STAR-STUDDED FIELD FOR DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS' TROPHY

THE DUKE OF YORK YOUNG CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2013
Royal St George’s Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent
  September 10 to 12

NEWS RELEASE

Representatives from over 30 countries ensure a truly international and competitive field will contest the 13^th staging of the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy (DOYYCT) at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Kent from September 10 to 12.

The prestigious DOYYCT is a unique tournament where the finest players from around the world - both boys and girls, aged 18 or under - are invited to play in the 54-strokeplay event. The DOYYCT moves from one famous Open Championship venue at Royal Troon in 2012 to this year’s edition at Royal St George’s where Darren Clarke lifted the Claret Jug in 2011.    

Looking back at previous events reads like a who’s who of golf where the stars of today cut their teeth by competing for the much sought-after trophy. Names like two-time major winner Rory McIlroy, Italy’s Matteo Manassero, England’s Oliver Fisher and Melissa Reid or Scotland’s Carly Booth have all played in the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy. (Fisher won at Castletown in 2005, McIlroy was runner-up at Kingsbarns in 2004).

This year is no different as a stellar field of over 50 competitors were extended invites after winning their national championship at Under-18 level or have won other high profile events.

England’s Jack Singh Brar received an invite after winning the Faldo Series at Lough Erne in Enniskillen. The England international (Under-18) has continued that winning form by landing the Southeast England Boys title earlier this month. The Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club member did it in style too with a 17-under-par four round total to win by seven strokes. 

“I’m really looking forward to the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy. I’ve heard it’s a great tournament and hopefully I can do well,” said the plus-three handicapper. “This will be my first time playing Royal St George’s and I know there is a strong field competing.”

The maximum handicap is 2.0 and the lowest this year is +4.9 held by Nicole Morales, the American who won the Thunderbird International Junior title. England’s Samantha Fuller (14) is the youngest competitor and has already experienced competing for GB and I in the Under-16s Junior Vagliano Trophy team at Chantilly and was English Under-13 and Scottish Under-14 Girls Champion. 

 

With such an impressive overseas contingent, any number of names could be highlighted. Alejandro Tosti (17) is number one in the Argentine rankings and was runner-up in the 2013 South American Junior Championships. Simon Zach (17) is the Czech National Men’s Match Play champion, while Paloma Vacarro is the current Paraguay Open champion and number one player in the Ladies and Junior rankings.

This year’s gender split is almost 50/50 and it will be worth keeping an eye for several other notables such as Gabriela Santini, the Caribbean Amateur champion from Puerto Rico, or Clara Aveling, the Belgium Under-18 champion who also competed in the DOYYCT last year. 

Sophie Keech is the England Girls Open champion, Perthshire’s Bradley Neil won the Scottish Boys and Faithlegg’s Robin Dawson is the Irish Boys champion. 

With such strength in depth the 2013 Duke of York Young Champions Trophy is sure to produce another worthy champion on one of the world’s renowned links courses.