Junior Tour success for Blairgowrie pair
It has been a season laced with success but this Perth and Kinross County pair are showing no sign of resting on their laurels.
The high-class performances are occuring so frequent that keeping tabs on victories and medalwinning performances is becoming increasingly difficult.
County stars Gregor Graham and Katy Alexander continued the feel-good factor at the weekend by winning their respective Scottish Junior Tour events.
Held at Edinburgh’s famed Bruntsfield Links, Gregor lifted the boys’ top prize by shooting rounds of 70 and 72 to finish the tournament on level-par.
The Blairgowrie member finished two clear of Ratho Park player Ciaran Paterson and Dunbar’s Jack McDonald, adding another trophy to the cabinet.
There were also notable performances from Auchterarder’s Daniel Bullen and Blairgowrie’s Cormac Sharpe who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Katy, who also plays out of Blairgowrie, carded scores of 77 and 78 to win the girls’ event, two strokes clear of Megan Docherty of Bishopbriggs Golf Club.
Both players were not celebrating a first win of the golfing season and that comes as no surprise to their club’s junior convener Neil Wilkie.
He has watched the Perthshire pair continue their rise up the ladder to shine on the local and national stage this year.
“I think it’s the fruition of a lot of hard work on their behalf, if I’m being honest,” Neil explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Gregor and Katy - and others who have had regional and national success - put a lot of work in to their golf.
“The club does give them coaching with our professionals and they also do additional coaching elsewhere.
“But they are always down at the club and the ones who are reaping the success are the ones who are putting in the work on the green and practice range.”
While Gregor and Katy’s success has been duly noted, Blairgowrie’s junior promise includes a number of other talented youngsters.
“It’s built on having the coaching at a young age and the facilities,” Neil added. “But, again, in all honesty, they put the work in themselves.
“It really is phenomenal. Looking at this from a club perspective, we had four representatives at the junior home internationals recently.
“I think that must be some sort of record, to have four members of a single club in an international team. It’s great to see as a club, absolutely fantastic.
“It’s nice to think that we’ve played a small part in it. Left, Gregor Graham, inset below, Katy Alexander
“If they really want to achieve it and continue the work their doing, then they certainly have the talent and work ethic to make it all the way.
“There’s no doubt about that and they are an impressive group.”
There is, however, always room for more youngsters to take up the sport.
“We have a good amount of juniors but I’d still like to see more, as always,” Neil said. “Every club wants to attract more juniors who are the future of the club.
“There’s another good level below the ones who are enjoying success currently.”