Market Harborough GC head professional Kegan Jamieson has developed a highly successful and popular junior academy at the club since he was appointed to the post two years ago.
He is also taking over the running of the 10-year-old Shires Junior Golf Tour, which has held regular tournaments in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
Each event boasts up to 140 young competitors taking part. Kegan and his team will be running this tour from later this season.
He said: “The first event was due to be held at Market Harborough in May. Our plans have been put back, but the planning and preparation work has continued and we have attracted Under Armour as a tour sponsor, which is a great boost for us.
“We always intended to start slowly, but the lockdown has made that absolutely necessary. So we will arrange a few dates when play is possible again, and then have a full programme from next year.”
Kegan’s golf academy at MHGC currently has 85 youngsters, of which 15 are girls and he’s been keeping them busy in lockdown with a series of online quizzes and challenges. He hopes they will form the bedrock for the new Shires Tour.
“They are all very enthusiastic and I think a tour like this, which has proved to be highly successful over the past few years, can be developed further and we’ll see even more youngsters taking part in some well run competitions.
“I have held one meeting already with the Leicestershire CGU junior golf director, Michael Billingham.
“We have had a good discussion and I was delighted to hear about his ambitions for the future and to see how the tour will fit in with his hopes and plans to bring them to fruition.”
