Golf: Forrest heading to Milan

CRAIGIELAW kid Grant Forrest is capping a memorable season with an "Italian Job" over the next two days.

He's in the Great Britain & Ireland Boys' side taking on their Continent of Europe counterparts in the Jacques Leglise Trophy near Milan.

"At the start of the year this wasn't something that was on my mind at all," admitted Forrest. "As the season progressed, I thought I had a chance but feared my chance was gone after the British Boys' Championship didn't go well for me.

"I suppose the selectors were looking at things over the course of the year, but it was still a nice surprise to learn I'd made the team. To represent Great Britain & Ireland is a great honour."

This year alone Forrest has achieved a fair bit, winning the Scottish Boys' Championship at West Kilbride and also helping Lothians win the Scottish Boys' Area Team title at Peebles.

He's off to Egypt later in the year, when he is also intending to check out some US colleges. "Myself and (fellow Craigielaw member] Greg Smail are playing in the Egyptian Open Amateur Stroke Play," he said.

"That's at the end of September and it's been set up through my coach Jonathan Porteous, who used to work out there. I'm also going out to the States to visit some of the colleges where I might be heading in a year's time on a scholarship.

"That's one of the reasons I'm already looking forward to next year."

The annual Jacques Leglise event is being played at Castelconturbia, where it is running simultaneously with the St Andrews Trophy.

GB&I have won the Leglise eight times and the Continent six in its last 14 stagings. GB&I won last year's event 14-9 at Ganton.

The St Andrews Trophy, a biennial affair, is one of the main warm-up events for next year's Walker Cup and the GB&I side contains three Scots - James Byrne, Ross Kellett and Michael Stewart.