NEW 2012 GOLF FACTOR DATES OUT NOW
Junior golf’s premier talent search are already planning towards next seasons exciting Golf Factor
& Future Stars Talent search and are pleased to announce the dates for group stages. The dates for
your diary should be :
The weekend of Saturday June 16th & Sunday June 17th -
For 1st auditions and future stars skills challenges.
The weekend of Saturday 30th June & Sunday 1st July -
For bootcamp & regional finals.
Next year all the regional competitions will be taking place across the same weekends building up to the Champions weekend in September.
Applications in writing to:
James Beattie
John Letters Golf Academy,
Stadium Way,
Huddersfield,
HD1 6PG
or email your application to:
golffactor@johnletters.com
BEGINNER - IMPROVER - ADVANCED
Anyone can enter and everyone wins a prize on the day!
Golf Factor Talent Search is a junior golf talent competition with
the goal of identifying golf talent in the UK to help them become the best they
can be in the sport. There is golf support up for grabs for
3 lucky winners,
which includes elite equipment, coaching, and personal development at the highest
level.
Golf’s high standards of
sportsmanship, courtesy, manners and fair play
make it stand out from many other sports, and it sets a very good example to young
people. Golf is now widely recognised as one of the most popular sports in the country
with a reported 4 million golfers taking part in the sport.
Is your child the next Lee Westwood?
Lightning learner Lee took up the game at the age of 13 after his grandparents bought
him a half set of clubs, and less than two years later, he was crowned junior champion
of home county Nottinghamshire.
Lee won his first amateur event in 1990, turned pro in 1993 after winning the British
Youth Championship and it’s been uphill from there. During his successful career,
Lee has won 18 events on the European Tour and has also won tournaments in America,
Africa, Asia and Australia. His Official World Golf Ranking peaked at 4th, and in
2000 he won 7 tournaments worldwide and was ranked first on the European Order of
Merit, ending Colin Montgomerie's long run of European Tour dominance.
A regular on the Ryder Cup team, Lee has played in the last six successive competitions.
2006 saw Lee further embellish his magnificent Ryder Cup record when, for the second
successive time, he remained unbeaten in all five matches.
GOLF FACTOR NEWS
27 September 2011 - Golf Factor 2011 Information Update
JP Ralph Races to Champions win!
JP Ralph aged 13 from Merseyside became the inaugural winner of the Golf Factor Champion of Champions Event Held at Whittlebury
Park on Saturday 17th September 2011. The Champions competition is an uncompromising 18 holes of gross stroke play to determine
the very best golfer in the golf factor ranks. Alex Wilkens played great golf on his way to picking up the best nett round Trophy.
The soundtrack to the day’s golf was an unusual one - not the tweeting of birds or rustling trees - but the sound of race cars,
speeding around Beckett’s corner on the Silverstone Grand Prix Track which is only a long par 5 away from the golf course.
Golf Factor teamed up with UK Kids Golf to stage the event, which attracted a field of over 100 young golfers from up and down the
country to play in their own Tour Grand Final. Feedback from the players and parents was excellent and the partnership is sure to
grow in the forthcoming years.
Conditions on the day were particularly tough with a 25 mph wind and driving, heavy rain greeting the nervous finalists on the 414 yard
first. The first group out was eventual winner JP shooting a gross 81 (7) 75, with 2011 Merseyside Winner and compatriot
Daniel Heron - 95 (12) 83, 2010 Yorkshire Winner Alex Robinson – 92 (10) 82 and 2010 Yorkshire runner up Tom North - 86 (9) 77. With tough
conditions and an unfamiliar course scoring was high and for all players it was a matter of keeping concentration and dealing with the
elements as best they could.
Second group out, christened “the big hitters” by watching judges James Beattie and Paul Hebdon, were Stuart Entwisle - 89 (6) 83 the 2010
East Anglia Winner, Yorkshire 2011 runner up Brad Johnson 98 (7) 91, 2010 Midlands winner Jordan Baker 92 (3) 89 and 2011 Midlands
runner up Matthew Hoskin 108 (18) 90. Unfortunately, it’s fair to say the “big hitters” got blew away in the strong winds and never
really came to terms with the tricky 9 hole layout.
Next group out included 2011 Yorkshire Runner up George Nicolson - 108 (24) 84, sporting a fantastic pair of shades, Rhys Hopkins - 111
(17) 94 complete with his superman belt buckle and would have been in the running except for an unfortunate 13 on the really tough par 5
7th, Owen Meeds - 93 (12) 81 and Alex Wilkens - 92 (17) 75, both runners up in the East Anglia 2010 competition. As with the groups
before this younger group of stand-out talents found the course to be playing long with some tough carries which were on the limit of
there playing ability on the day.
Last group out benefitted from slightly improved conditions on teeing off and included Lewis Bullard - 106 (28) 78 a 2011 Midlands runner up,
Matt Broderick - 99 (22) 77 a 2011 Merseyside runner up, George Brady - 99 (13) 86 the Yorkshire 2011 winner and Andrew Marsh - 90
(11) 79, 2011 Merseyside runner up. Best of the group was Andrew Marsh who has reduced his handicap significantly in the summer and
is one to watch in forthcoming events.
Click Here to view Gallery
27 September 2011 - Golf Factor 2011 Information Update
New Dates
Junior golf’s premier talent search are already planning towards next seasons exciting Golf Factor
& Future Stars Talent search and are pleased to announce the dates for group stages. The dates for
your diary should be :
The weekend of Saturday June 16th & Sunday June 17th - For 1st auditions and future stars skills challenges.
The weekend of Saturday 30th June & Sunday 1st July - For bootcamp & regional finals.
Next year all the regional competitions will be taking place across the same weekends building up to the Champions weekend in September.
19 August 2011 - Golf Factor 2011 Information Update
Champion of Champions
With exactly 1 month to go before the Golf Factor “Champion of Champions” Event at Whittlebury Park,
over half of the former winners and runners up of Golf Factor from the last two years have confirmed
their entries. Former Yorkshire Regional Champ Alex Robinson and Current Champ George Brady are both
entered, as are the other current regional Champs Stuart Entwistle (East Anglia) Daniel Heron (Merseyside)
and Rhys Hopkins (Midlands).
A strict rule on the production of handicap certificates will be in force for the competition with
organisers asking all competitors to register on the day with a current certificate from their
respective clubs. With more former champions and runners up expected to confirm their attendance
in the next week, it is looking like it is going to be a fiercely fought battle for the right to
be crowned Golf Factor’s “Champion of Champions”...watch this website for more details coming soon!
28 May 2011 - Golf Factor 2011 Information Update
Winners Invited to Wentworth for European Tour flagship
event PGA Championship
Golf Factor winners and runners up from around the country were in Wentworth watching
the worlds elite players tee off from the first hole, including Ernie Els, Paul
Casey, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher and Peter Hanson.
The lucky winners also attended a question and answer session with Rory McIroy,
Jose Maria Olazabal and Eduardo Molinari. The kids asked questions to Jose Maria
about Seve and when he first played golf with him, which was a touching moment
After the session Jose was happy to sign autographs for the kids and pose for a
photo – Rory at that point was swamped by a huge posse of people so the golf factor
kids couldn’t get near to him to get his autograph......
We had lunch in the tented village and then went up to the range. We got onto the
Range with our passes and stood in awe at a number of top pros practicing – Paul
McGuinley was working with Bob Torrance and Molinari with Denis Pugh. We chatted
with Fredrik Andersson Hed who was a great guy.
Then to the kids delight, on walked Rory McIlroy on his way to the courtesy cars
– he was leaving to go to Wembley to watch the Champions League Final....he happily
signed autographs for the kids and posed for a nice picture with them – they were
all made up with that!
We then went and watched golf for the rest of the day and the kids went home tired
but very happy!
15 Feb 2011 - Golf Factor 2011 Information Update
Applications are now flooding in thick and fast for all areas of the competition,
including the new section “Future Stars” which is appealing to the younger players
whom are new to the game but want to test their skills on a family fun packed day.
Winners update!
Well its a few months since the end of the golf factor 2010 series so we thought
it was about time to catch up with the 3 lucky winners and see what a difference
the continuing golf support provided by Direct golf UK and John Letters Golf Academy
has added to their games as they gear up for the 2011 season with equipment, swing
and mind coaching support...
All the 2010 winners have agreed to be on hand on the opening weekends of golf factor
2011 to pass on their advice to the contestants.
Alex Robinson – Yorkshire Winner 2010
Alex is currently receiving an ongoing coaching and psychology programme from Head
Professional Tom Denby and academy founder John Andrew. His goals for the forthcoming
season are to reduce his handicap even further – he dropped a remarkable 9 shots
last season and has his sights firmly set on a single digit handicap this year.
Alex has a tournament schedule already prepared including the Yorkshire Boys championship.
John Paul Ralph - Merseyside Winner 2010
After a comprehensive equipment assessment John Paul Ralph received a set of Mizuno
JPX irons and some Mizuno wedges. He is receiving ongoing support from head professional
Tony Davis at Moreton Hills Golf Centre on the Wirral and a full programme of competitions
to look forward to. Jordan Baker – Midlands Winner 2010
Jordan is “really impressed” with the coaching provided by Simon Lucas, the head
professional at the John Letters Golf Academy, and has had over 5 hours tuition
with equipment support including a new Nike wedge and rescue, putter and waterproof
suit.
Jordan reduced his handicap by 2 shots towards the end of the year and also shot
a new course record of 68 at his home course. Jordan is looking forward to working
hard in the forthcoming months to compete in local tournaments and has some pro-ams
scheduled in also.
Champion of Champions Golf Factor Event
Each 2010 Golf Factor Champion will be invited to a special champion of champions
event in September – look out for details to be announced soon as well as a trip
to the PGA Championship at Wentworth for a look at the top players in action.
“New Future Stars catergory proving to be hit”
This year organisers have introduced a new section to the competition. “Future Stars”
is a catergory specially designed to accomodate the younger and newer players to
the game whom still want to test their skills but do not have the experience to
play 18 holes of golf, don’t have a handicap or are not members of clubs. Entrants
to this cetergory can be as young as 5. These new players will test their skills
on a specially designed tri-golf skills challenge course and record a score – the
winners of this catergory will receive a set of John Letters Swing Master Clubs
to get them going in the game plus a years membership to a John Letters Academy
Club near them. Runners up will be offered 6 month memberships to the Academies.