Sheffield golfing prospect off to compete in Algarve

Barclay Brown, from The Hallamshire Golf Club, will be hoping to emulate the feats of clubmate Matthew Fitzpatrick next week after qualifying for the final of the 2016 Telegraph BMW Junior Golf Championship at Portugal's Quinta do Lago resort.
Barclay BrownBarclay Brown
Barclay Brown

Fitzpatrick and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose are just two of the famous players to have triumphed in the event’s 30-year history, and Brown will be one of 12 boys and nine girls aiming to add their names to the winners’ list when the tournament takes place from October 31 to November 4.

The 15-year-old will be making his second appearance in the event after qualifying for the first time last year, and booked a return trip with an impressive six-under-par round in this year’s Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath Golf Club in April.

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Entering its fourth decade, the prestigious 54-hole stroke play competition – which will be held on Quinta do Lago’s highly-acclaimed North Course – will be returning to the resort for the fourth successive year, with the finalists coming from all parts of the British Isles and Ireland.

The 2015 event saw Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey – now fourth in the world amateur rankings – win the girls’ event by 16 shots while England international Jamie Li triumphed at the third time of asking in the boys’ tournament, and this year’s championship will feature another high-class field.

Heading the line-up will be English girls’ amateur champion Cloe Frankish, Irish boys’ champion Mark Power and Harrison Linney, who topped qualifying after shooting an amazing course-record 62 at his home club, West Essex, in a round which included ten birdies.

This year’s tournament featured a record number of entries with an estimated 25,855 juniors participating, an overall increase of 38 per cent on figures last year.

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Hailed by 2014 European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley as one of junior golf’s Majors, the tournament will be staged for the third year running onthe North Course, one of three 18-hole championship courses at the luxury resort. Opened in 2014, the 6,156m-layout has risen to become one of the new stars of European golf.