Young Hartlepool golfer selected for England Golf coaching squad after impressive year

Each year the sport’s governing body England Golf seeks talented youngsters from across the country to form regional coaching squads for training over the winter.

Amy Burton, a pupil at Dyke House Academy, has been selected for the North Region Under-18s squad.

The 12-year-old from Seaton Carew is one of only seven girls from the Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland area to secure a place after a full day of assessment.

She will now receive 18 days coaching at Matfen Hall in Northumberland with top PGA coaches JJ Vallely and Bryan Ross.

And Amy has just been crowned Durham County Ladies Golf Union Juniors’ most improved player of the year after a string of impressive performances including at St Andrews in Scotland.

“I feel like my attitude, confidence and ability has got me there,” she said.

“I play every day, except when I have homework from school.

“In my assessment I had to take on different challenges to see what my ability was like and I felt I had done well.

“Now I know as part of the training squad I will have some group and individual lessons, some strength and conditioning sessions and it is a good introduction to what it would be like on the full England squad.”

This year, Amy has won Northern Junior Tour Masters events at Teesside and Heworth, and finished third in the Wee Wonders Grand Final at Gullane, East Lothian.

During the summer she came second in St Andrews’ Ladies Junior Open for Under-23s at the ‘home of golf’.

Amy won a quarter-final and semi-final against two 19-year-olds, but narrowly lost on the 17th hole.

She said: “It was an unbelievable experience.

“I am really proud of what I did.”

Amy receives coaching from Wynyard’s Andrew Betts as part of Dyke House’s Elite Development Squad scholarship programme.

Joseph Palmer, Elite coordinator at Dyke House, which is part of the Northern Education Trust, said: “I am exceptionally proud of Amy's achievements and I hope that being part of the Elite Development Squad here at Dyke House can help propel her into what she wants to achieve.”

For further information on Dyke House’s Elite Development Squad contact [email protected]

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