NEWS AND SCORES FROM SUNNY PORTUGAL

                                                            

BRADER SETS PACE IN TELEGRAPH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ON ALGARVE

Sponsors’ invite Nathan Brader shot 68 to lead the boys’ field after today’s opening round of the Telegraph BMW Junior Championship at a sun-drenched Quinta do Lago.

Brader, who hails from Scarborough but has been living in Portugal for six years, finished one stroke clear of Jamie Li, the English under-18 national strokeplay runner-up, who carded a fine 69 on the resort’s South Course.

“My long game wasn’t the best but I got up and down really well,” said Brader.

“When I was inside 100 yards, I got to with eight feet every time, something I have been working on the most.

Bath’s Li, who has just started a golf scholarship at Millfield School, picked up three strokes on the back nine to keep in contention.

The greens were devilishly quick at times so Li’s brilliant up and down save on the short 15th was notable.

“I’ve had a really good season and did a lot of work over the winter on my swing,” said Li.

"My putting was great today and I have to keep holing my up and downs to stay in contention."

With two cousins in the boys’ field, a Singh Brar was always likely to be a threat here. Jack, who played this event two years’ ago, lies one over.

However, it is the younger of the two, 14-year-old Arrun, who made inroads and lies third thanks to a one-under round of 71.

Meanwhile, on a long course (6,550yd) with temperatures heading into the 80s and the breeze increasing throughout the day, the nine-strong girls’ field found the opening round tough going.

Berkhamsted Golf Club’s Alice Hewson, pictured, 16, heads the field thanks to her four-over-par 76 while Samantha Fuller, two years’ younger, shot the same .

Hewson overturned two double bogeys on consecutive par-threes – her only dropped shots – to lead going into the second round by virtue of a fine level par back nine.

“I’m a bit disappointed,” said Hewson. “Compared to everyone else, I suppose it’s not too bad to be leading,” added Hewson, the Scottish under-16 champion.

Roehampton’s Fuller, who recently became the youngest ever to be picked for the England under-18 national squad, bemoaned her bogey, bogey finish but a smile ensued when she said that playing these lush, pine-fringed fairways was “better than being at home”.

Fuller added: “It is a really difficult course. It was so hot and hitting long irons into par-fours you have to be so accurate.”

First round leaderboard

BOYS

NAME	R1	R2	R3	TOTAL
Nathan Brader	68
Jamie Li	69
Arrun Singh-Brar	71
Ashton Turner	72
Jack Singh-Brar	73
Ewen Ferguson	73
Bradley Moore	75
Scott Bryan	75
Ben Dunlop	78
Gareth Lappin	79
Daniel Leigh	80
Joshua Bristow	82

GIRLS

NAME	R1	R2	R3	TOTAL
Alice Hewson	76
Samantha Fuller	76
Mollie Lawrence	78
Ellie Goodall	80
Lauren Horsford	81
Danielle Ker	82
Sophie Keech	82
Roanne Tomlinson	87
Lily Downs	90

Issued by the Azalea Group.