YMG Youngsters pair up for International glory


Dateline: 5 July 2005

More than 25,000 young golfers now have the opportunity to participate in a nationwide competition after two major organisations joined forces to promote junior golf.

Young Masters Golf has teamed up with the International Pairs - the biggest competition for club golfers in the world - to enable all its members to participate in a new competition: The YMG International Junior Pairs.

When the International Pairs hosts the first day of its UK final on the Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa on October, 10 pairs of youngsters will fight it out on the Torrance Course for the right to be crowned the first YMG International Junior Pairs champions.

Dave Gosling, managing director of YMG, explained: "The International Pairs concept has proved tremendously successful with hundreds of golf clubs playing in the competition each year.

"We believe it will prove just as popular among YMG Junior Academy clubs. It offers a great opportunity for all our registered youngsters to participate in an established competition format - and to come up against other YMG members from across the British Isles.

"The new competition has the potential to be hugely successful as both YMG and International Pairs have already proved themselves to be market leaders."
YMG anticipates playing qualifying events at around 150 golf clubs in the UK before the end of August. There will then be national finals in each of England, Ireland , Scotland and Wales.

Ross Honey, founder of the International Pairs, was delighted to sign the agreement with YMG.

He said: "Young Masters Golf has more than 25,000 junior golfers itching to play in competitions and we have the mechanics of the world's largest golf competition.
"It was, I believe, what the Americans might call a 'no-brainer'. All that was left was to work out the actual logistics of the event and to formulate a plan to carry the competition forward.

"Once we'd done that we were in a position to make the announcement."
Young Masters Golf is a unique programme developed by experienced PGA professional golfers and has more than 550 golf clubs utilising its programme.

It offers the perfect introduction to the game of golf by showing youngsters everything they need to know.

They learn about all the different shots needed, and how to play them; about the fascinating rules and etiquette of golf and why they make the game unique.
Now, in addition to learning all about the game, youngsters can enjoy the unique atmosphere of competition golf.

All YMG registered clubs will be entitled to enter the event - but must hold their qualifying competition on or before August 14 - and each club will send a team to the national final.

The team will comprise one youngster aged under seven; one aged between eight and 11; one aged 12 to 16; and one player must be a girl.

Qualifiers from the national finals will then represent their country at the international final on the fabulous Torrance Course at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa on October 6.

More details are available in the Tournaments section of the YMG website at www.ymg-golf.com.

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