Winning the English Boys Under 16 Championship and with it the McGregor Trophy can prove a major milestone on a player's path towards the pinnacle of the game.

Several of today's prominent names on the professional circuit such as Steve Webster, Graeme Storm, Justin Rose and James Heath won the McGregor on the way up as did Jim Payne, a tour winner and now a club professional, as well as Walker Cup man Michael Skelton.

So when the Championship returns to its former home at Radcliffe-on-Trent Golf Club, Nottingham, on 29th June - 1st July, many ambitious youngsters will know that success could spark a promising career.

Seven nations - England, Scotland, Wales, Finland, Italy, The Netherlands and Spain - will field a total of 13 three-man teams.

This year's field of 132 contains many potential champions, none more so than Darren Renwick, who led the McGregor Trophy for three rounds at Dudsbury last year, eventually finishing fourth.

The 15 year old from Worthing was capped against Scotland under 16s and for the matach against the English Girls under 18 team and finished tied fifth in the Scottish Under 16 Championship. Renwick is also named in one of England's two nominated teams for the inaugural Nations Cup being contested over the first two rounds of the McGregor, the best two cards to count.

In the Championship itself, Renwick is likely to face strong opposition from his Nations Cup teammates as well as from a bevy of overseas players, not least the Dutch, who have been prominent in the event in recent years.

A year ago, only the skills of Oliver Fisher denied Floris de Vries, from the Netherlands, the title and it was his older brother Wouter de Vries who finished as champion in 2003. This year, there is a third de Vries in the field, Jules.

The Championship also provides a step-up for those players successful in the previous year's Under 14 Championship and that is no exception this time. Last year's under 14 champion Jonathan Bell is competing along with most of the top ten from that event.

A total of 180 entries were received for 132 places. Those players with handicaps of five or higher were balloted out, while 13 with handicaps of four are on the reserve list.

Media Contact:
Lynne Fraser, EGU Marketing and PR Manager
Tel: 01526 354500
Email: lfraser@englishgolfunion.org