Teenage Fifers star at ‘unofficial Major of junior golf’ in Portugal

Galloway and McDonald were among 24 up-and-coming players aged 12-18 who contested three rounds in their respective boys and girls categories on the luxury Quinta do Lago resort’s world-renowned South Course.

Galloway managed rounds of 73, 71 and 76 for a 220 total (+4) and sixth place in the boys competition, 16 strokes behind winner Charlie Rusbridge of Colne Valley.

In the girls event, McDonald shot rounds of 84, 76 and 77 for a 237 total which saw her finish 11th on +21. Girls winner Grace Crawford of North Berwick ended +2.

The high quality of the course is such that Quinta do Lago was named ‘Europe’s Best Golf Venue’ at the 2024 World Golf Awards, the eighth time in 10 years it has landed this accolade.

The par-72 South Course has been one of the jewels in European golf’s crown for more than 50 years, recently undergoing a €7m upgrade in 2021.

Any golfer aged 18 or under on January 1, 2024 had eligible to fight for a place at the tournament via a series of qualifying events held at golf clubs across the UK.

Justin Rose, who has been the event’s headline sponsor since 2019, is just one of many notable former winners who went on to make a name for themselves in golf.

His Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick – as well as Ladies European Tour stars Carly Booth, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Melissa Reid – also kickstarted their careers with success at the Telegraph Junior Golf Championship.

An eight-time host of the Portuguese Open, the South Course is one of three championship 18-hole layouts at Quinta do Lago alongside the North Course and younger Laranjal.

The resort attracts athletes of all levels – including first-team squads from PSG, Bayern Munich and Portugal - to train at The Campus, a dedicated state-of-the-art development facility designed for both golf and a wide range of other sports.