The champions of this year’s Ping Junior Masters event have been crowned at Close House in Newcastle, following an exciting grand final which was the biggest to date.
A group of 68 talented juniors competed the club’s championship Colt course, as Close House continued its support of young golfers and their development within the game.
Three age groups were represented at the grand final: 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under. The age group winners were George Curry/Abigail Scott (12 and under), Oliver Goodison/Evie Coatesworth (15 and under) and Joe Mulroy/Rebecca Evans (18 and under) – with Abigail Scott taking the overall victory.
Throughout May to September, junior golfers across eight counties in the UK battled it out for a space in the final, with nine qualifying events taking place and producing the best turnout in the history of the tournament.
Close House’s attached professional, Lee Westwood, played a big part in the initial development of the Junior Masters, with the vision to help grow the game and create more competitive opportunities for keen young golfers.
“I am a really proud supporter of the Junior Masters,” he commented. “They are great events, played at some top courses in the UK. Providing young golfers with competitive opportunities is invaluable, and everyone involved in these events is extremely committed to supporting junior golf – it is a privilege to be involved.”
Jonathan Lupton, Managing Director at Close House, added: “The Junior Masters series is a huge part of Close House’s efforts to help develop the future generations of golfers, giving youngsters an invaluable opportunity to play competitive golf. From personal experience it’s fantastic to give these juniors the chance to play the final on a championship standard golf course, whilst also having fun and enjoying the event.”
In addition to hosting a qualifying event and the final, Close House has also given free school coaching to children at 15 local schools.
The 2022 events also saw PING Europe continue its support of the tournament, providing all the prizes at the grand final and helping to make it a truly memorable experience for the juniors involved.