The top junior golf squads from the UK and Ireland are set to do battle in Spain next week when they contest the Home Nations Inter-Club Championship.
The top junior golf squads from the UK and Ireland are set to do battle in Spain next week when they contest the Home Nations Inter-Club Championship.
England, Scotland, Wales and All Ireland will be represented by their national champions and runners up at the event staged at the Antequera resort, Andalusia.
The youngsters will include Grace Connelly a member of The Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club squad. Grace will be the only girl competing against 63 boys in the event yet the 14-year-old from Miskin is unfazed by the prospect.
“I don’t mind being the only girl taking part. I enjoy showing people what I can do, so it will be nice to let the boys know what they are up against. Some of them might be surprised how far I can hit the ball,” said the five handicapper who is a member of an England under 16 regional squad.
Grace, daughter of the Welsh FA head physio Sean Connelly, was born in Yorkshire, but she is looking forward to representing her adopted nation and her team.
She said: “We can’t wait - we are all so excited. It’s a weird feeling being an England regional squad player competing for a Welsh club, but I’ve lived in Wales for a quite a while and I will be focusing on playing for my club and team.”
The Home Nations Inter-club Championship, in its 21st year, will be staged from March 7-10 when two teams from each nation will contest the Nigel Dolton Trophy. The Championship has grown into one of the biggest and most prestigious junior team tournaments in the world. It is the only one in the British Isles and Ireland and is supported by the R&A, the four national golf unions and the Golf Foundation.
More than 1300 clubs with 650,000 members - over half of the UK’s and Ireland’s clubs - compete each year engaging an estimated 80,000 youngsters. Sky TV will broadcast highlights from the event later in the year. Other clubs competing are GreenMeadow (Wales) Hallamshire and Burhill (England); Kilkenny and Tandragee (Ireland); Murrayfield and Uphall (Scotland).
