Close House to host ever-growing PING Junior Masters in 2023

The PING Junior Masters is set to return to Close House in 2023, with nine qualifying events spanning across eight counties in the UK, as junior golf continues to take huge strides within the game.

The Junior Masters began in 2017 in conjunction with the British Masters that was hosted at Close House, in Northumberland.

Since then, Close House, with the support of their attached professional Lee Westwood and PING Europe has developed and grown the event to make it as accessible and exciting as possible for more junior golfers across the UK.

Westwood played a big part in the initial development of the Junior Masters, with the vision to help grow the game and create more competitive opportunities for keen young golfers.

Successful events have since ran in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 – with the 2023 series set to eclipse the previous year’s triumphant event.   

Westwood said: 

Continuing on from last year, nine qualifying events remain across the UK with the well-known Ladybank in Fyfe, Scotland and Worksop in Nottinghamshire once again featuring within the schedule.

New to the regional offerings is the renowned Hillside Golf Club, fellow hosts of the British Masters and of the recent DP World Tour 2022 Cazoo Classic.

The breadth and quality of events evolves in 2023, with youngsters having access to a competitive experience that will undoubtably aid in their development as a golfer.

Each qualifying event will be run off nett scores, giving a broader range of junior golfers the opportunity to reach the grand final played at Close House.

From each of the qualifying locations, there are three age categories: 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under.

One girl and two boys from each age group will qualify for the final at Close House on 24 October 2023 – where they will be offered a tour experience on the Championship Colt Course.

The 2023 events see PING Europe continue their support, providing all the prizes at the grand final with the aim of giving the next generation of golfers a special and unique experience.

Dave Fanning, European Marketing Director at PING Europe, said:

In addition to hosting a qualifying event and the final, Close House is also offering free school coaching to local schools to further develop the younger generation of golfers.