Open putting challenge for youngsters supported by Titleist

Taking place during the whole of Open week at the R&A Junior Golf Centre in the tented village, the putting challenge will give children and adults the chance to show their putting skills while raising money for the Golf Foundation and its vital work in grass roots golf development. At the centre, families can donate £1 so their child, or Mum and Dad, can imitate the great putting on display out on the course.

Titleist is donating Scotty Cameron Studio Select and Red X putters, firm favourites with the world's best players, for prizes on each day of the week, while Titleist golf balls will be supplied for use in the challenge and for additional prizes, along with Titleist Tour caps. All a child has to do is attempt to hole three consecutive 12 ft putts. If successful, he/she will be entered into a daily draw to win a Scotty Cameron putter.

The Golf Foundation is also holding a 'spot-the-ball' competition at the junior centre, with a set of Cobra Golf J-Speed junior golf clubs as the prize.

Titleist's European Marketing Manager Neil Jessiman commented: The Open Championship is a great showcase for golf and it is fantastic to see the Golf Foundation coming up with innovative ideas at Birkdale to get kids interested in playing the game. Titleist is delighted to be lending its support.

Mike Round, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, said: Titleist and Cobra Golf are being very supportive in backing the England Golf Putting Challenge and our spot-the-ball competition with some great prizes. This should be a highly popular feature of our week of golf activities at Royal Birkdale, in which we highlight our work as a charity that supports England Golf, Scotland's clubgolf strategy and Golf Development Wales in making golf more accessible for children from all backgrounds and abilities.

Golf Foundation initiatives which have seen strong development in the last year include 'School Links', which is rapidly developing golf in both primary and secondary schools, and 'Community Links', where the Foundation assists golf facilities with their outreach programmes. Other recent successes include the Junior Golf Passport, the structured learning programme for youngsters which locks the school and community initiatives together and the new Golf Roots project for 2008, taking golf into 16 inner cities to create sustainable golf projects for children from many different backgrounds.

World-leading golf ball manufacturer Titleist is the Official Golf Ball Supplier to the Golf Foundation for 2008. The

brand is supplying 1,750 dozen PTS Roll and PTS Carry golf balls to the Foundation during the year for use in grass roots school, community and club programmes and a range of Golf Foundation promotional events.