Ben Taylor clinched the boys’ title at this year’s Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship (ADJGC), in association with The Daily Telegraph, with an impressive wire-to-wire 13 under par victory, whilst 16-year-old Hayley Davis made her overnight advantage count to secure the 2010 girls title.

Having led from day one, Taylor, from Surrey, England, fired a winning final round of 69 to hold off an amazing late challenge from Rhys Pugh and secure the championship. With a final round littered with birdies, including a remarkable run of successive under-par finishes between holes 10 and 14, the 18-year-old held his nerve on the final stretch and now joins the ranks of impressive previous winners, which includes Justin Rose, the four-time European Tour winner.

“It has been an amazing journey, and to win the tournament is a great honour for me, especially having faced such tough competition,” he said. “My game plan was to continue as I had played yesterday and focus closely on hitting the ball in all the right places. Birdies on five holes went along way to help me clinch it.”

Further down the leader board, 17-year-old Pugh from Wales took the runners up slot, while Jordan Ainley took third with a score of one over par. Dubai-based Daniel Hendry, who was representing the UAE, enjoyed a spirited final day and ended in ninth place on 13-over.

In the girls’ competition, Davis was in sublime form and entered the iconic Falcon clubhouse at Abu Dhabi Golf Club with a final score of four under, leaving her well ahead of nearest rival Amy Boulden, who ended on one under par. The 16-year-old, from Dorset in England, had entered the final day with a four-shot lead and never looked in danger of losing it.

In the battle for second, Boulden narrowly edged out Kelly Tiddy, despite both finishing on the same final score, with Boulden’s impressive last day round of 66 giving her the judge’s favour. The 2009 champion, Alexandra Peters, finished in fifth place with a score of one over par.

A very happy and relaxed Davis said afterwards: “It’s been a fantastic week for me and for all the junior golfers here. I am very proud to be crowned girls champion and no matter how my golf career progresses, I will always have fond memories of Abu Dhabi.”

Taylor and Davis were presented with their trophies immediately after the final round by Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) - the championship’s headline sponsor.

“This week in Abu Dhabi we have been treated to an extremely high standard of golf, and there is no doubt that Ben and Hayley are truly deserving of the accolade of champions,” said Al Sheikh. “The Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship and our National Course have witnessed tremendous spirit and skill from these youngsters. They have very bright futures ahead of them and we hope that one day we will see them return to play in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.”

Taylor and Davis’ wins marked the end of a successful Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship. The 2010 edition had started with a special golfing clinic for local youngsters at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, hosted by professional English Ladies golfer, Florentyna Parker. It then moved to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for a challenge match between the UK and Irish finalists and a team of top UAE juniors, including rising stars Ahmed Al Musharrekh and Khaled Yousuf, who provided a stern test for the visitors by winning their pairings.

Organised since the 1960s by The Daily Telegraph – Britain’s biggest-selling broadsheet newspaper - this year marks the second in succession that ADTA has been the tournament’s headline sponsor. The partnership is another key step in establishing Abu Dhabi’s impressive credentials as a world-class event and golfing destination of distinction.

ADTA recently made history with the headline signing of HSBC, the world’s local bank, as title sponsor for its new-look European Tour-backed golf championship, running from January 20 to 23, 2011. The deal is the biggest international headline sponsorship for any Abu Dhabi-initiated sporting event and sees the prize purse for the 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship rise by US$500,000 to US$2.7 million.
 

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