Talented Amy is aiming for a career in professional golf

THIS rising golf star was just six when she picked up a club.

Now, Amy Buchan has added another trophy to her cabinet after winning the American Golf UK and Ireland Junior Championship at Gainsborough Gold Club.

The 14-year-old, of Killingworth, North Tyneside, won the girls handicap category with 39 points, playing off a handicap of 11.

It comes after she won the Graeme Storm Junior Open Girls Handicap in Hartlepool earlier this year.

Amy, who is a member of Close House Golf Club in Northumberland, said winning the tournament was amazing.

“I played good, it was really fun,” she said. “I had a chip-in on the fourth that set me up for the rest of the round.

“I try and play as many competitions as I can but this is bigger and more competitive than I’m used to. It’s really good.

“I don’t even know if the trophy’s going to fit anywhere it’s so big.”

The youngster first started playing golf at Parkland Golf Academy, near Gosforth Racecourse in Newcastle, at the age of six.

She said: “My brother started playing and my dad took me along. I think it is really fun.”

Since then, she has attended tournaments across the country, including at the home of golf in St Andrews.

Amy, who attends Thorp Academy in Ryton, Gateshead, hopes to become a pro golfer in the future.

“I like winning,” she said. “I hope that I can do it professionally.”

The Junior Championship, which will be shown on Sky Sports in October, is part of American Golf’s drive to get more people out playing the sport.

In its fourth year, organisers say the tournament, which is sponsored by PING, has gone from strength to strength.

Matt Bacon, head of events at American Golf, said: “This year’s championship has been an amazing event and the golf on display has been of the highest quality.

“It’s so satisfying to see new faces alongside young golfers who have returned to qualifiers year after year.

“For American Golf and PING to have been such an important part in the progression of so many young golfers makes me incredibly proud.”

John Clark, managing director of PING Europe, said the tournament had provided them with the best championship golfing quality they’ve seen to date. AMY BUCHAN Amy Buchan, 14, who won the American golf UK and Ireland junior championships Amy Buchan has won a number of trophies since she started playing golf. On the left she is pictured with pro Sergio Garcia, the 2017 US Masters champion