Golf: Joshua Berry and Oliver Millichap among hot prospects heading to Graeme Storm Junior Open

Youngsters from across the country will be at Hartlepool Golf Club for the Graeme Storm Junior Open when it gets underway for the second year – and many arrive with big reputations.

There will be defending champions, national title winners and plenty of low handicappers all competing for the prizes in what European Tour double winner Storm is looking to establish on the sporting calendar for the long-term.

The event has grown in numbers this year and has attracted incredible talents from Yorkshire, the Peak District, Lancashire, Merseyside and Buckinghamshire – as well as those from County Durham and Northumberland.

One of the most impressive is an 11-year-old from Doncaster. Joshua Berry has incredibly cut his handicap down to just four. If that is not staggering enough, he only started to play golf three years ago.

Josh, who plays at Doncaster Golf Club, said: “I used to watch golf on TV and my dad started playing it, so I used to go along to the range with him. I was nine. I have had lots of coaching with Andy Wilkinson at Doncaster driving range, as well as with the county.

“Most days I will play golf. If it wasn’t light I would go to driving range and practice, and I will play after school when it is light on a night.”

They say practice makes perfect and Josh is certainly heading towards that. He already has a sporting CV to be proud of.

After cutting his handicap from 28 to 12 in 2015 when he won the Wee Wonders at St Andrews, he earned invitations to the IMG Academy Junior World Championships in San Diego, as well as the Wee Wonders World Championship at Pinehurst last year, when his handicap went down to five.

He has just been picked for the Doncaster scratch team despite his tender years and is playing for Yorkshire Under-16s.

After playing at Hartlepool this weekend, he will compete in the Reid Trophy, North of England U14s in Durham, the European Championships in Scotland and returning to San Diego for another crack at the Junior World Championships.

Scott Berry, his father, said: “He was at Rotherham United’s academy when he was eight, football was what he used to enjoy. I remember going to the range with him and the coach said he had a lovely swing.

“Soon after that he packed the football in and he’s kept impressing. At the European Championships he was four under through his first four holes! He shoots 250 yards and it flies like an arrow.”

Josh will be in the 11-14s category on Saturday. He visited a fortnight ago to give the Hartlepool course a once over before the tournament - in association with Dyke House College and to raise money for the Finlay Cooper Fund – gets underway.

“I can’t wait. I entered last year but couldn’t play,” said Josh. “I did well when I played it the other week, played to level handicap. The conditions were nice, it was a really nice course. The greens were amazing. I birdied three holes on the front. I just want to go and enjoy it and try to win.”

The UK’s lowest handicap girl, Lily May Humphreys, was set to travel from Essex, but is now playing for England Under-21s against France.

The Graeme Storm Junior Open will still be full of brilliant other golfers ranging from 7-18 and there will be individual prizes for different age categories.

Among those playing will be Oliver Millichap fresh from being named Darlington Golf Club’s junior golfer of the year.

The recently turned 13-year-old was honoured after a memorable 12 months which saw him record multiple club and Junior Open victories. He was runner-up (gross) in the Durham County Under-14s Championship and (nett) in the Durham County Under-16s Championship. He was also selected to represent County Durham Under-14s against Lancashire.

Oliver was also a Wee Wonders finalist at St Andrews, plus a Junior European finalist for the third time, earning a place at the Junior World Championship at Pinehurst too. He was also selected to represent England North Squad.

This weekend 12.5-handicapper Oliver’s focus will be on Hartlepool. His father, Andrew, said: “He knows it is one of the premier junior golf competitions and it’s great to compete in it.

“He is looking forward to playing on the course, he really likes Hartlepool. He is looking to have a good round and is aiming to get under handicap. Anything more than that would be a bonus.

“It has been a very successful year for him. He wants to keep improving and get to play to the best of his ability.”

There will be three special raffle prizes up for grabs on Saturday. A framed Graeme Storm Junior Open Flag signed by 20 players including Tiger Woods, a framed Rio Olympic Flag signed by gold medalist Justin Rose and a framed green Titleist cap signed by the only two Englishmen to have won the Masters: Sir Nick Faldo and Danny Willett.