The winners of Isle of Man Golf’s 2016 Junior Order of Merit, supported by the Dandara Group, have been presented with their end of season prizes during a ceremony at Douglas Golf Club.

At the conclusion of a hard-fought competition, Lea Dawson took victory in the Under 14 category by just one point from Greg Watson and Jack Gilbert beat Ana Dawson to the Under 18 title by 69 points to 56.

This year award-winning developer Dandara became title sponsor of the Junior Order of Merit, played over five rounds at five different courses. It began at King Edward Bay in April and reached its thrilling conclusion last month in Ramsey.

The Order of Merit, created with assistance from England Golf and launched in 2014, sees young male and female players compete together for prizes at each round as well as for the title over the season.

Alongside the main competition each round also hosted a series of non-merit contests for aspiring young golfers. These included a 9 hole stableford for boys with handicaps of 29-40 and for girls playing off 37-40, a 6 hole stableford for boys and girls with handicaps of 41 and over (known as the Forty-one Club), and a Flag Competition for boys and girls yet to attain junior handicaps.

Aimed at beginners, the Flag Competition gives each young golfer 36 shots to get as far around the course as they can before placing a flag with their name on at that point. The player who goes furthest wins, and it is hotly contested with players as young as six learning how to behave on a golf course, how to play different shots and how to count their score.

The Junior Order of Merit also saw some excellent handicap reductions over the season, including Caitlyn Dowds, who finished third in the U14 category, moving from 33 to 25 and U18 winner Jack down from 8 to 4.

Dandara’s sponsorship was part of a multi-year support package which also saw the developer become title sponsor of the Junior Championships, played at Ramsey in July. Reflecting the leading role of Isle of Man Golf, formed last year by the merger of the Isle of Man Men’s Golf Union and the Isle of Man Ladies’ Golf Association, to remove gender discrimination from the sport, the Dandara Junior Championship combined the previous Boys and Girls separate championships for the first time.

Isle of Man Golf President Geoff Skillicorn said: ‘Dandara's ongoing support for junior golf in the Isle of Man is very valuable, helping Isle of Man Golf offer young stars of the future a pathway to grow in the game.

‘It has been particularly gratifying to see young players graduate through the levels of the competition as they attain and reduce their handicaps, so we are extremely grateful for Dandara's generous sponsorship which continues through the 2017 season.’

Dandara Managing Director Seamus Nugent added: ‘Our hope in supporting Isle of Man Golf’s junior competitions was to contribute to encouraging youngsters of all ages and abilities to get involved in a sport which combines skill and discipline with a strong element of social interaction.

‘We have been delighted by the success of the Junior Order of Merit, which has produced some fantastic golf and close competition as well as creating opportunities for aspiring young golfers to improve their game and introduce beginners to the sport.

‘The series, and the Dandara Junior Championship in the summer, have shown we have some very talented young golfers in the Isle of Man who are honing their skills and showcasing their abilities at these competitions and we hope to see them continue to excel as they move towards the senior levels of golf.’

Image: Jack Gilbert, winner of the Under 18 category of the Junior Order of Merit, and Under 14 winner Lea Dawson receive their awards

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