R&A JUNIOR OPEN 2012

02/07/2012

This year, the biennial R&A Junior Open Championship will accompany The Open Championship to Lancashire. Whilst the world’s best professional golfers prepare themselves to mount an assault on the Claret Jug in Lytham St. Annes, the juniors will get underway at Fairhaven Golf Club.

The Malta Golf Association has endorsed Quint Van Beek’s participation in this event. Quint has had a very successful season at the Royal Malta Golf Club winning three competitions including the MGA Shield and finished second in the Order of Merit. The young man also finished third in the Eclectic, had top 10 five finishes and was part of the winning Fenston Cup team. With a handicap of 5, Quint will have his first two rounds on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th July and will be able to enjoy a wonderful week of comradeship including the chance to see the world’s finest golfers battling it out at Lytham and St Annes.

All nations affiliated to The R&A are invited to enter their leading boy and girl golfers under the age of 16 for this biennial event which is played over three rounds of stroke-play. There is both a scratch and handicap element to the event. As from this year there will be no divisions. Instead there will be a cut after the second day of the tournament. For many, the R&A Junior Open will be a first taste of international golf and of representing one’s country. But for all competitors, regardless of their experience, it will be a week that will remain etched in the memory for many years to come.

Listed in both Golf Worlds, ‘The Best 10 ‘Open Championship’ Qualifying Courses’, and ‘Great Britain & Irelands Best 10 Opening Holes’, and described by Peter Allis as “a real hidden gem” Fairhaven is not only a beautiful place to play golf but fully lives up to its designation as a ‘Championship’ course originally designed by James Braid.

Fairhaven has all the characteristics of a traditional links course, including a sand sub-soil and 122 bunkers. There is an abundance of wildlife, including various breeds of pheasant, which can be seen strutting around the course and depicted in the Club emblem.

This will be Malta’s eighth consecutive participation in this tournament with previous participants being Patrick Hummel, Luc Schembri (twice), Nicholas Beck, Chris Bergedahl, John Micallef and Daniel Holland. Please join us to wish Quint every success and enjoyment in this Championship.