Where are they now? No 3 Mark Pilling, 2002 British boys champion

Mark Pilling with the British boys' championship trophy at Carnoustie in 2002 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Why do so few winners of the British boys' open championship go on to fame and fortune as tour professionals? It would take a psychoanalyst to give you an in-depth answer to that one. I wouldn't even attempt it.
Mark Pilling from Cheshire won the Under-18s' national title at Carnoustie in 2002 when he beat Rhys Davies at the 37th hole of the 36-hole final.
Davies bounced back to win the championship the following year, beating Spain's Pablo Martin by one-hole in the final. Martin had already on the championship in 2001.
Both Davies and Martin are on the European Tour now.
Pilling? Well, he did turn pro but, unlike Davies and Martin, his golf game did not get better as he got older. But Mark has found happiness and a steady income from the teaching side of the game as the following article explains:

PILLING SACRIFICED PLAYING TO BE A COACH

FROM THE STAFFORDSHIRE SENTINEL,
 JUNE 2010
Former Astbury (Cheshire) star Mark Pilling advises youngsters who dream of playing professionally to first hit the heights in the amateur game.
Pilling, pictured as he is today,  spent three years attempting to make a living on tour before lack of cash forced him to turn towards coaching.
Today he is close to completing his PGA Foundation degree course and has ambitions to launch his own teaching academy.
Pilling said: "The standard in tour events is exceptionally good, although I think the top of amateur golf is similar to professional levels.
"But it is no good getting down to scratch or better. A lad who wants to turn pro has to make his mark by playing on a full-time basis and winning top national and international events such as the British Amateur championship, the Lytham Trophy and the Brabazon Trophy."
Pilling, aged 26, won the British boys' title in 2002 and the Faldo Series for talented youngsters throughout the country a year later. He also won the Cheshire men's county championship before joining the paid ranks in 2004.
He added: "I played on the European Tour and the lesser Tamsel Tour, winning the Caldy Open in 2006, but it can be an expensive business just entering events.
"So in 2007 I changed direction. I decided to go into teaching, rather than playing, and joined Prestbury as an assistant professional."Pilling appears to have found his niche. He was fifth in his "rookie of the year" examination in the north of England and in his second term was second in the running for trainee of the year.
Pilling aims to be one of the leading coaches in the region, being involved with county and national teams, and would like to become a head teaching professional at club level.
"I have largely sacrificed playing for teaching, but I am still entitled to enter pro events and will play in probably a dozen a year," he said.
Pilling is from Congleton, but could not live closer to work. Prestbury have three cottages on course and he rents one next to the clubhouse.