford, York, in 2018, introduced as part of The R&A's drive to boost the girls' game in Great Britain and Ireland and provide a pathway to the elite amateur level for leading young players.

Ria Prabhakar, 15, from West Essex Golf Club, said: "It is the biggest event I will play in all year.

"I hope to turn professional one day and play on the LPGA Tour. It has been the dream, ever since I started playing golf as a four-year-old."

Fellow Essex player Emily Dixon, 15, is also playing in the tournament for the final time. She said she was very excited and hoping to win.

"I hope to be the best of the best. I want to be like Tiger Woods, but obviously the girl version of him," said the Southend golfer, who plays off a handicap of 0.2.

"One day, I hope young girls can look up to me. Golf is such a great family sport. It is outside; you get to see and play with all your friends. I would love to make a career of it."

Roly Hitchcock has been working with Emily Dixon and other young golfers

Emily Dixon plays off a handicap of 0.2 and hopes to inspire other girls if she turns professional

Roly Hitchcock, a PGA professional and an England Golf coach in the east region, has been working with both Ria and Emily for a number of years.

"They are juggling with exams at the moment but we want them to continue to develop their game," he said.

"They might want to look at the college system in America or perhaps progress into the national squads at England Golf.

"Both are eying up careers in the professional game, so it is my job to let them learn and to keep developing them to be better golfers and better people, so they can continue to progress."

Hitchcock said this tournament played a crucial role in aiding their development allowing both players a chance to compete with the best young players in Europe.

Lady captain Jules Routledge said the Gog Magog club was honoured to be staging such a prestigious event

It is the first time Gog Magog, which has two 18-hole courses, has staged this prestigious girls' event.

It is being played over the Old Course, which opened in 1901 and will also host regional qualifying in June for the men's Open Championship at Royal Portrush later this summer.

"It is fabulous for girls' golf to have the event here," said lady captain Jules Routledge. "It is a such privilege and a real honour."

The club runs a scholarship programme for local girls of all ages and abilities to come and try the sport.

"The girls playing this week at such a high standard will be a huge inspiration for the young girls in our area, also for our slightly older lady members, too," Mrs Routledge added.

Sommer Chan says hopes this week will be a great experience for her

Sommer Chan, 14, from Woburn Golf Club in Bedfordshire, said she hoped the tournament would be a great experience but admitted she was a bit nervous.

"It is a huge step up for me but I hope I do well," she said. "I hope to work on my mental game this week to cope under pressure."

All smiles on the first tee, France's Lily Reitter says the tournament feels like a professional event

On paper, Lily Reitter, 16, from France is the best golfer in the field, playing off a handicap of +5. For many observers, she is the one to beat.

"I am excited to be here. In tournaments, anyone can win. You have to play well and not get ahead of yourself," she said.

"The event would be a great one to win. It feels like a professional tournament played on a great course, with the practice facilities and the live scoring.

"It is a really good comparison to what it could be like for us [after turning professional] in a couple of years."