Gregor Graham Blairgowrie's Golf Superstar

In a year where golf has dominated Perthshire sport, Gregor Graham, the 16 year old Blairgowrie based player has surpassed all expectations to win a number of impressive accolades including the Scottish Boys Order of Merit, the Scottish Junior Tour Championship and the Perth & Kinross County Boys Championships.

Gregor currently sits 5th in the European Golf’s U16 Boys Rankings, has represented Scotland in the Boys European Team Championships and has become an ambassador for the Barry Douglas Foundation.

My game has been very consistent all year and winning the Scottish Boys Order of Merit was fantastic.

“My game has been very consistent all year and winning the Scottish Boys Order of Merit was fantastic.  One of my goals this year was to be selected for the European Young Masters – only the top two U16s from each country make it – so this was also a great achievement and experience for me.“

Gregor has been playing golf since his dad introduced him, aged 2, to the sport but it was in 2015 when  he came runner up in the British Wee Wonders Championships that he realised he had the talent and determination to make it at performance level.

“I enjoy it all, both the practice and competition. Weekends are busy with tournaments so I usually have a rest day on Mondays, but every other day is either practicing or playing at Blairgowrie Golf Club or St Andrews Links.  I love knowing that I’m improving.

 “I also spend time in the gym.  My main goal this winter is to get fitter and stronger, and to improve my clubhead speed. Golf is such an athletic sport now and if you want to compete at the highest level, you’ve got to hit the ball a long way.

“I’m part of the Live Active Leisure Talented Athlete Scheme which means I have full use of their facilities.  I use the gym at Live Active Blairgowrie but I’ll also come into Perth to Bell's Sport Centre for the Strength and Conditioning Gym.  I’ve worked with Gil Stevenson in the past, and now train with the Institute of Sport for my Strength and Conditioning.”

The year ahead is proving to be busy for Gregor, with his sights firmly set on being selected for all Scottish Boys Teams, The Junior Ryder Cup and the Great British & Ireland team for the Jacques Leglise match against Europe.  

“In the past 12 months I brought my handicap down from scratch to +2 and I didn’t miss one cut all year at boys level.  Looking ahead I want to keep winning trophies and being selected for teams.”

Read more about Gregor's involvement with the Barrie Douglas Foundation.

Talented Athlete Scheme - Live Active Leisure

Together with Sportscotland and the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport, Live Active Leisure works in developing the additional needs of high achieving athletes in the area.

These are the young athletes who demonstrate the skill and commitment required to represent Scotland and Great Britain on an international stage. Live Active Leisure’s Talented Athletes’ Scheme supports these young people by providing assistance and free access to their venues.

These are the young athletes who demonstrate the skill and commitment required to represent Scotland and Great Britain on an international stage.This enables them to reach their full potential and to achieve world class performance levels. This is about nurturing and developing our local talent by helping these young athletes train and grow in the support network of their home towns and city.

By doing this, they hope to inspire other youngsters in Perth and Kinross and to bring that real sense of achievement a city embraces when celebrating the success of one of their own.

Members of the Talented Athlete Scheme can also apply to be part of the Perfromance Squad. These opportunities have been made possible with financial support from both The Gannochy Trust and sportscotland.