Paphos boy to represent Cyprus at Junior Open Golf at Kilmarnock

A twelve-year-old Paphos boy was chosen to represent Cyprus in one of the most prestigious international junior golfing events which will be held Monday in Scotland.

Savvas Michaelides, who plays at Secret Valley, will join the field of 152 emerging boy and girl golfers from a record 80 countries who will arrive in Kilmarnock to compete in the Junior Open on the eve of The 145th Open at Royal Troon next week.

Michaelides, who has a handicap of 6.9 was chosen following competitions held at the Aphrodite Hills, Minthis Hills, Elea and Secret Valley golf courses. Participants have to be between 12 and 16 years of age and have a handicap of 15 or less. The junior chosen is not necessarily the Cyprus junior champion but the best gross scorer on the day.

He was not available for comment as he left earlier in the week for the UK.

Kilmarnock (Barassie) is the first venue to host the biennial event for a second time when it is played across the Ayrshire links from 11-13 July.

Founded in 1994, the Junior Open is traditionally played on a nearby course shortly before The Open and this year’s event is taking place less than three miles from Royal Troon.

Duncan Weir, Executive Director – Working for Golf, of the R&A, the ruling authority of golf throughout the world except the United States and Mexico, said, “The Junior Open is a wonderful opportunity for talented young boy and girl golfers from around the world to compete in a prestigious international event.”

“We are seeing an increasingly high standard of play at each championship and many former players have gone on to enjoy successful careers at the professional level. We can look forward to seeing some exciting emerging talents in both the men’s and women’s games.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.