FUTURE STARS GATHER IN AUCHTERARDER

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
While Scotland’s top professional stars will be challenging the world’s best at Loch Lomond this week, the country’s leading junior golfers will battle it out for the title of Scottish boys' under-16s stroke-play champion at Auchterarder in Perthshire (July 6 to 8).
Won last year by Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest at Largs before the 16-year-old went onto to win the flagship Scottish boys' championship in April, the title has proved to be a launch pad for a number of successful golfing careers, with European Tour stars Peter Whiteford (1996) and George Murray (1999) among the names etched on the trophy.
Anthony Blaney (Liberton), who teamed up with Forrest to help Lothians to victory in the recent Scottish boys' area team championship, will be aiming to follow in his team-mate’s footsteps as he starts among the favourites in the 120-strong field who line up at Auchterader, which borders the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles.
Blaney lost out in a play-off for the Scottish under-14s title to Redbourn’s Neil Ward two years ago and the pair will go head to head again, with Ward – an England U16s international – one of the lowest handicap players in the field this week at +0.7.
St Andrews starlet Ewan Scott, who collected the English Boys U14s championship last summer, will fancy his chances of repeating that success on home soil, while his Scotland U16s partner Lawrence Allan (Alva) – who reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish boys championship in April – is also likely to be a contender.
Elderslie’s Alasdair McDougall, who also reached the last eight at West Kilbride, is another of the country’s leading young prospects in this week’s line-up, with Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) in search of another age group national title to follow up his win at last year’s Under 14s championship. Back marker in the field is South African Haydn Porteous with a handicap of plus three.



SGU National Junior Coach Spencer Henderson looked ahead to the event:



“There is really good strength in depth within this age group in Scotland just now so this should be a really strong championship. Coupled with some of the leading young English players and a good overseas challenge, we have a great event in prospect.”



“With Grant winning last year and a rich history of former champions, the Scottish U16s title is a great win for any young player to have on their CV. It’s a big few weeks for golf in Scotland but hopefully people will sit up and take notice of some of the talent we have on show this week.”



The Championship is staged over three rounds, with the leading forty players and ties after the first two days qualifying for Thursday’s final round. Click here for the first round draw and participant list.