Junior golfers from Scotland got the chance to meet some of their golfing heroes at an exclusive held event at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews during the run-up to the 144th Open Championship.
The event, which celebrated TaylorMade’s 15 years as the leading driver brand on tour, brought together some of the biggest names in the game, including Stephen Gallacher, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson. All four players took part in a private Q&A session to share their experiences and offer an insight into their careers and lives to a group of invited guests.
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts invited the children as part of its close relationship with Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher, who is golf brand ambassador for the hotel group. The young golf enthusiasts, aged between six and 14, were also members of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation – which encourages and develops young golfers in the Borders and Lothian regions of Scotland.
Keith Pickard, group director of golf at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, said: “We extended the exclusive invite to these local children as part of our ongoing strategy to inspire and encourage more young players to develop a future within the sport. We wanted to allow the children an up-close and personal experience with a selection of the world’s best players, and it was an event that many golf fans would have been eager to attend.”
Dougie Donnelly hosted the Q&A session with the players, and offered questions to the floor afterwards. The children then met with the players for photographs and they all received signed TaylorMade memorabilia.
Jake Johnston, aged 9, said: “It was amazing to be so close to the players and a great experience meeting them. I’ve being playing golf since I was three years old and hope to be as good as these pros when I’m older!”