GOLFER Luke Bartram has won a place in the Junior European Open in the Costa Del Sol in Spain.
The Open is organised in association with the Daily Express and Luke, 15, a Year 11 student at Haslingden High School, won his place after a three way tie in the qualifying heat in Leicester.
Luke, from Irwell Vale, said: “Only the top two go through but three of us finished with the same score so we all got a place.
“It is a four-day competition from November 28 to December 5 and if I do well I am hoping to qualify to take part on day five.”
Luke took part in the qualifiers last year for the annual competition, but didn’t make it through however he said he has become a much better golfer in the last year.
“I now have a handicap of 4 and that means I can play against the adults if I want to at Rossendale Golf Club,” he said.
“During the summer I was playing golf nearly every day and when the weather is bad or in winter I go to Golf Rossendale Driving Range at Marl Pits.”
He first tried golf when he was 11 after his mum saw an advert for free lessons at Rossendale Golf Club. Luke went along and found he could hit the ball and he really enjoyed the sport.
He is current Junior Captain at Rossendale Golf Club and some of his successes in 2014-15 include: winning the U18s Nelson Junior Open: winning the Y18s European Junior Open Qualifier at Kirby Muxloe and being the best placed Lancashire boy and finishing 7th out of 43 in the English Schools Competition.
Once he finishes his GCSEs he hopes to study at Myerscough College, though eventually he plans to make golf his career.
He said: “Golf is a fantastic, addictive sport that teaches you a lot; coping under pressure, accepting defeat and the joy of achieving what you think is impossible.
“In my role as junior captain, I lead a very good, established junior team while assisting and encouraging new juniors as they are the key to the continued growth of the success of the junior section within Rossendale Golf Club.
“I would like to be a professional golfer, I may not be another Tiger Woods, but there are lots of jobs associated with golf.”