Talented junior golfers from across the UK are being given the opportunity to compete in an exciting new event on Scotland’s ‘Golf Coast’ next month.
Longniddry Golf Club in East Lothian will stage the first ever ProDreamUSA UK Junior Open from October 19-21, providing low handicap male and female juniors with the chance to experience top level competitive golf in what has been a curtailed season, particularly north of the border.
Whilst the game’s governing body in Scotland hasn’t staged any national events in 2020, the ProDreamUSA UK Junior Open offers the country’s best young male and female golfers a stage to compete against other top level juniors, with the 54-hole event also open to players from England, Ireland and Wales.
Boys aged under 18 with a handicap of 6 or less will be eligible, with the handicap limit of 12 for under-18 girls. All 90 competitors will play two rounds over the famous Harry Colt woodland and links design, with a 36-hole cut before the third and final round on the Wednesday.
Located just 18 miles from Edinburgh on the shore of the Firth of Forth, Longniddry has been a regular host of Open Championship Qualifying, while more recently some of the country’s top professionals competed at the course in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open qualifying, won in 2019 by European Tour player Scott Henry, who defeated Calum Hill in a play-off.
Glasgow-based ProDreamUSA are a leading scholarship agency, uniquely dedicated to golf. Founded by former Walker Cup player Lorne Kelly, ProDream has placed more than 1,300 young golfers into US colleges and universities, with clients including European Tour players Grant Forrest and Liam Johnston, as well as Ladies European Tour stars Ellie Givens, Hannah Burke and Alice Hewson.
Managing Director Brendan McKenna said: “It’s been a hugely frustrating year for young golfers at the elite end of the game with limited playing opportunities for much of the season, so we were keen to put on a top level event to make up for the various championships that have unfortunately not been able to take place.
“We’re delighted that Longniddry are hosting the event in a wonderful part of the country and the players will undoubtedly be relishing the challenge presented by a course which has hosted some big events in the past. It gives young players something big to look forward to at the end of a difficult year with the added incentive of World Amateur Golf Ranking points at stake.
“A number of young Scottish players have been travelling down south to play England Golf run events, so being a Scottish-based company it’s great to be staging an event here in the Home of Golf and on Scotland’s iconic golf coast. We are mindful of challenges faced by the current restrictions in place and we have worked hard to ensure the UK Junior Open will be compliant with the guidance. The ProDreamUSA team is proud to be supporting this event and continuing our efforts to help talented young golfers fulfil their potential.”
Coin Fairweather, Head Professional at Longniddry Golf Club, added: “It’s a great privilege to be hosting another prestigious event here at Longniddry, particularly with our proud history of supporting junior golf. After a challenging start to the year, the course has been in excellent condition this summer and we are looking forward to seeing some of the country’s top young testing their abilities on it. Having hosted the Scottish Open qualifying for the last three years, it was disappointing not to have a big event this summer, so it will be nice way to end what has become a very busy season.”
ProDreamUSA has also teamed up with leading digital platform GolfHubber who will be supporting the tournament with online entries and live scoring. GolfHubber hosts interactions between golf pros, clubs, companies and amateurs on a single platform and competitors can use the app to enter the tournament, while avoiding contact during the event through inputting scores on the app.
GolfHubber co-founder Charlie Luther added: “We are very excited to be working in partnership ProDreamUSA with what promises to be a fantastic event featuring the country’s top junior players. The GolfHubber app has been used extensively this season and our numbers are growing rapidly, so it will be great to engage with a young audience who I’m sure will enjoy the live scoring tournament experience we provide.”
Entry to the event costs £40 and can be made through the GolfHubber app. To download the app, visit https://golfhubber.com/ or search the App store in your Smartphone. Entries to the event go live today (Sept 17) and close on October 2.