Kent Golf Limited
Kent youngsters to help celebrate The 149th Open
Kent youngsters to help celebrate The 149th Open
More than 100 children from 10 of Kent’s schools played a key role in celebrating The 149th Open on Monday. 120 boys and girls joined national junior charity the Golf Foundation to compete in their School Games Final, held just a pitch and a putt away from where The Open is being staged at Royal St George’s.
In order to celebrate the growing role the Golf Foundation plays each year in the School Games as a supporter of the Youth Sport Trust, the Foundation team welcomed the Kent schools to take part in a unique School Games Festival Final, playing ‘Golfway' games on the turf of Prince’s Golf Club, just yards from Royal St George’s.
Easy-to-learn Golfway is a format at the core of the new Golf Foundation Primary School Programme 2021, which will give a first try at golf to two million children from all backgrounds, in 7,500 schools over the next five years, as a key part of the Foundation’s national HSBC Golf Roots initiative.
The 120 youngsters (including 60 girls) all competed together in this inclusive golf festival. Cheering on the boys and girls at Prince’s were special guests in former European Tour star and Sky Sports presenter Nick Dougherty, who is a friend of the Golf Foundation and supporter of junior golf, HSBC Ambassador, Wimbledon legend and passionate golfer Tim Henman, and the Golf Foundation’s own new Ambassador Nicola Bennett, a committed PGA coach working to open up golf for youngsters from all backgrounds.
Following the final, the youngsters enjoyed the opportunity of moving from Prince’s GC to The Open venue itself, and watching the world’s best players as they practise ahead of The Open starting on Thursday.
Martin Crowder, Head of Development for the Golf Foundation, said: “It is a privilege to welcome all the boys and girls in their teams to The Open from 10 of Kent’s schools. We would like to thank all the teachers, parents and children who have helped create such an inclusive golf festival for youngsters of all abilities. This is a great way of showing how popular a game golf is becoming in schools.
“All of our national HSBC Golf Roots programme is focused on introducing children to golf, from all backgrounds, creating golfers. We do this because golf can change lives. It’s exciting to think Kent youngsters can be really inspired by this experience at The Open and we will work with their schools to help keep them golfing into the future.”
#CreatingGolfers will be the Golf Foundation’s hashtag for Open week across social media. Why not follow the progress of the Kent youngsters on Monday!
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
