Franssen, Watt and Locke bound for Austria July 5 to 9

North/North-east trio selected to play for Scotland in European boys' team championship
 
SCOTTISH GOLF NEWS RELEASE

Peebles’ Darren Howie is to follow his brother, Craig, by representing Scotland at the European Amateur Team Championships next month.

Darren, who recently won the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy at Cardrona, has today been named in the Scotland’s Boys’ team for their European Amateur Team Championship in Austria.

The news comes hot on the heels of Craig also being selected for Scotland’s defence of the Men’s European Amateur Team Championship in France, ensuring a notable achievement for the Borders club.

A six-player Scotland team will contest the Boys’ event, this year being held at Diamond CC in Austria from 5 – 9 July, as the young Scots seek to build on last year’s Home Internationals triumph.

Three players from the North and North-east have been selected - Rory Franssen (Inverness), Marc Watt (Inverallochy) and Sam Locke (Banchory)

Inverness’ Rory Franssen, whose highlights this season include leading the strokeplay qualifying at the South African Amateur Championship, and newly-crowned Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Schools Championship winner Marc Watt (Inverallochy) are also in the team.

They are joined by Old Course Ranfurly’s Jamie Stewart, who has posted five top-10s in 2016, and Sam Locke (Banchory), who tied second in the recent Scottish Boys Area Team Championship.

Scottish Boys champion Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links GS) is the only automatic selection from the Boys’ Order of Merit – given leader Sandy Scott has been named in the Men’s side – with the five other players chosen.

The Scotland Boys’ team have qualified for the top eight matchplay flight every year since 2012, finishing third and fifth respectively in the last two years.

 

Steve Paulding, Scottish Golf Performance Director, said: “We look forward to next month’s European Boys’ Team Championship. Even with Sandy Scott having earned his selection to the Men’s team, I believe we can continue our good run and maintain our strong position in European golf at Boys’ level.

“A number of the players selected for the team in Austria are still very young and have at least a year left at Boys’ level, which bodes well for next year too.”

 

Boys’ Team (club and age in brackets)

 

• Rory Franssen (Inverness) 17
• Darren Howie (Peebles) 16
• Sam Locke (Banchory) 17
• Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links)  17
• Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly), 16
• Marc Watt (Inverallochy) 16

The Boys’ team is selected from the leading two players on the Scottish Golf Boys’ Order of Merit and four selectors’ picks.

The Scottish Golf National Squads are sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidasGolf.

 

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