Four! Shropshire golf tot is an ace with clubs

He didn't finish bottom of the pile either, finishing 47th out of 50 in the under seven category, after three days of golf at the Longniddry Club in Scotland.

Jack, who attends Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge Primary School, started playing at just 18-months-old after Dad Chris bought him a set of toy clubs.

Chris, the Shropshire Cricket Board's development coach, and Jack were killing time waiting to take home wife Alison and sister Alannah, 11.

Chris said: "It came from my wife and daughter playing cricket at Shifnal. One day, Jack and I were at a bit of a loose end for about an hour-and-a-half.

"We went to the local toy shop and I bought him a set of plastic golf clubs. We played and he was just middling every shot, pretty impressive at 18-months-old.

"It just sort of went on there and, subsequently, we went to Telford Golf Club when he was just over two and he started practising with their juniors on Saturdays.

"He's a left hander, so it's really difficult to get him clubs. I have to get them flown in from America. I try to keep him away from cricket, as it ruins his golf swing."

Jack had already become the youngest member of the Shropshire & Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs' Pee Wee Tour at three-years-old before this week.

Chris said: "The Pee Wee tour has been going for 100-odd years, and now the Euros. He's got three years left in the under seven group.

"We had a practice round on the Monday where he scored 44, which would have put him around 20th if it had come the next day, but he had a poor run then.

"He got stuck in one of the big pot-hole bunkers and ended up with 55. He improved on that with 45 and 41, but all of the other kids are almost twice his age.

"All of the greens he has played, which are nine holes, he's got onto the green in 19 shots. That's the regulation, like everyone else, and he's managed that.

"Obviously, he needs to work on his putting, but that will come as he gets older."