SPORT: A rising star on the golf course

A RIPON Grammar School golfer has been talent-spotted by Yorkshire.

Beatrice Pickles-Mercer, from Easingwold, who has been playing since the age of seven, has been selected for county coaching following a trial.

The 15-year-old boarding student, who was awarded the Millennium Putter trophy at Easingwold Golf Club in October, says her Yorkshire selection, for the intermediate group, is the highlight of her golfing career to date.

She first took up the sport when her family lived in France after watching golf on TV sparked her interest.

Once they moved back to England, she joined her local Easingwold club and began playing for the RGS golf team.

The Year 11 student, who plans to study medicine at university and enjoys choir and dance, now wants to get her handicap, currently 19.5, to single figures and aims to play for Yorkshire.

She would encourage other students to take up the sport: “It’s a social sport because you meet and learn things about lots of new people. Also, golf clubs tend to be very close communities.”

She says you need patience and resilience to succeed: “And also the right mindset whereby you can move on from a bad shot.

“The main enjoyment I get from golf is that you can see and tell when your game is improving and what you need to improve on through many things like handicaps, so you can make the changes you need to improve."