British schools compete for their 'Open Championship' at Loughborough University
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The finale of the largest ever school golf project in the UK is to take place at Loughborough University on Wednesday (6th July), with the national ‘Golf Roots’ final.
On the eve of The Open Championship itself, potential stars of the future have qualified through School, County and Regional competitive team events to play in the Golf Roots Primary School Competition Final.
Every primary school was invited to take part. Forty-two counties and more than 8,000 youngsters (aged between 8-11) have played energetic team games over the summer, and 12 schools from England, Scotland and Wales will battle it out on Wednesday for the title of ‘British Golf Roots Champions’.
Golf Roots is run by leading golf charity the Golf Foundation and aims to reach one million youngsters a year by 2013, supporting the national golf partnerships of England, Scotland and Wales to grow the game.
Brendon Pyle, National Development Manager for the Golf Foundation, said:
“Official government figures show that the number of schools offering golf to youngsters has been steadily growing as a result of our Golf Roots activity. The recent support of the Youth Sport Trust in giving golf priority status reflects all the hard work carried out in the last four years. This backing also gave us the confidence to take primary school golf to a new level through this exciting national competition; the first time every primary school in England has been invited to take part in a golf competition.
“I’m delighted to say the results of this have been spectacular, involving around 8,000 youngsters brand new to golf. The feedback from teachers has been fantastic. Staging this final the week before The Open Championship is no coincidence as the focus on the world’s greatest golf event enables us to highlight how the sport is also being successful at the grass roots level. It is exciting to think that through Golf Roots, a boy or girl Open Champion of the future could be playing at Loughborough on Wednesday.”
