What Is The Ping Welsh Junior Tour?
The Ping Welsh Junior Tour is intended to give young golfers an opportunity to play in some competitive but fun competitions at an early stage in their golfing development. In 2021 there will be six regional events in Wales from which players can qualify for the Ping Welsh Junior Tour Final in the autumn.
There will be four separate categories; mixed events for players aged under 8, 10, 12 and 14.
The three younger age categories will be played over 9 holes with a shortened course suitable for these age groups. The format of the competitions for these players will be something called modified stableford which means that the fewer shots the players take to complete a hole the more points they earn. A hole in one will earn the player 10 points whilst a score of 10 or more on a hole will get the player 1 point. Everyone scores at least 1 point on every hole. The winner will be the player who gets the most points over the 9 holes.
The under 14 age group will be played over 18 holes using full handicap in a normal stableford format. The winner will be the player who scores the most points over the 18 holes.
The top three players in each category will receive a prize at each event. There will also be a prize for the highest placed girl & boy player in each of the categories.
Who Can Play?
The Junior Tour is open to any junior player within the age categories who was born in Wales (or who has a parent or grandparent that was born in Wales) or who lives in Wales or is a member of a golf club affiliated to Wales Golf. The one exception to this is that players who have a handicap of 9 or lower at the beginning of the year are not able to play in the Junior Tour; there are already many events for players of that high standard to compete in.
The U8, U10 and U12 categories are open to players with or without a handicap.
Players in the U14 category must have a World Handicap System Handicap Index of 36.0 or less.
What Are The Rules?
The U14 category will be played according to the rules of golf as usual. These competitions will count for handicap purposes.
The U8, U10 and U12 categories will also be played according to the rules of golf but with a few additional rules to help the players;
If a player has taken ten shots on a hole they must pick their ball up and move to the next hole (they will still score a point in the scoring system).
The adult accompanying the player (see the next section) will be responsible for the player’s score card.
It is also worth noting that ‘air shots’ will as usual count to the player’s score.
The detailed rules for Ping Welsh Junior Tour events can be found on the ‘specific’ and ‘general’ Terms of Competition sections of the entry forms, and online.
Will the Modified Rules Of Golf Be Adopted For Disabled Players?
Yes disabled players may, if they wish, use the Modified Rules of Golf. Please let us know, in advance of the competition, the nature of the disability so that we can put the appropriate rules modifications in place for the event.
Parents And Guardians
As there will be a lot of very young players at these events it is a condition of entry that each player must be accompanied by a parent/guardian whilst they are at a Ping Welsh Junior Tour event to be responsible for their well-being.
The role of the parent/guardian at the event will vary depending upon the category their player is playing in;
In the U14 categories parents/guardians are welcome to watch but must keep a reasonable distance away from play. They may ball spot or help in searching for a ball but other than that must not communicate with the player.
In the U8, U10 & U12 categories as well as keeping score the parent/guardian may assist their player by pulling a trolley or carrying a bag and may give advice.
For more information about how you can help your children in their chosen sport please follow this link ‘supporting children in sport’.