World's top juniors to tee it up at Nizels

MAJOR stars of the future will be descending on Kent this weekend for the annual Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters Golf Championship at Nizels.

Some 77 of the world's best young golfers will be playing at the tournament that has now been awarded world status and is on a par with the British Boys Championship.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: Jonathan Bell tees off on the 16th on his way to winning the 2008 Junior Masters Golf Championship
REIGNING CHAMPION: Jonathan Bell returns to defend his 2008 title at Nizels Golf Club

From humble beginnings in 1998, tournament director Alan Cheesman has seen the Hildenborough event become one of the most prestigious and professionally managed championships of its kind in Europe.

"I set it up at a time when I had just been captain at Nizels. We didn't have a junior section in those days, so I set one up after I was captain," Cheesman recalled. "All the other clubs have their own junior championship for boys, so I thought I'd go a bit further and set it up to be like a European Tour event where they'd have their shirt and everything like that paid for. They were treated like adult professional players for a weekend. Word got out and it has just grown each year.

"Back in 1998 the handicap ballot was 10 – it's now down to +0.1.

"The event has gradually got a name through Europe and has been one of the top ranked tournaments in Europe for the past four or five years. Now we get the cream of the crop playing."

Former winners and players include European Tour stars Oliver Fisher and Zane Scotland, while back defending his title this year is Jonathan Bell.

Cheesman expects another fantastic championship and simply does not know which way it will go.

"There are several favourites to be honest," he said. "The winner from the year before is trying to regain his title. We've got the South African number one, who is better on handicap, as well as the Dutch number one. There really is nothing in it. Theoretically there are four or five who could win – it all depends on nerves. We put them under pressure to perform like a pro."

Locally Joseph Harper, Daniel Byrne and Jordan Goodwin will be flying the flag for Kent.

The junior championship takes place at Nizels on Saturday and Sunday. Get down and support the future stars of golf.