Llandudno golfer Amy Boulden is BBC Wales Junior Sportswoman of the Year

Dec 11 2008 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

Amy Boulden

YSGOL John Bright pupil Amy Boulden is one of the leading young golfers in Britain and her potential star status was confirmed at the weekend when she was named BBC Wales’s Junior Sportswoman of the Year at a televised ceremony in Cardiff.

It was a fitting finale to a successful year for Amy, 15, the younger daughter of North Wales Golf Club professional Simon Boulden.

She started the year in the Welsh girls’ squad, but some stunning performances saw her selected for the senior team for the Home Internationals, when despite being the youngest member of the team, she was unbeaten in the singles.

As a result, Wales claimed the ladies’ title for only the second time in 98 years and Amy earned selection for the Great Britain and Ireland squad.

She knows next season will be tougher still as she combines taking her GCSEs with moving onto the next stage in golf, but then plans to leave school to concentrate on her sporting development.

She said: “It was great to get the award, quite a surprise as I had no idea until they told me how to get onto the stage a few minutes before. I met Joe Calzaghe and Shane Williams and they wished me good luck for the coming season, so it was really good.”

Golf Union of Wales ladies’ coach Jeremy Bennett says Amy has what it takes to reach the top.

He said: “Amy took everything in her stride. She is in the Great Britain and Ireland squad now and I see her being a Curtis Cup player in two years’ time even though that would make her one of the youngest ever. She really is someone special, she has the mental toughness to perform under pressure and does it in such a nice way, smiling all the time.”

Amy is working hard to make his prediction come true and would love to follow Abergele’s Becky Brewerton to the top of the professional ranks.