Europe’s largest golf retailer, American Golf, welcomed 100 juniors aged from 7 to 18 to its inaugural Junior Championship at De Vere Mottram Hall on 27th August 2014. Competitors travelled from all across the UK to participate in the tournament, which was described as ‘the best Junior event of the Summer’ by parents who accompanied their children to the event.
The title of American Golf Club Junior Champion was fiercely contested with the eventual winner being decided on countback. Despite finishing birdie, birdie, par, Libby Kilbridie, who was crowned Girls’ Champion, was pipped to the post by Paul Marshall of Sale Golf Club. Both players scored an impressive 42 Stableford points.
The gross competition also went to countback with Matthew Payne from Bramhall Golf Club beating James Abbey of Sale Golf Club, both of whom shot 75. The 29-54 handicap category went to Joe Hartshore from Cannock Park Golf Club and the title of Putting Champion was taken by Ben Heywood who won a very tense sudden death playoff involving 5 other players.
A special mention goes to one of the youngest competitors on the day, 7 year old Stanley Lin of Telford Golf Club. His attitude, dedication, demeanour and golfing abilities were all recognised when awarding him the ‘PING Star of the Future’ Award.
“Nothing could have prepared us for the incredible response we had to our first ever Junior Club Championship”, comments Daniel Gathercole, Head of Marketing at American Golf. “We were inundated with entries from players of all ages and abilities, so much so that we had a reserve list! We were really impressed by the standard of golf and sportsmanship that all the players showed and can’t wait to start developing our plans to take this event to the next level in 2015.”
American Golf www.americangolf.co.uk