In 1990 Ratcliffe represented England in the
Girls Home Internationals at Penrith. The following year she had two rounds of 72 in the
Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Long Ashton, to lead after 36 holes, but fell away badly on the final day. From 1991 to 1995 she attended the
University of Stirling, having obtained a golf scholarship there. Ratcliffe first came to prominence in 1995. She won the Cheshire championship and then reached the final of the
English Women's Amateur Championship at Ipswich, losing 2&1 to
Julie Hall. She was runner-up to
Maria José Pons in the
Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at
Prince's and was joint third in the
European Ladies Amateur Championship in Berlin, five strokes behind
Maria Hjorth despite an opening round of 78 which left her nine strokes off the lead. She also made her senior debut for England in the
European Ladies' Team Championship in Milan and in the
Women's Home Internationals in Wrexham where she won all her five matches. She was not selected for either foursomes session but she halved her singles match against
Marla Jemsek on the opening day and beat
Sarah LeBrun Ingram on the final day. In July she reached the semi-finals of the
Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship, losing to
Becky Morgan. She continued to have good results in stroke-play events, finishing a joint runner-up behind
Sarah Gallagher in the
English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and runner-up to
Christina Kuld in the
Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship. She represented England in the
European Ladies' Team Championship in Finland and won the Finnish title. Playing with
Fiona Brown, Ratcliffe won the 1998 Women's International Four Ball at the Orangebrook Golf and Country Club in Florida. In May she won the
English Women's Amateur Championship at Walton Heath beating
Liza Walters at the 19th hole in the final. Walters was two holes ahead with three to play but Ratcliffe won the 16th and 18th and then the first extra hole with a par 3. Two weeks later she was selected for the
Curtis Cup match in
Minneapolis in August. The Americans regained the cup by 10 matches to 8. Ratcliffe was selected for all four sessions, playing with
Kim Rostron in the foursomes. She won both her matches on the opening day, beating
Carol Semple Thompson in the singles. On the final day she lost in the foursomes and halved her singles match against
Virginia Grimes, to remain unbeaten in her four Curtis Cup singles matches. Ratcliffe turned professional after the 1998 Curtis Cup. She played on the
Ladies European Tour in 1999 and was the Rookie of the Year, finishing 66th on the money list with £12,145. Her best finish was in the
Ladies Hannover Expo 2000 Open where she finished fifth, winning £4,240. Ratcliffe later had back problems and 1999 was to be her best season. She left the tour after the 2002 season. She was reinstated as an amateur in 2008. ==Team appearances==