K Club warm-up for stars of future

Jnior Ryder Cup preview : As the Ryder Cup players begin their practice at the Belfry this week, the K Club will get an early taste of what is to come when the Junior Ryder Cup players from Europe and the US tee-up this morning at the venue for the 2006 main event.

The Junior Ryder Cup is a biennial team matchplay event and was originated to encourage friendship, the exchange of cultures and to enhance the enjoyment of golf. The competition is maturing into an integral part of the whole Ryder Cup experience.

This is the fourth Junior Ryder Cup, and already some of its young stars have gone on to make their mark on the golf world. While Ireland will not be represented this week, the inaugural match in 1995 featured the then 15-year-old Sergio Garcia leading a winning European squad at Rochester, New York.

Since then, both teams have included several budding champions, including David Gossett, Beth Bauer, David Porter, Nicolas Colsaerts, Suzann Pettersen and, most recently, Ty Tryon.

The United States won the 1997 event at the San Rogue Links, but under the captaincy of Ireland's Jimmy Greene from the Grange Golf Club, Europe took the honours at Cape Cod in 1999.

Each team consists of 12 players - four boys and four girls under 16 and two girls and two boys under 18. Today's matches sees a boys v boys and girls v girls fourball matchplay, while tomorrow is a mixed fourball format.

The US team is selected by the PGA of America. The under-16 players are selected from the top four girls and boys in the PGA Junior Series while the under-18 players are selected from the top two girls and boys in the Westfield Junior PGA Championship, played in August 2001.

The European players are selected by the European Golf Association. The under-16 players were selected according to their results in the European Young Masters at Golf-Club Augsburg, Germany, at the end of July. The under-18 players are chosen by the Selection Committee of the EGA Championship Committee.

The teams then travel to Birmingham to attend the main match at The Belfry.