INTERNATIONAL FIELD FROM 78 COUNTRIES TO COMPETE IN THE JUNIOR OPEN

R and A NEWS RELEASE

 A field of 142 emerging boy and girl golfers from 78 countries will arrive in Scotland to compete in the Junior Open at the Eden Course, St Andrews on the eve of The 147^th Open at Carnoustie next week.

Founded in 1994 and coming under The R and A's administrative umbrella in 2000, the Junior Open is played in the days leading up to The Open, and at a nearby course.

 This biennial championship will be played over the Eden Course from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 July marking the first time it has been held in St Andrews.

Champion Golfers Zach Johnson and Darren Clarke welcomed the junior golfers to the 2016 event at Kilmarnock (Barassie) and plans are being made for another golfing hero to welcome this year’s competitors at the Opening Ceremony being held on Sunday 15 July by the 18^th green on the Old Course.

Duncan Weir, Executive Director – Golf Development at The R&A, said, “The Junior Open provides talented young golfers from around the world with a fantastic opportunity to play in a prestigious international competition on the eve of The Open.

“The championship continues to produce an excellent standard of golf and we have seen many past competitors, including several now major champions, make their mark in the Junior Open.  We can look forward to three exciting days of golf.”

Previous Junior Open winners include reigning Masters champion, Patrick Reed, 2013 LPGA Rookie of the Year, Moriya Jutanugarn and Portugal’s Pedro Lencart Silva, who followed up his win at Kilmarnock (Barassie) in 2016 by lifting the 2017 Boys Amateur title.  This made Silva the second golfer to win both events following Sergio Garcia, Junior Open winner in 1994.

Other leading golfers who have featured in the Junior Open include Champion Golfers of the Year Jordan Spieth (2017), Rory McIlroy (2014) and 2010 US Women’s Open Champion, Paula Creamer.     

Countries and associations from all over the world can send a boy and/or a girl aged between 12 and 16 to the Junior Open.  The event is contested over 54 holes of stroke play with all competitors then visiting The Open at Carnoustie on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 July.

The Eden Course is one of seven courses that forms St Andrews Links, commonly referred to as ‘The Home of Golf’. Opened in 1914, after demand on the existing courses grew, the Eden was designed by Harry Colt and is named after the Eden estuary.

Spectators are welcome at the Eden Course and scoring will be available on www.RandA.org