Golf: Forrest looking to lay down marker before Boys' defence

CRAIGIELAW'S Grant Forrest is hoping a strong performance in tomorrow's Scottish Junior Champion of Champions will augur well for a bigger golf test on the horizon.

The 17-year-old defends his Scottish Boys' title at Dunbar in just over a month's time and is aiming to lay down a marker in this weekend's warm-up at The Dukes. Forrest started his season by representing Scotland in last week's Boys' Quadrangular in Italy and is heading into the one-round St Andrews event feeling quietly confident.

"I think most of us playing tomorrow are trying to get our games to peak for the Scottish Boys, but some will be playing well already," said the East Lothian star.

"It was good for me to get some competition under my belt in Italy, even though it was one of those weeks when nothing really happened for me. As a team, we played pretty well in the singles but, unfortunately, the singles let us down every day."

Forrest faces competition from four of his team-mates tomorrow, namely Jack McDonald (Barassie), Liam Johnston (Dumfries & County), Bradley Neil (Blairgorwie) and Ewen Scott (St Andrews).

Daniel Hendry is the odd one out, having returned to the United Arab Emirates, where he lives, to prepare for his title assault at Dunbar. "I played in the Junior Champion of Champions last year and finished just one or two behind the winner," added Forrest. "It's just a one-rounder, so most players in the field are in with a chance."

The winner last year was Simon Fairburn, the Torwoodlee teenager who has lifted the Lothians Junior title for the last two years playing out of Craigielaw.

Even though he's no longer a junior, he's back to defend the Junior Champion of Champions crown, the Borderer being eligible due to the fact this weekend's event is actually its 2010 staging.

Also flying the Lothians flag in the boys' event tomorrow are Forrest's Craigielaw clubmate Ewen Donaldson, Liberton's Anthony Blaney and Louis Gaughan of Bathgate.

There's also a strong Capital challenge heading to North-East Fife to try and get their season off to flying starts by lifting the girls' title.

Spearheading that assault is Mortonhall's Rachel Watton, who was in Scotland's title-winning side in last season's Women's Home Internationals.

While entered out of Minto, Lesley Atkins is also a member of Gullane Ladies, with Broomieknowe's Kate McIntosh, Keren Ward of The Glen and Craigielaw's Gabrielle MacDonald other players more than capable of landing the spoils.