Sophie Keech, 16, from Lyme Regis, has won the Faldo Series Europe U16 girls’ finals and will head to the world finals in China next March.

After three rounds on the challenging Faldo-designed tournament course at the Lough Erne resort in Northern Ireland, in sometimes very windy conditions, Keech finished eight shots clear of her nearest challenger, Roos Haarman of The Netherlands, to secure the title.

Keech, whose handicap is now lower than scratch, had qualified for the final along with 83 other amateur golfers representing 19 countries. The field included boys and girls under the age of 21, and overall, Keech finished 10th. As a final�, Keech, along with the three other category winners, teamed up to play against Sir Nick Faldo in a two hole-one club competition, a tradition of the event. The match was halved after which Sir Nick said this was the first time he had not won!

Sophie will now join tournament winner, Jack Singh-Brar (Brockenhurst), U21 Girls’ Champion, Rochelle Morris (Huddersfield) and U21 Boys’ Champion Robert Busher (Salisbury) at Mission Hills, China for the finals.

Mission Hills is a course that is home to worldwide Professional Golf Tournaments including The Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

Keech is now entering the sixth form at Millfield where she is studying BTEC in sport as well as increasing her tuition and practice times on the school campus for her golf.

Karen Nicholls, Sophie’s golf coach and Director of Golf at Millfield School said : “I and all the staff at Millfield are absolutely thrilled with Sophie’s result and we look forward with much excitement to the challenges that lie ahead for her in 2013.”