The PING Welsh Junior Tour is to expand up to the age of 18 to spread the pathway as wide as possible for young golfers in Wales.

The event is coming to Pwllheli, 7 June, building to the Event Final in Carmarthen in September.

Previously, the PING Welsh Junior Tour ran from Under 8s through to Under 14s, but from this season there will be a new Under 18s category added to the regular competitions held all around Wales.

While some of the elite players in Wales will be competing nationally around the UK and Europe in those age groups, adding an Under 18s category spreads the net wider and allows more players to carry on competing at national level in Wales.

“We have added in another age category into the PING Welsh Junior Tour for Under 18s in order to help shape and develop the pathway for junior golfers,” explained Wales Golf competitions manager Dan Fullager.

“This in turn also provides playing opportunities for those aged 14-17 who may not be able to play in the elite championships based on their Handicap Index.

“This also helps the Wales Golf High Performance team with talent identification, helping to ensure late developers do not slip through the net.

“We have also split up each age group into separate boy and girl categories so they are not competing for the same prizes, to help encourage more girls to participate.

“All of these changes come off the back of feedback from parents of players, and we were very happy to seek improvements in the competition in any way we could.

“The PING Welsh Junior Tour is a hugely important competition for Wales Golf, allowing young golfers from the ages of six or seven up to enjoy a national competition in a fun and safe environment. “