Young golfers meet Stephen Gallacher

Stephen Gallacher and Sergio Garcia were among the players to meet the children in St Andrews

Young Scottish golfers were given the opportunity of a lifetime when they met their heroes from the sport at a VIP Open Championship event.

The children, aged between 6 and 14, were able to meet current professionals at a Q&A session, including Stephen Gallacher, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose.

The event, which also celebrated TaylorMade Golf's 15 years of Driver dominance, was held at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews.

The children are members of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, which aims to develop prospective golfers in the Borders and Lothian regions of Scotland.

Gallacher, who played for Europe in last year's Ryder Cup win at Gleneagles, is also golf brand ambassador for Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.

One of the children present, Jake Johnston, said: "It was amazing to be so close to the players and a great experience meeting them. I’ve being playing golf since I was three-years-old and hope to be as good as these pros when I’m older!"

The Q&A was hosted by television broadcaster Dougie Donnelly, with questions offered to the floor afterwards.

Keith Pickard, Group Director of Golf at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, said: "We wanted to allow the children an up-close and personal experince with a selection of the world’s best players.

"We extended the exclusive invite to these local children as part of our ongoing strategy to inspire and encourage more young players to develop a future within the sport."