Stardom Beckons for Southport Golfer at Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Championship

SOUTHPORT local Sadie Adams, 15, will follow the path of golfing legends this week when she ends her season in the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at Quinta do Lago in Portugal. Adams, from Royal Birkdale Golf Club, will go up against some of the finest young golfers from across all of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Algarve final.

1st sponsoring the tournament, in 2019, Rose spearheads a long list of iconic names from the sport who won the prestigious tournament at the start of their respective careers. His Ryder Cup colleagues Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood also put themselves on the map with success at the event, as did former Ladies European Tour stars:- Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Melissa Reid and Carly Booth.

The tournament will be held on the prestigious South Course at Portugal's Quinta do Lago from:- 31 October to 4 November 2022. The par 72 layout, which has earned a legendary reputation over the years as a pinnacle of Portuguese golf, will be hosting its 1st big event since reopening following a €7m renovation in 2022.

Quinta do Lago will be hosting the unofficial:- 'major of junior golf' for the 6th time in 8 years. The competition is open to any golfers aged 18 or under at midnight, on 1 January 2022, making it a breeding ground for exciting young talent that can serve as a stepping stone to the upper echelons of golf.

With events for both girls and boys, the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship sees 12 young golfers in each category compete across 54 holes of stroke play. The standard of this year's tournament is particularly strong, with competitors playing off handicaps as high as +5 going into the tournament.

Leading the boys' tournament is 2021's champion Harley Smith, 17, who's enjoyed a busy year of competition since his success 12 months ago.

Smith will face stiff competition from the likes of Henry Drake, 18, who secured a berth in Final Qualifying at the 150th open by winning a tense 4 man play off at Frilford Heath. Meanwhile, Huddersfield based Dylan Radford Shaw, 17, will have plenty of confidence on the way to the Algarve, having won 3 prestigious tournaments already in 2022.

Three girls are playing off a +5 handicap this year, with Sophia Fullbrook,17, 1 to watch after winning the English Girls' Open title earlier in 2022. Rebekah Gardener, 18, who cites Rory McIlroy as a personal hero, is among Northern Ireland's representatives in Portugal.

Roisin Scanlon, 15, is 1 of the finalists returning from the 2021 Junior Golf Championship, gaining experience over the summer at tournaments in Sweden and Germany.

Quinta do Lago is 1 of Europe's most coveted destinations. Located just 15 minutes from Faro airport, the luxury sport and lifestyle resort includes:- 3 18 hole championship golf courses; the North, South and Laranjal; and world class practice facilities. Guests can stay in shape at state of the art performance centre The Campus, a comprehensive sports hub designed for professionals and amateurs alike to keep fit.

Beyond the world of sport, Quinta do Lago's 14 1st class bars and restaurants ensure that there are exquisite dining experiences for everyone, with accommodation on offer at stunning boutique The Magnolia Hotel. The resort's expansive offering is tucked amongst 2,000 acres of the picturesque Algarve Region in Southern Portugal, known for its natural beauty and ideal golfing climate.

1 in 10 dog owners forced into debt to cover cost of caring for their dog

AN online poll carried out for Dogs Trust, which has a re-homing centre in Merseyside, has revealed that 13% of dog owners have been forced into debt in order to care for their dog, a situation that is set to get worse as pet owners face an increase in the costs associated with caring for dogs.

The survey, carried out last week by YouGov on behalf of the charity, also revealed that 33% would be forced to borrow money to pay for an unexpected vet bill of £100.

The UK's largest canine welfare charity is the most stretched it's ever been, dealing with an influx of dogs whose owners can't afford to look after them as bills continue to skyrocket. It has voiced grave concerns that a further 350,000 dogs may need to find new homes if the cost of living continues to rise.

The survey revealed just how badly the crisis is impacting our dog loving nation over the last 6 months:-

►     84% dog owners have experienced a rise in the costs associated with keeping their dog.

►     77% of those surveyed told the charity they had seen their pet food increase in price.

►     43% said the cost of routine vet appointments, such as vaccinations, have increased in cost.

►     41% reported that their pet insurance has increased.

Many of the Dogs Trust re-homing centres across the country are already at capacity, with waiting lists for kennel spaces. But it's not just the number of dogs waiting to be re-homed that is cause for concern; the charity is also worried about the canine essentials that owners are being forced to cut back on.

22% of respondents said they had switched to cheaper dog food and, worryingly, 10% said they had delayed seeking veterinary treatment for non-routine procedures due to cost. A similar number, 9%, had delayed or missed appointments for routine treatments, such as:- vaccinations, flea and worming treatments.

Dogs Trust re-homing centres are seeing a rise in the number of dogs arriving with untreated health conditions, which it believes is due to owners simply not being able to afford the treatment needed.

Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says:- "It's hugely worrying that dog owners are falling into debt with the cost of looking after their dogs, and a stark indicator of how seriously the cost of living crisis is impacting on our dog loving nation. We're not laying the blame at the door of vets, who are themselves impacted by rising costs, leading to higher fees. But we have a situation in which many of the UK's dog owners are having to make cost cutting decisions that could be harmful to their dog's health, such as skipping vaccines and worming treatments, and some dogs are missing emergency treatment because their owners can't afford it. I'm really worried that, despite our best efforts, the sector will reach a point where we've reached the limit of what we can do, and we'll be forced to turn away dogs in need."