Felicitações ! Congratulations Pedro Lencart Silva ! - winner THE Junior OPEN Golf, Troon Scotland, Kilmarnock 2016 - - NAANII GLOBAL Luxury/Quality Family Lifestyle MAGAZINE 'en Vogue' - NAANII GLOBAL Quality & Luxury Family Lifestyle - MAGAZINE 'en Vogue'-

PEDRO LENCART SILVA WINS THE JUNIOR OPEN AT KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE)

Portuguese Junior Golfer Pedro Lencart Silva posted a round of six-under-par 67 to seal a convincing win at THE Junior OPEN at Kilmarnock (Barassie), Troon  yesterday !

The Junior Open title is Lencart Silva’s ( Clube de Golf de Miramar, Oporto, Portugal) biggest win to date after he won the Finland Under-16 Championship last year.

Pedro Lencart Silva:
“I played really well, hit 17 greens and made six birdies without any dropped shots. It was a really good round. I felt some nerves but I was trying to enjoy myself at the same time.
“I practised a lot of links shots into the wind before I came here. It’s a very important win for me, my biggest so far. I didn’t have great form coming into the week but I tried to focus and luckily my game together at the right time.
“I suppose it’s a Portuguese double! It’s perfect. Nobody really expected Portugal to win in the football and I’m not sure if anyone thought I could win here but we did it.”

The 16 year-old started the round two strokes behind Valeria Pacheco but produced a fine performance in the final round to lift the title with an aggregate score of 214, five-under-par.

Valeria Pacheco:
“I still feel good even though I didn’t manage to win. It was a good result, especially with the way I started, which was a little crazy. I’m proud of the way I was able to come back and finished pretty well.
“To finish second is a good result. Pedro’s score in the final round was sensational. There are some things you simply can’t do anything about. I have no complaints, Pedro deserved to win. Overall it was a great week, I had a lot of fun. It was an amazing experience.”

Pacheco made a slow start to her round and eventually signed for a one-over-par 74 to finish second on level par 219, one ahead of China’s Yifan Ji (72) who was the overnight leader after the first day.

South Korea’s Hyunkyung Park (75) was fourth on two-over 221, one ahead of American Garrett Barber (74) and Argentina’s Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira (75) in a tie for fifth.

The leading group took to the course during excellent conditions and a birdie on the first hole by Lencart Silva set the tone for the day.  The Miramar golf club member added another birdie at the fifth to reach the turn on two-under-par.

A run of four birdies in five holes from the 12th was the difference in the end as at one stage Lencart Silva and Pacheco were only separated by one shot.

However, Lencart Silva played his best golf of the week by hitting 17 greens in regulation and converting his birdie opportunities to leave others with little chance of catching him.


Duncan Weir, Executive Director – Working for Golf, The R&A

“It has been a fabulous week and a great conclusion. We had 80 countries represented in the starting field of 143, a record entry. The transformation from the last time the Junior Open was played here at Kilmarnock (Barassie) in 2004 is clear to see; it’s bigger, better and stronger. In my experience, it’s the best Junior Open we’ve ever had.

“For the development of the game the Junior Open does two things. At the top end of the field it allows good young players an opportunity to compete against one another at a venue very close to THE OPEN. It also enables us to connect with some of our smaller countries; it strengthens our link with all the national organisations affiliated with The R&A. The Junior Open is a combination of a successful championship and real golf development.”

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