Howard Sets Sights on Junior 'Major' win

Chloe Howard, from Elfordleigh Golf Club, will take on some of the top up-and-coming young stars in the UK and Europe this week after qualifying for the final of the 2015 Telegraph BMW Junior Golf Championship at Portugal’s world-famous Quinta do Lago resort.

The Plymouth teenager will be one of 12 boys and nine girls who will gather at the prestigious Algarve resort from October 12-17 to compete for the chance to be added to an illustrious roll call of previous winners including Justin Rose, Tom Lewis, Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Melissa Reid and Carly Booth.

Howard claimed her place in the elite line-up after qualifying for the highly-regarded event – hailed by victorious European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley as one of junior golf’s ‘Majors’ – with a round of two-under-par on her way to winning the Devon junior title at Royal North Devon In May.

The 54-hole strokeplay competition is being hosted by Quinta do Lago for the third year in a row, with the action set to take place on the resort’s new North Course – one of the most talked-about design projects in Europe in 2014.

This year’s tournament featured a record number of entries with an estimated 18,750 juniors participating, with the number of boys taking part increasing by 95 per cent and the numbers of girls going up by an amazing 215 per cent.

Last year’s event saw rising England star India Clyburn take a deserved victory in the girls’ competition and Vitor Lopes claim a first-ever win for Portugal in the boys’ tournament and this year’s championship will feature another high-class field headed by Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey, ranked third in Europe.

The 17-year-old, from Banbridge, Co. Down, has enjoyed her most successful year ever in 2015, with victory in the Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and a runner-up finish at Ladies’ British Open Stroke Play helping her win the 2015 LGU Order of Merit title.

Joining her in the field will be a host of other potential stars from golf’s next generation including 2015 English Girls’ Under-16 champion Cloe Frankish; Jamie Li, who will be making his third successive appearance in the event; and England Squad members Louisa Brunt, Eloise Healey and Billy Spooner.

All eyes will also be on teenager Calvin Holmes, the reigning Portuguese under-14 champion and one of the most talented juniors in Portugal, after he was awarded a wild card entry into the event by the organisers.

Qualifying for the 2015 Telegraph BMW Junior Championship began this spring with hundreds of qualifying rounds being staged at clubs across the UK over the summer.

Voted ‘Best New Golf Course in Europe at the 2014 World Golf Awards, Quinta do Lago’s new North Course is part of a major investment programme being undertaken by the resort and has been built to the highest specifications, with the course recently being included as a new entry in Golf World’s benchmark Top 100 Courses in Continental Europe rankings.

The official winter training base for England Golf’s elite squads, Quinta do Lago is perfect for a relaxing family holiday in exquisite surroundings and offers the very best in award-winning sports and leisure facilities, with a wide variety of pursuits to enjoy in addition to its outstanding golf facilities.

For more information about Quinta do Lago, please phone + 351 289 390 700 or visit www.quintadolago.com