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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

EUROPEASN BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - McDonald named in Scotland team

(SGU news release)

Scottish Boys Champion Grant Forrest has been rewarded for his sparkling form this season with a place in the Scotland side bidding for glory at next month’s European Amateur Boys Team Championship in Turkey (6 – 10 July).

Forrest, who finished runner-up in the prestigious Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters at the weekend, won the Scottish Boys Championship at West Kilbride in April, adding to the national U16s title he collected last summer. The 16-year-old from Craigielaw also helped Lothians to victory in the recent Scottish Boys Area Team Championship and made his Scotland debut in the Boys Home Internationals last August.

Reigning Scottish Boys Stroke Play Champion Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) - picture right - is the only player from last year’s line-up in the team travelling to Klassis Golf Club in Istanbul, aiming to become the first Scottish side in ten years to lift the European title.

Torwoodlee’s Simon Fairburn, who leads the SGU Boys Order of Merit race following two Junior Tour wins and a victory in the Junior Champion of Champions event, earns a well deserved call-up, while Liam Johnston (Dumfries & County), who fired a superb six-under par 66 to win the recent Junior Tour event at Barassie, also makes the team.

Scott Gibson (Southerness), who accumulated an impressive five wins out of six in last year’s Boys Home Internationals and recently won his second consecutive Scottish Schools Championship title, earns an inclusion, with Scottish Youths Championship joint runner-up Paul McPhee (King James VI) also selected on the back of his consistent form this season.

National junior coach Spencer Henderson looked forward to the championship:

“All the players in this year’s team have shown excellent form this season both domestically and in events further afield so we’ll go to Turkey with a lot of confidence and belief. The level of boys’ golf across Europe seems to improve year on year but we’ll look forward to the challenge.”

“It’s been ten years since Scotland last won the event with Martin Laird in the side back then but we’ve had some good performances over the last few years and we’ll take inspiration from how the men’s team have performed on the big stage.” he added.

The Scotland Boys’ team is sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

Full Team:

Grant Forrest (Craigielaw)
Scott Gibson (Southerness)
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock, Barassie)
Simon Fairburn (Galashiels)
Paul McPhee ( King James VI)
Liam Johnston (Dumfries & County)

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