Established stars will soon come under threat

CHRIS THOMPSON 'certainly hopes and certainly expects' to see some of the island's promising young golfers in the full Guernsey team in the not-too-distant future. The president of the Guernsey Junior Golf Club believes it won't be long before the long-established members of the side will be making way for the precocious young talents emerging.

During Island Championship week, he deemed the state of junior golf in Guernsey to be healthy and improving all the time.

'I would suggest it is stronger than it has been for a number of years, both in number of juniors actually playing and in the potential we have coming through,' said Thompson.

'The bulk of the island team has been in situ for the best part of 20 years, the likes of Bobby Eggo, Nigel Vaudin and David Rowlinson. They want some competition and they can see a group coming through with potential.'

Some of this group, including Thompson's son Emile, have been performing well this week, showing that they relish the opportunity to play alongside Guernsey's best.

'They have no fear - they just whack the ball,' said Thompson.

'Playing against David Rowlinson, Emile was holding his own in length and in the short game for much of the match. He ended up being defeated 4 and 3, but I think the result can be put down to experience.

But Thompson emphasises that the support for the youngsters comes from the four clubs on the island as they recognise that the youth are their lifeblood.

He said that there were not many active 17 or

18-year-old golfers, with the majority of juniors falling into the 12-16 age bracket.

'One or two of the 12-year-olds will be forces to be reckoned with,' he said. So why are things looking bright?

'Basically, we are getting hold of the kids. Professional Eddie Cooper has started a golf tuition school at St Pierre Park. He takes them from an early age and because of the facilities he has there, he can use the course as well as the range.

'Previously, juniors could go and hit balls only on the practice grounds and would have to wait before they could go onto the full course. But the shorter par- three course at St Pierre Park is ideal.

'Eddie takes them out on the course in the evenings to give them a taste of different aspects and once they have started learning out there, they can soon play on longer courses,' added Thompson.

The chance for children to have a taste of the game is Thompson's main aspiration. Although there are more juniors playing golf generally nowadays, there is always room to accommodate more and parents should not be misled by the perceived expense of the sport. A brand-new set of clubs can cost less than £100 and there are always clubs that can be borrowed.

'I would like to have every child experience golf at some point and then it would be up to them if they wanted to take it up.

'Additionally, there is a junior coaching scheme run by Hampshire and although our kids cannot go on its programmes, Hampshire does provide funding for coaching for good prospects in Guernsey.'

There are currently five Sarnians who are receiving such funding. They are Jack Mitchell (age 16, handicap four), Shaun Mills (15, 11), Emile Thompson (14, 7), Ross Wheeler (14, 12) and Jamie Le Page (10, 21).

'Jamie has been spotted as someone with huge potential and Hampshire are very keen to encourage boys like that. Basically those five boys are regarded as having the potential to represent the county in the future.'

At such a young age, it is difficult to predict what lies ahead for these players. But Thompson is keen not to put a limit on what they can achieve, emphasising that it was in their own hands but it needed a lot of concentration and a delicate touch as well as being able to hit the ball a long way.

'It depends how good they want to be. It is as simple as that,' he said.

So then is it possible for Guernsey ever to produce a professional?

'There is no reason to say we should not be able to, but there are so many more people playing these days; standards are so high and technology has also come on so much.

Another point to note before getting too carried away with the state of junior golf is our recent poor record in the junior inter-insular. As with every sport, though, those matches do follow cycles and Jersey have been on a crest of a wave in recent times.

'Like any junior section, it comes in ebbs and flows. They have five clubs with junior sections,' Thompson said.

'The Royal Jersey and La Moye are strong. The Royal have produced some very strong golfers who have just moved out of the junior age group and now it looks as if La Moye will be providing five or six of the island's junior team for the next couple of years.

'Because of the number of children they have over there, they have strength in depth. But there is no reason, looking to the near future, why we cannot be successful.

'The inter-insular is being played at La Moye this year and we hope to perform better there than we did last year. However, in a couple of years when it is over here again, we are expecting bigger and better things.'

Of course, junior golf is not limited just to boys. However, the amount of girls taking up the game remains small, although it is not for want of trying.

'At the lower age level there are some girls. Unfortunately, there are very few girls in the teenage level playing golf and that is not just over here - that goes for the whole of the UK. Up at L'Ancresse we have half-a-dozen on our books.

'There is certainly encouragement from the Guernsey Junior Golf Club, the Ladies' Section of the Royal Guernsey Golf Club and the Guernsey Ladies' Golf Union.'

It is with both girls and boys in mind that events are being organised this summer in an attempt to attract more children to golf.

'The Guernsey Golf Union and sponsor the Royal Bank of Scotland have an open day they are organising at St Pierre Park with the local professionals to encourage new youngsters to the game. We hope to have a big turnout for that,' said Thompson.

'Then, St Pierre Park and Aurigny are planning to hold a junior open in September to encourage people from the other Channel Islands and elsewhere to play here. They are also looking to encourage new players with a flag competition.

'During the same weekend, the GJGC will also look to hold an open so that the travelling boys and girls get the chance to play at L'Ancresse as well.'