- Boys’ Order of Merit – Daniel Hayes (Bramhall, Cheshire)
- Men’s Order of Merit – Dominic Clemons (Gog Magog, Cambridgeshire)
- Girls’ Order of Merit – Nellie Ong (Eaton, Norfolk)
- Women’s Order of Merit – Nellie Ong (Eaton, Norfolk)
- Senior Men’s Order of Merit – Danny Holmes (Rochester & Cobham, Kent)
- Senior Women’s Order of Merit – Jackie Foster (Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire)
- Men’s Order of Merit – Dominic Clemons (Gog Magog, Cambridgeshire)
- Girls’ Order of Merit – Nellie Ong (Eaton, Norfolk)
- Women’s Order of Merit – Nellie Ong (Eaton, Norfolk)
- Senior Men’s Order of Merit – Danny Holmes (Rochester & Cobham, Kent)
- Senior Women’s Order of Merit – Jackie Foster (Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire)
Norfolk’s Nellie Ong (pictured above) has won both the England Girls’ and England Women’s Order of Merit (OOM) after a stellar 2024 campaign. The 18-year-old qualified 3rd at the French Open to reach the quarter-finals and enjoyed two 2nd-place finishes at the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open and the Scottish Girls’ Open in April, before winning the Welsh Women’s Open Stroke Play Championship in May.
Her success didn’t stop there, as she helped England to a bronze medal at the European Ladies’ Team Championship in July, and later helping her country win both the Home Internationals in August, and the overall gold medal at the Spirit Invitational Amateur Golf Championship in November.
Ong said: “I am over the moon to win these two awards. My aim was to be consistent all year and I think I have done that, by trying to keep backing up good performances and bringing that confidence to the next tournament.
“It was such an amazing experience competing in a professional event at the Aramco Team Series. It gave me the opportunity to experience tour life and also play with the best players in the world and compare my game to theirs. For that I’m very thankful.
“I hope to show the same kind of consistency next year, working my way up the world rankings, and to help Ohio state get to the National Championship Finals.”
Her success didn’t stop there, as she helped England to a bronze medal at the European Ladies’ Team Championship in July, and later helping her country win both the Home Internationals in August, and the overall gold medal at the Spirit Invitational Amateur Golf Championship in November.
Ong said: “I am over the moon to win these two awards. My aim was to be consistent all year and I think I have done that, by trying to keep backing up good performances and bringing that confidence to the next tournament.
“It was such an amazing experience competing in a professional event at the Aramco Team Series. It gave me the opportunity to experience tour life and also play with the best players in the world and compare my game to theirs. For that I’m very thankful.
“I hope to show the same kind of consistency next year, working my way up the world rankings, and to help Ohio state get to the National Championship Finals.”
Elsewhere, Daniel Hayes (pictured above) won the Boys’ Order of Merit after a fantastic season, and finished 3rd in the Men’s Order of Merit. His stunning year saw him win the Carris Trophy and finish tied-2nd for the Brabazon Trophy – picking up the George Henriques Salver for the leading under-20 player in the process, while he also won the Cheshire Cat, Lancashire Links Trophy and South East of England Links Championship.
The 17-year-old also represented GB&I in the Jacques Leglise Trophy, and represented England in the Men’s & Women’s Home Internationals, Junior Golf World Cup, and European Boys’ Team Championship.
Hayes revealed: “It’s nice to see my hard work has paid off in both the Boys’ and Men’s OOM. I didn’t have a great start but became more and more consistent throughout the year, which helped in a lot of the boys’ events that were four rounds or match play events. Next year I’m hoping to push on, playing overseas more, and in the bigger men’s tournaments, ready to go to college in the USA in August 2025.”
Picking up the Men’s Order of Merit title is Dominic Clemons (pictured above), after a tremendous 2024. The Cambridgeshire golfer won the Scottish Men’s Open in May by an astonishing 17 shots on -24, before leading The Open Qualifier at Burnham & Berrow alongside Justin Rose. That earned him a spot at The Open where he competed at Royal Troon.
Clemons also made it to the final of the Amateur Championship in Ballyliffin, Ireland, before winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate in USA in September.
On the team front, Clemons helped England win the overall gold and men’s gold at the 2024 Spirit Invitational Amateur Golf Championship in November, while he was also part of the England teams at the European Team Championship and Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals. The 22-year-old represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy in July.
Clemons said: “It's a great honour to win the England Golf OOM this year and a nice way to cap off a good season both in Europe and in the US. It's been a fun year with plenty of new experiences and a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately it feels like I have learnt a lot about my game and also myself as a person. Ultimately I proved to myself what I know I am capable of.
“Heading into 2025 I am looking to focus on the things I can control and improve on the areas that need working on, I am looking forward to competing in a New Year and improving on my 2024 season which had many highs as well as many lows.”
Clemons also made it to the final of the Amateur Championship in Ballyliffin, Ireland, before winning the Folds of Honor Collegiate in USA in September.
On the team front, Clemons helped England win the overall gold and men’s gold at the 2024 Spirit Invitational Amateur Golf Championship in November, while he was also part of the England teams at the European Team Championship and Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals. The 22-year-old represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy in July.
Clemons said: “It's a great honour to win the England Golf OOM this year and a nice way to cap off a good season both in Europe and in the US. It's been a fun year with plenty of new experiences and a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately it feels like I have learnt a lot about my game and also myself as a person. Ultimately I proved to myself what I know I am capable of.
“Heading into 2025 I am looking to focus on the things I can control and improve on the areas that need working on, I am looking forward to competing in a New Year and improving on my 2024 season which had many highs as well as many lows.”
Danny Holmes topped the Senior Men’s Order of Merit after a top-five finish at the English Senior Men’s Stroke Play and reached the semi-finals of the English Senior Men’s Amateur Championship.
He added: “I decided to take some time off on the year of my 60th birthday to see how I would get on, playing in the major senior amateur events in the UK. Somehow, everything seemed to come together for me, I played well, met so many great golfers and played lots of fantastic courses that I might not otherwise have visited.
“My year culminated in being selected to play for England and winning the Order of Merit – not bad for a London Cabbie! I have had the most amazing experience this year and playing for England was of course the pinnacle of my golfing life – I’ll always be immensely proud of that. Opening the packages that arrived with my England Kit, particularly my blazer with the England Rose on, was definitely one for the photo album.
“Next year, I hope to play in as much as possible, but probably not quite like this year, due to work and family commitments. Even if I don’t quite get to that stage again, I will always have those wonderful 2024 memories.”
He added: “I decided to take some time off on the year of my 60th birthday to see how I would get on, playing in the major senior amateur events in the UK. Somehow, everything seemed to come together for me, I played well, met so many great golfers and played lots of fantastic courses that I might not otherwise have visited.
“My year culminated in being selected to play for England and winning the Order of Merit – not bad for a London Cabbie! I have had the most amazing experience this year and playing for England was of course the pinnacle of my golfing life – I’ll always be immensely proud of that. Opening the packages that arrived with my England Kit, particularly my blazer with the England Rose on, was definitely one for the photo album.
“Next year, I hope to play in as much as possible, but probably not quite like this year, due to work and family commitments. Even if I don’t quite get to that stage again, I will always have those wonderful 2024 memories.”
Hertfordshire’s Jackie Foster (above) won the Senior Women’s Order of Merit after her impressive year. She secured an outstanding English Senior Women’s Amateur title, before being agonisingly pipped to a second successive Senior Women’s Amateur title by Australian Nadene Gole on the 2nd play-off hole in July at Saunton, while she finished 4th at the English Senior Women’s Stroke Play in June.
Foster said: “I think 2024 would be a hard year to beat for me and I’m delighted to have won the English Senior Women’s OOM. My season started well with a good win in the Senior Amateur, having nearly missed the match play qualifying, and I also played well in the Senior Women’s Stroke Play at Waterlooville.
“At the time I was disappointed to lose the British Amateur at Saunton but on reflection I was pleased to have gone so close to retaining the trophy I won in 2023. That had also given me exemptions to play in this year’s USGA Senior Amateur and professional events, and it was great to be able to take up those opportunities.
“I was proud to be part of the English team that won a bronze medal in the European Team Championships and I was also really honoured to have been selected to represent Team Europe in the first women’s Concession Cup event for seniors and mid-amateurs, against the USA, for the Thompson-Bonallack Trophy in Savannah. Unfortunately we didn’t win but it was another great experience.
“It will be difficult to top this year but I have some great memories to use and help focus on continual improvement in 2025.”
Foster said: “I think 2024 would be a hard year to beat for me and I’m delighted to have won the English Senior Women’s OOM. My season started well with a good win in the Senior Amateur, having nearly missed the match play qualifying, and I also played well in the Senior Women’s Stroke Play at Waterlooville.
“At the time I was disappointed to lose the British Amateur at Saunton but on reflection I was pleased to have gone so close to retaining the trophy I won in 2023. That had also given me exemptions to play in this year’s USGA Senior Amateur and professional events, and it was great to be able to take up those opportunities.
“I was proud to be part of the English team that won a bronze medal in the European Team Championships and I was also really honoured to have been selected to represent Team Europe in the first women’s Concession Cup event for seniors and mid-amateurs, against the USA, for the Thompson-Bonallack Trophy in Savannah. Unfortunately we didn’t win but it was another great experience.
“It will be difficult to top this year but I have some great memories to use and help focus on continual improvement in 2025.”
ENDS
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org