Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher boost ‘frontline junior golf’ in Scotland

Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher have joined forces with Scottish Golf to create a new series of junior events aimed at helping golf clubs both attract and retain young members.

Stephen Gallcher and Paul Larie's foundations will help to deliver the new junior events.

The two multiple European Tour winners and Ryder Cup players are supporting the new Scottish Junior Flag Championship through their respective foundations.

The initiative, which also involves The Junior Flag Challenge, aims to increase the number of “flag golf events” for juniors across the country.

Taking place in all regions of Scotland, the new championship is designed to “create playing opportunities for golfers in the early stages of their development” while also “supporting golf clubs to retain more junior members”. This will be achieved by introducing golfers under the age of 12 and without a handicap to competitive golf in a “fun and friendly environment”.

Scottish Golf’s junior development manager Gavin Forrester said: “This format has proved popular across our partners’ junior events and we are looking forward to working with both Stephen Gallacher [inset] and Paul Lawrie’s Foundations as well as The Junior Flag Challenge to deliver this new event to ensure it is successful for everyone involved on the frontline of junior golf. We are keen to encourage clubs to get kids out on the course playing in fun competitions and this format is a great way of doing that.”

The new partnership will allow clubs to stage their own flag events and will provide players with opportunities to progress from coaching programmes at their own club into competitive golf.

“The resources that clubs will receive have been developed in partnership with those on the frontline of junior golf so that clubs can continue to deliver these events throughout the season, adding to their junior activity,” said Michael MacDougall,the Paul Lawrie Foundation manager, of the new initiative.