THE DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS
Prince Andrew flew back from New York and the 9/11 memorial services in time for today’s opening round of The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy at Dundonald Golf Club, near Troon.
The 54-hole event, in its sixth year, brings together 42 of the best Under-18 boy and girl golfers in Europe.
Invitations are extended by His Royal Highness only to the winners of national stroke-play and match-play tournaments during the current season.
Prince Andrew is a single-figure handicap golf “fanatic” in his own right and he will play a couple of holes with tournament sponsors’ representatives this morning before going out to watch the adult stars of tomorrow in action.
Scotland have three players in the field – Carly Booth (Comrie), the Scottish Under-16 girls champion, James White (Lundin), winner of the Scottish boys’ match-play title back in the spring, and Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) who came out of the blue to win the Scottish Under-18 boys’ open stroke-play title at Alloa during the summer.
White and McAllister were members of the Scotland team who won the boys’ home internationals title at Lossiemouth last month.
Carly, still only 14 but with a + handicap, has flown back from Florida to play in The Duke of York’s event and also next week’s Junior Ryder Cup match at Celtic Manor. Miss Booth is the only British or Irish player in the European team for the Under-16 contest against the United States.
Carly has enrolled on a full scholarship at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida. She will return there immediately after the Junior Ryder Cup contest.
Oliver Fisher, the youngest-ever Walker Cup player, won last year’s The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy at Castletown Links on the Isle of Man. The odds are in favour or England again providing the champion, who can be a girl … the player, of either sex, who returns the lowest gross three-round total will win the trophy.
England have a strong hand of four title-winning boys, including Matthew Nixon who won the British boys, open championship at Balgownie last month, and the English girls’ champion, Rachel Jennings.
But the result of the annual Jacques Leglise Trophy match between Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe in the Czech Republic a week or so ago – a crushing win for Europe – confirmed the impression that the best of the current Continental Under-18 players are better than their counterparts in Britain and Ireland.
So the winner of The Duke of York Trophy this week may well turn out to be Austian, Belgian, Germany, Spanish, Swedish or Spanish…. To name only a handful of the 22 countries who are represented in the quality field.
The 54-hole event, in its sixth year, brings together 42 of the best Under-18 boy and girl golfers in Europe.
Invitations are extended by His Royal Highness only to the winners of national stroke-play and match-play tournaments during the current season.
Prince Andrew is a single-figure handicap golf “fanatic” in his own right and he will play a couple of holes with tournament sponsors’ representatives this morning before going out to watch the adult stars of tomorrow in action.
Scotland have three players in the field – Carly Booth (Comrie), the Scottish Under-16 girls champion, James White (Lundin), winner of the Scottish boys’ match-play title back in the spring, and Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) who came out of the blue to win the Scottish Under-18 boys’ open stroke-play title at Alloa during the summer.
White and McAllister were members of the Scotland team who won the boys’ home internationals title at Lossiemouth last month.
Carly, still only 14 but with a + handicap, has flown back from Florida to play in The Duke of York’s event and also next week’s Junior Ryder Cup match at Celtic Manor. Miss Booth is the only British or Irish player in the European team for the Under-16 contest against the United States.
Carly has enrolled on a full scholarship at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Bradenton, Florida. She will return there immediately after the Junior Ryder Cup contest.
Oliver Fisher, the youngest-ever Walker Cup player, won last year’s The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy at Castletown Links on the Isle of Man. The odds are in favour or England again providing the champion, who can be a girl … the player, of either sex, who returns the lowest gross three-round total will win the trophy.
England have a strong hand of four title-winning boys, including Matthew Nixon who won the British boys, open championship at Balgownie last month, and the English girls’ champion, Rachel Jennings.
But the result of the annual Jacques Leglise Trophy match between Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe in the Czech Republic a week or so ago – a crushing win for Europe – confirmed the impression that the best of the current Continental Under-18 players are better than their counterparts in Britain and Ireland.
So the winner of The Duke of York Trophy this week may well turn out to be Austian, Belgian, Germany, Spanish, Swedish or Spanish…. To name only a handful of the 22 countries who are represented in the quality field.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, September 12, 2006
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