A hundred of Great Britain & Ireland’s most talented young golfers are competing in this week’s 2001 Golf Foundation Weetabix Age Group Championships at The Warwickshire Golf Club, Leek Wooton, Warwickshire.
Out of the thousands who have entered the 2001 Championships, 60 boys & 40 girls have qualified for the Grand Final. The winner in each of the 7 categories will become the age group champion of Great Britain and Ireland
“It’s a dream come true to be able to play at The Warwickshire in the Weetabix Grand Final – I can’t wait to tee off,” said Ashley Chesters from Hawkstone Park, at 11 years old the youngest competitor.
The Golf Foundation, whose objective is to help develop and promote junior golf throughout the British Isles, has been successfully running the Championships for 15 years. The Championships provide an opportunity for boys and girls from Great Britain and Ireland to play against golfers of their own age. Sponsored by Weetabix since 1995, the competition is played off scratch and is open to boys under 16 and girls under 17. There are four age groups for boys from Under 13 to Under 16, and three for girls from Under 15 to Under 17.
Former winners of the Golf Foundation Weetabix Age Group Championships include European Tour professionals Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Ian Garbutt as well as leading amateur & Curtis Cup player Rebecca Hudson.
“The stars of the future are playing at The Warwickshire this week. I enjoyed playing in this tournament and remember how much winning it meant to me. The Golf Foundation and the Age Group Championships are very important for developing junior golfers. It is at this age that we really need to nurture their talent and enthusiasm for the game in order to maintain their interest in golf and prevent losing talented players to other sports”, said Justin Rose, a winner of the Championships in 1993.
As Mike Round, executive director of the Golf Foundation, commented, “The future of professional golf in the UK is shaped by competitions such as the Age Group Championships. Together with Weetabix, the Golf Foundation is very proud to be part of such an established and influential event on the junior golfing calendar.”
The Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org