Europe’s biggest-ever junior event tees off

A huge field of 550 competitors from 50 countries are competing this week at five East Lothian links courses over the three-day tournament. Children as young as five and from as far afield as Australia, Egypt, Thailand and Hawaii will compete for the title of European Championship in their age groups, with many of them tipped to be the golfing stars of the future.

Tournament co-ordinator Alasdair Good, head professional at Gullane Golf Club, said: “This year is the biggest field of competitors we have ever had. What’s more, to have kids coming from 50-plus countries has never happened before in junior golf. That reflects how the tournament is now recognised more than ever as the top event for junior golfers wanting to compete against the best in the world.”

Scottish sports minister Shona Robison visited Gullane to meet players and officials and to hear how the competition has grown from strength to strength.

She said: “The US Kids Golf European Championship is really important for Scotland, the local economy and for young people to begin to compete in the sport of golf. With Scotland being the home of golf, we have invested heavily in Club Golf, which is our legacy for the Ryder Cup in 2014.

“Over 220,000 young people have been introduced to the game through Club Golf. Every nine-year-old child learns the sport and many will go on to have a lifetime’s enjoyment of the sport because of this.”

Among those who have travelled the furthest to attend the 2012 event are brother and sister Hiroshi and Yookoo Tai, from Singapore, and Australian boys Joshua Armstrong and Agib Hughes. The youngest competitor is five-year-old Tadeas Mack from Czech Republic.

Dan Van Horn, president and founder of US Kids Golf, added: “Since our inaugural event in 2008, the European Championship has continued to grow and is a main highlight of the junior golf calendar. We have youngsters from across the world competing and the skill of these players really has to be seen to be believed. Despite their young ages, they demonstrate great poise, balance and professionalism and are a credit to the game.

“I am sure that many of these youngsters will go on to become at the very least competent golfers, but possibly even the Rory McIlroy’s of tomorrow.”

The event takes place on Gullane No 2, Gullane No 3, Craigielaw Golf Club, Luffness New Golf Club and Longniddry Golf Club.

Split into groups based on age, the tournament offers players the chance to play against each other on shortened golf courses.

Top finishers in each category will compete for the Van Horn Cup at Gullane No1 on Friday – an event modelled on the Ryder Cup, where European competitors are pitted against their non-European counterparts. The top five in each age and gender group will receive an invitation to the US Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.