Future Golfers Tee Up In East Lothian

The U.S. Kids Golf European Championship has returned to East Lothian for the fifth year. With 550+ kids from more than 50 countries, the 2012 event is the biggest to date.

The huge number of players and families flocking to the five East Lothian courses is also predicted to bring an estimated £1.3million boost to the local economy.

The tournament features players from the ages of five to 18 – split into different age groups – who play on a series of shortened courses, allowing them to reach the greens in the same number of shots as the professionals. Despite their age, the participants are already proficient golfers and are able to hit shots straighter and more accurately than many adults, with many of them recording under-par rounds in the 60s and 70s.

Top finishers in each category will then compete for the Van Horn Cup over Gullane No1 on Friday, June 8 – a show piece event modeled on the Ryder Cup, where European competitors are pitted against their non European counterparts. The top five finishers in each age and gender group will automatically receive an invitation to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.