A group of nearly 70 talented junior golfers showed their potential as they competed for the PING Junior Masters titles on the championship Colt Course at Close House.
The event has qualifiers that run from May to September in nine counties, from Fife to Lincolnshire, and gives juniors the chance to experience competitive golf. Through the event, Close House offers free coaching to more than 1,000 school children, with the aim of unearthing and developing the talent of the future.
The youngsters all received welcome gifts from PING Europe prior to taking on the challenge of the prestigious Close House Colt Course, which earlier this year hosted the International Series England. The overall winner was 11-year-old Owen Green from Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire, who shot an incredible score of 46 points to win by seven shots.
Close House’s attached professional, Lee Westwood, played a big part in the initial development of the Junior Masters, with the vision to help grow the game and create more competitive opportunities for keen young golfers.
“It’s great to see how the event has grown since 2017,” commented Westwood. “With Close House and PING offering juniors the chance to compete in a fun yet competitive tournament, hopefully some of them will go on to be the stars of the future. I’m very proud to be involved.”
Jonathan Lupton, managing director at Close House, commented: “It is fantastic that the event offers youngsters of all handicaps the chance to compete for the honour of being the Junior Master. The standard of golf on show was excellent but seeing the juniors enjoy the event was the most rewarding aspect. We hope to continue the growth of the event in 2024.”
This year’s event saw PING Europe continue its support of the tournament, providing all the prizes at the grand final and helping to make it a truly memorable experience for the juniors involved.
Age group winners:
Boys U12 winner – Owen Green (Overall Champion)
Boys U18 winner – Charlie Farquharsen
Girls U18 winner – Jorja Newbould
Boys U15 winner – Henry Price
Girls U15 winner – Scarlotte Richardson
Girls U12 winner – Ava Allenby