RISING STARS ON DISPLAY IN TELEGRAPH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By ROD GILMOUR, Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal

The 21 finalists - an eye-opening mix of regional, junior major and amateur Championship winners over the summer - arrived in Portugal on Monday morning ahead of the , buoyed by fine weather and healthy support from family and friends.

The 54-hole strokeplay format, which starts on Wednesday, has taken on added significance this year thanks to the summer exploits of former Telegraph winners Justin Rose (1997) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (2012), the leading amateur at this year's Open.

Quinta do Lago's iconic South Course will host the three-day event, pitting the best of British junior golf for boys and girls over a testing par 72 overlooking the Ria Formosa National Park.

Hampshire’s Jack Singh Brar, a Faldo Series winner last year who made his European Tour debut at this summer's Russian Open, believes his appearance at the 2011 junior finals as a fresh-faced 15 year-old will stand him in good stead this week on the Algarve.

“It was very different to a normal tournament and I took in a lot from it,” Singh Brar said of his Abu Dhabi experience two years ago.

Despite a recent back injury scuppering Singh Brar’s preparations, he has shown enough form this summer to underline his billing as title favourite after qualifying top in the boys’ event.
The field will include his younger cousin, Arrun, and Ewen Ferguson, who became the first Scot to win the boys' amateur Championship in nearly a decade.
“I know a few of the guys playing this week so I know it will be a strong field,” Singh Brar added. “I played here ages ago so I might remember the course, so let's see what happens.”
Nine girls will contest the girls’ trophy. Rochester's Mollie Lawrence, 15, headed qualification but there is a wealth of talent lining up behind her.
Sponsors' invite Sophie Keech is current English Schools and South West Girls champion, while 14 year-old Sammy Fuller recently became the youngest golfer to be selected for England's under-18 national squad.
The juniors will be competing alongside the Sky Sports cameras, which will film the week for a highlights programme.
Their production team will also be running a media workshop to help the players if they pursue a professional career in the sport, ranging from interview techniques to social media profiling.
Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart, who won the Telegraph junior event in 1986, will be the presenter for the week and will run alongside coverage from the European Tour's Portugal Masters, played at Vilamoura, to the west along the Algarve coastline.
The juniors will not only be rewarded with a visit during the week from Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley – who has been visiting Quinta do Lago for the last 15 years – but also by a test of skill and accuracy over the three days.
Follow the action on Twitter @telegraphjunior