Talented youngsters win Skills Challenge National Final

1st October 2013

The 2013 champions (image © John Thomson)

Eight talented youngsters have been crowned 2013 champions of England Golf's National Skills Challenge, supported by FootJoy, the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf.

They won their titles on Saturday, 28th September, at The National Golf Centre, Woodhalll Spa, where the facilities are among the best in Europe.

The event was contested by 32 young golfers, who were among 1400 youngsters who started out in the competition. The finalists had all taken part in two official challenge events at their golf clubs earlier in the year and then won through one of four regional finals.

They showed off some fantastic putting, chipping, bunker, pitching and long game skills, with some great scores achieved on the challenging set-up on the famous short game academy.

The 2013 champions (image © John Thomson) are:

Rookie 8 years and under
Boys' winner Jack Dart of Churston Golf Club, Devon
Girls' Winner Chloe Brown of Faversham Golf Club, Kent

Rookie 9 to 11 years
Boys' winner Drew Mackinnon of Southampton Golf Club, Hampshire
Girls' winner Bethany Fletcher of Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire

Tour 12 to 14 years
Boys' winner Scott Parker of Royal North Devon Golf Club, Devon
Girls' winner Chloe Rose of Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club, Essex

Tour 15 to 17 years
Boys' winner - Charley Mycock of Bakewell Golf Club, Derbyshire.
Girls' winner Megan Cullen of Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire

The National Skills Challenge, which aims to make practice fun for young golfers, is one of a host of England Golf initiatives which support junior golf. It is now in its eighth year and continues to progress with 850 clubs registered and over 7000 juniors involved nationwide.

England Golf are delighted that FootJoy, the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf, has continued to support the National Skills Challenge in 2013 and kindly donated products and prizes to the qualifiers and winners.

Russell Lawes, FootJoy's European Marketing Manager, said: "Grass roots golf is immensely important in making golf more accessible to individuals and we are committed to supporting the stars of tomorrow.

This is a fantastic initiative that provides a fun and easy way for junior golfers to improve all aspects of their game in an extremely well organised, enjoyable and relaxed environment.

2013 has been another extremely successful year and we at FootJoy would like to congratulate not only just the winners but all junior golfers who participated in this fantastic event. We are proud to assist such a great programme.

Richard Flint, England Golf Development Manager, said: Every year we are amazed and impressed by the golfing talent shown by our finalists.

The Skills Challenge is a great way for clubs to inspire young golfers to improve and we'd like to see even more clubs represented, giving their juniors an opportunity to take part and potentially qualify for the regional and national finals.

For more information on the National Skills Challenge visit www.getintogolf.org/skills

The following players qualified for the 2013 National Final:

Rookie 8 years and under
Will Bradfield - Barnham Broom Golf & Country Club, Norfolk
Jack Dart - Churston Golf Club, Devon
Chanon James Kenilworth Golf Club, Warwickshire
Thomas Rogerson Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire
Chloe Brown - Faversham Golf Club, Kent
Carys Morris Portmore Golf Club, Devon
Holly Waterfield Lutterworth Golf Club, Leicestershire
Ayane Butterworth Scarborough South Cliff Golf Club, Yorkshire

Rookie 9 to 11 years
George Fricker - Ufford Park Golf Club, Suffolk
Drew Mackinnon - Southampton Golf Club, Hampshire
Archie Davies Spalding Golf Club, Lincolnshire.
Robert Hillier Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy, Yorkshire
Molly Dixon - Betchworth Park Golf Club, Surrey
Shannon Parfitt - Weymouth Golf Club, Dorset
Kati Powell Lutterworth Golf Club, Leicestershire
Bethany Fletcher Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire

Tour 12 to 14 years
William Smith - Ufford Park Golf Club, Suffolk
Scott Parker - Royal North Devon Golf Club, Devon
Luke Turbutt Robin Hood Golf Club (Solihull), Warwickshire
James Swash Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy, Yorkshire
Chloe Rose - Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club, Essex
Jessica Francis - Churston Golf Club, Devon
Charlotte Voysey Wharton Park Golf Club, Worcestershire
Lauren Green West Lancashire Golf Club, Lancashire

Tour 15 to 17 years
Chay Robinson - Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club, Essex
Connor Aitken - Weymouth Golf Club, Dorset
Charley Mycock Bakewell Golf Club, Derbyshire.
Matthew Bargh Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire
Khadejar Khan - Fairlop Waters Golf Club, Essex
Rebekah Nicholls - Dainton Park Golf Club, Devon
Clare Wilkie Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club, Bedfordshire
Megan Cullen Heysham Golf Club, Lancashire

Notes for Readers:-
England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England.
England Golf was formed on 1st January 2012 following the merger of the English Golf Union Ltd. and the English Women's Golf Association and is one of the largest sports governing bodies in England looking after the interests of over 1,900 golf clubs and 770,000 men and women club members.

Responsible for the training of the country's top amateur golfers, England Golf also organises all the major English amateur championships. England Golf works to actively encourage new golfers and increase the continued interest and participation in golf through its golf development initiative Get into Golf'.

England Golf is a member of The England Golf Partnership (EGP) together with the PGA and supported by the Golf Foundation and Sport England. Their Whole Sport Plan for golf identifies how England will achieve its vision of becoming The Leading Golf Nation in the World by 2020' from grass roots right through to elite level.

Web: www.englandgolf.org
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EnglandGolf
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnglandGolf