Barclay Brown and Sophie Johnson win 34th Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship

Barclay Brown and Sophie Johnson win 34th Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship

A trophy won by world No 1 golfer Justin Rose as a 17-year-old is heading to Yorkshire after Barclay Brown, 17, secured the Telegraph Vitality junior golf championship at the PGA Catalunya resort in Spain.

Brown plays at Hallamshire Golf Club, Sheffield, the home club of European Tour star, Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2012 Telegraph junior champion.

The girls’ Telegraph Vitality trophy was won by England international Sophie Johnson, from Telford. Her name is added to a trophy which boasts a glittering array of talent including Melissa Reid and current US women’s tour player Jodie Ewart.

A remarkable 18,500 juniors initially entered the competition which boasts the largest number of competitors in any golfing competition world wide.

Brown has accepted a scholarship to the elite Stanford University in the United States whose alumni include Tiger Woods.

Sky Sport filmed the three-round finals at PGA Catalunya, Barcelona, ranked Spain’s number one course. Highlights will be screened in December. Sky’s coverage is being fronted by former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart who won the Telegraph championship in 1986.

The Telegraph has backed the event for 34 years and former finalists include Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Lewis. Rose won the competition in 1997 before catapulting to fame the following year in the British Open at Royal Birkdake. The competition’s ambassador, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said:

“My support and admiration for the Telegraph Vitality Junior Golf Championship is long-standing and hardfelt. It’s not just about playing golf – the whole experience is an essential part of the finalists’ education as golfers and young people. All who enter can say that they played in a competition which has been won by some of the greats including Justin Rose, Jodie Ewart and many others. It’s a brilliant championship to be involved in and I wish it continued success and excellence.”

Barclay Brown: “It feels great to win and I now want to keep improving and keep winning titles before I go to Stanford University next year. “The Telegraph event is so enjoyable and it doesn’t get any less fun since I first came here.”

Sophie Johnson: “I was really nervous over my putt on the last,” admitted Johnson. “It feels so good and the best way to finish off my junior career.