The Queen’s Baton Relay paid a visit to Blairgowrie Golf Club today, just 80 days before the venue is set to host the historic 2014 Junior Ryder Cup in September.
The Perthshire club will provide the setting on 22 and 23 September as the best young players, boys and girls, from Europe and the United States go head to head in the prelude to The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles – the first time the junior version has ever been played in the same host country when on European soil.
But today the focus was on the Queen’s Baton, which was making its way through Perthshire on its way to Glasgow to open the XX Commonwealth Games in just over two weeks’ time.
The occasion was marked by European Junior Ryder Cup Captain Stuart Wilson, from Forfar, who carried the baton to Blairgowrie where he was greeted by representatives of the club including club member and newly-crowned Amateur Champion Bradley Neil, who now has a great chance to be on Wilson’s European team in September. The Junior Ryder Cup Trophy and The Amateur Championship trophy were also on hand to welcome the baton to Blairgowrie.
Wilson, who was the last Scot to win The Amateur Championship in 2004 prior to Neil’s victory at Royal Portrush last month, said: “It is a real honour to be able to carry the Queen’s Baton to Blairgowrie Golf Club. The Junior Ryder Cup matches here in September will see some of the world’s best young golfers looking to perform on an international stage and I’m sure they will take inspiration from watching some of the athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this month.”
Douglas Cleeton, Managing Secretary of Blairgowrie Club, added: “It is a proud moment for everyone connected with the club to welcome the Queen’s Baton to Blairgowrie and it is a terrific way to mark 80 days until the start of The Junior Ryder Cup.
“To have so many juniors at the club to welcome the baton here is terrific and shows just how warmly The Junior Ryder Cup will be received here in September. The whole area has embraced the event and we are looking forward to welcoming so many visitors and spectators to the course.”
Taking place just days before The Ryder Cup and only 30 miles from Gleneagles, thousands of spectators, including many junior golfers from the ClubGolf programme, are expected to attend The Junior Ryder Cup at Blairgowrie, making it the biggest in the event’s history.
Former players to have played in the event include Ryder Cup stars Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Nicolas Colsaerts as well as Solheim Cup player Suzann Pettersen.
As well, American sensation Jordan Spieth competed in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary course and host venue this year of the Ryder Cup, and Spieth is the only player among those presently in the make-up of qualifying for the USA Team to have played at Gleneagles.
One player who is hopeful of following in their footsteps is local youngster Neil, who added: “It would be a dream to play in The Junior Ryder Cup on my home course if I make the team and the number of people who turned out to welcome the Queen’s Baton here gives a taste of what we can expect during the event.
“We have a terrific junior programme at Blairgowrie and as a junior member here myself it is fantastic to see so many youngsters turning out to support the visit of the Queen’s Baton and to highlight the upcoming Junior Ryder Cup.”
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The Blairgowrie Club was the venue of Greg Norman’s maiden European Tour victory when the Australian captured the 1977 Martini International.
For more information contact David Connor, Golf PR Manager, EventScotland, on 0131 472 2063 ordavid.connor@eventscotland.org
NOTES
- The event will comprise the best young golfers from the US and Europe, with each team featuring six girls and six boys.
- For many of the youngsters, it will give them their first taste of golf in Scotland, the Home of Golf.
- 2014 will see Scotland host a Junior Ryder Cup for the second time, with Gleneagles having been the venue for the event in 2010.
- Traditionally the Junior Ryder Cup has been played in the next European host nation but 2014 will be the first time the event has been held in the same country and alongside The Ryder Cup itself.
- The European side is captained by Scot, Stuart Wilson, who also captained the side in Illinois in 2012.
- The event will be attended by more than 3,000 schoolchildren from across Scotland. In conjunction with Scotland’s junior golf programme, ClubGolf, the event will inspire a new generation of golfers throughout the country.
- The support of the Junior Ryder Cup is part of Scotland’s commitment to investing in and growing the country’s golf event portfolio. The 2014 Junior Ryder Cup will be the 63rd golf event to have been supported by Scotland since 2003.
