Golf: Junior showtime as Deer Park event goes annual

THE success of the inaugural Junior Deer Park Masters, held on the eve of the Tartan Tour event at the Livingston club, has encouraged owner John Muir to make it an annual tournament.

Teenagers from Deer Park's thriving junior section competed for prizes supported by clubgolf and Deer Park's professionals, Sandy Strachan and John Murray.

The winner was 15-year-old John Bayliss from Uphall, who plays off nine, with Kieran Cooney, a five-handicapper from Dechmont, the runner-up.

"This year over 1,500 primary 5 pupils in West Lothian have been introduced to golf through the clubgolf programme," said Mandy Martin, the clubgolf representative for West Lothian. "This has been enhanced by extended work in the schools by Sandy Strachan and John Murray, who have worked closely with West Lothian Active Schools to deliver taster sessions in many of the local schools.

"The Junior Deer Park Masters is a great opportunity for them and it may well inspire some of them to become professionals themselves in the future."

Muir, chairman of the Muir Group who own Deer Park, added: "We have to invest in the future and our Junior Section is attracting new youngsters all the time. They have really enjoyed the Junior Masters and some of the junior section attended our main Masters prize-giving session and met golf professionals from all over Scotland."