Rising stars of golf tee it up at East Lothian

As Gleneagles prepares to welcome the world’s current golfing greats, the players of tomorrow will also descend upon the home of golf to battle it out for Europe’s most prestigious junior title.  

Aspiring to drive like Rory and even dress like Poulter, the world’s top young talent will be heading to East Lothian – just a 40 minute drive from this year’s Ryder Cup venue – for this year’s U.S. Kids Golf European Championships

Now in its 6th successful year, the tournament has become a staple event on the calendars of budding young players, attracting more than 500 players, aged 5 -18 to compete against their counterparts from across the globe. 

Tournament co-ordinator and Gullane Golf Club Professional Alasdair Good, said; “It’s gearing up to be another fantastic year for the U.S. Kids European Championships with excitement heightened by the prospect of this year’s Ryder Cup also being held in Scotland. 

“The enthusiasm and skills on show at the championships is always second to none, evident in the incredible scores that have been recorded in past years.

Dan Van Horn, President and founder of U.S. Kids Golf, said: “Not only do the championships help young players learn how to compete, the wonderful thing about competitive play at a young age is that they also learn how to cope with the ups and downs of the game. 

“It’s safe to say that a day on the course – especially in East Lothian – can be like a ride on a roller coaster but we strive to teach all of the players how to take the positives out of a round that may not have gone quite as planned. This is invaluable experience and promotes skills that can then be applied to all aspects of the players’ lives in the future. 

The 2014 U.S. Kids Golf European Championships takes places over May 27-29 over five famous East Lothian courses: Gullane No.2, Gullane No.3, Craigielaw Golf Club, Luffness New Golf CLub and Longniddry Golf Club. 

The top finishers in each category will compete in the Van Horn Cup at Luffness New Golf Course on May 30 – a showpiece event, modelled on the Ryder Cup, where the best European players are matched up against the top golfers from the rest of the world.  The top five finishers in each age and gender group also automatically receive an invitation to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.

Last year the tournament welcomed over 500 players from 42 countries, adding a real international flavour to the competition and it’s predicted that with the continued growth of junior golf, even greater numbers will be recorded in 2014.

Entry for the event is now open with categories for young players of all ages and abilities. More information can be found at www.uskidsgolf.com.