HSBC BECOME TITLE SPONSORS OF WEE WONDERS CHAMPIONSHIPS
HSBC, the world's second largest bank, has become the major title
sponsor of the Wee Wonders Open Golf Championships, in association
with the Golf Foundation and the Professional Golf Association.
The most talented young golfers - age five to 12 years - in Great
Britain & Ireland will be returning to St Andrews Links in September
for the Grand Final of the 2004 HSBC Wee Wonders Open Golf championships.
Last year's Grand Final was played at St Andrews for the first
time when there were 72 qualifiers in the eight age categories from
an original entry of 3,500. It is expected that this year's tournament
will draw a nationwide entry of as high as 5,000. Last year, some
720 Scottish children took part in the early rounds. That figure
is forecast to top the 1,000 mark in 2004. There will be 73 qualifying
rounds at various venues all over Great Britain & Ireland. Log on
to www.wee-wonders.co.uk/events.html to find out when and where
all the regional rounds are taking place.
As far as Scotland is concerned, those who come through the regional
rounds will go into either the Scotland North Final at Strathmore
Golf Centre, Alyth on July 14 or the Scotland South Final at North
Gailes, Ayrshire on July 11. In all there will be nine regional
finals to produce the exact number of 72 qualifiers for the Grand
Final over the Balgove Course at St Andrews.
The tournament was the brainchild of Alasdair Good, now head professional
at Gullane Golf Club, when he was the pro at Foxhills Golf Club,
Surrey. When Alasdair succeeded Jimmy Hume at Gullane, so the Wee
Wonders Grand Final moved from Foxhills to Scotland last year. It
provides a national avenue for boys and girls from the ages of five
to 12 years to progress from coaching programmes into the challenge
and fun of competitive golf.
Each boy and girl is allowed 36 shots. They place their flag where
their 36th shot comes to rest. In each category, it is the competitor
who has made the most progress round the Balgove Course, who will
be the winner.
The age groups are (separate boys' and girls' sections within the
categories):
5 and 6 Years.
7 and 8 Years.
9 and 10 Years.
11 and 12 Years.
HSBC's new association is part of a broader commitment to golf,
from the grassroots level to its title sponsorship of European golf's
premier match-play event - the HSBC world-match-play championship
at Wentworth, and will enable "Wee Wonders" to continue to grow
from strength to strength.
Alasdair Good said: "Having grown the event for nine years, now
is the right time to introduce major sponsorship. HSBC, with their
pedigree, fit extremely well. They are already very supportive in
the growth of junior golf and a most welcome partner in developing
our championships."
Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion and honorary president of St
Andrews Links Junior Golf Association, was at Tuesday's sponsorship
launch of the 2004 Wee Wonders Championships. He said: "I am a firm
believe in encouraging children to take up and enjoy the game at
every opportunity. The Wee Wonders tournament is a brilliant way
to give very young golfers throughout the UK and Ireland something
to work towards, which is fun as well as being competitive
"Youngsters from my own junior development programme in Aberdeen
will be taking part in the Wee Wonders Championship for the first
time this year."
Paul Lawrie and Alastair Good with some of the St Andrews Wee Wonders
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