Rising stars to represent Scotland

RISING GOLF stars Bradley Neil from Blairgowrie and Lauren Whyte from St Andrews have been selected to represent Scotland in the European Young Masters Championship in Hungary this summer, writes Eric Nicolson.

Teenager Neil was a hero for Perth and Kinross in their Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship victory on Sunday.

The event is open to two girls and two boys as nominated by governing bodies and will be held for the third successive year at the Royal Balatan Golf Club.

Neil and Whyte will be joined by George Burns (Williamwood) and Clara Young (North Berwick).

Neil further heightened his growing reputation when he beat Fifer Brian Soutar, the South African Amateur champion, to help Perth and Kinross lift the Area Team Championship for the first time in 10 years.

Whyte is a member of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association national training squad for 2011-12 and represented Scotland in the Home Internationals and Girls European Team Championship.

She claimed glory in the girls’ Scottish Golf Academy Winter Series final in March.

National under 16s coach Kevin Hale is hopeful of success in Hungary.

He said: “We have a good team who could do well this year.

“We have a good group of boys and girls at this age and three have the experience of playing last year.

“Bradley has made an especially good start to the season and we are lucky still to have him in the under 16 squad.”

Perthshire’s Carly Booth — the Aberdeen Ladies’ Scottish Open champion — won the girls’ event at the Bondues Golf Club in France in 2007, while former Scottish Amateur champion Barry Hume triumphed in the boys’ category in 1998 at I Roveri Golf Club, Italy.