Bradley Neil looking for another big year in 2011

By A SCOTTISHGOLFVIEW.COM CONTRIBUTOR
With the golf season all but over for most golfers, Bradley Neil is already planning for next season.
The SGU run a successful U16s Junior Winter Series comprising four events. They take place in October, November, February and March. It is aimed at those within the SGU Academy. From this series, the SGU will use the Order of Merit to help them select eight players who will represent Scotland in the annual development quadrangular event against Holland, Ireland and Wales. Next year’s event will be held in Scotland.
Bradley has already made an impressive start to this series by winning the first event at The Glen in October. He shot an outstanding score of 67 (-3). His score was even more impressive when you consider that he used a completely new set of Taylor Made clubs, only acquired the Friday prior to the event on the Sunday!
He didn’t perform as heroically as at The Glen when the second event was recently held at Strathmore Golf Centre. He had, for him, a disappointing 78(+6) on a day when he just hit too many slack shots.
Getting used to his new clubs will obviously take time, but he sits currently in third place in the Order of Merit with two fixtures remaining. Bradley feels that a good showing might propel him into the selectors' thoughts for inclusion into the Under-18 boys' squad that will experience warm weather training abroad, and also the possibility of sneaking into the team for the U18s quadrangular match in March, being held in Ireland next year.
For this to happen, representing Scotland in the aforementioned U16’s Quads is vital to his development too.
As for next season, Bradley hopes to go one better than this years second place finish in the Scottish U16s national event. He is quietly confident of achieving that goal, but he knows he will have to raise his game event higher to do so. The competition at this level is very tough, and there are a lot of talented golfers who come from far and wide to try to grasp our national titles away from the Scots. Bradley is hoping that his performances merit consideration for other events with the national teams, but he would love to capture a spot on the team for the Boys' Home Internationals at Royal St David’s GC, Harlech in North Wales next August.
Reflecting on last year’s record-breaking season and having now captured three National U14 titles in the last two years, along with his Blairgowrie men’s club championship, the youngest ever winner in the club’s 121-year history, he was also invited to do a TV interview on the back of his successes Bradley also picked up the Perth and Kinross Highland Spring Young Sports Personality and the Dundee Young Sports Personality of the Year.
On the home front, Bradley helped Rosemount Golf Club retain the Perth and Kinross Junior Scratch League title, something the club had never achieved in the past. He was also runner-up in the Club’s Junior Championship, losing to his older brother Connor, thereby losing his title.
Bradley also helped Perth and Kinross retain the U18s Gary Harvey Trophy, and he captained the U15’s team that won the Frank Thomson Trophy. Bradley’s handicap has also reduced from 2.4 to +1, no mean feat!
Bradley now has a new coach, Kevin Hale, after Spencer Henderson’s career move to Turkey. Bradley would like to thank Spencer for all his help, and wishes him well in his new post as national coach for Turkey.
Bradley and Kevin are working on minor changes, which will hopefully enable Bradley to compete at the next level. Bradley currently receives Strength and Conditioning from Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport, along with golf fitness from Alex Woods from Golf-fit Limited, who specialise in golf fitness.
Bradley is excited about next season already, and he hopes to make a similar impact as he has done this season. He knows it will be hard, but he’s “up for the challenge.”