England U16 ace Tree awarded Jaguar Academy of Sport bursary

Toby Tree, the number one golfer in England's U16 team, has been awarded a Jaguar Academy of Sport bursary to aid his development.

London's Hurlingham Club was the venue for the Jaguar Academy of Sport awards, which saw bursaries handed out to 19 young athletes who are widely perceived to be the next generation of elite British sportsmen and women.

Tree, 16, plays for Sussex at senior level and, last year, was selected to represent England at the 2009 European Young Masters Championships. He finished fourth, just missing out on a podium place.

Winner of the Sussex Boys U18 Championship, Tree has ambitions of playing in the Walker Cup before he turns professional.

The Bursary Fund is at the core of Jaguar's Academy of Sport, which aims to recognise, celebrate and inspire the best of British sporting talent and success.

In total, 35 young athletes will receive bursaries.

They were decided upon, after a rigorous selection process, by patrons and ambassadors of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, such as David Beckham, Dame Kelly Holmes and one of Tree's role models, golfer Lee Westwood.

The bursary recipients, who are all aged between 14 and 24, and represent a total of 30 sporting disciplines, will have the opportunity to be mentored by Jaguar's Academy of Sport patrons - some of British sport's most successful names.

The best-performing of the 35 will also be rewarded with extra funding.

Geoff Cousins, managing director of Jaguar UK stated: "We are delighted to present the first of our Jaguar Academy of Sport bursary awards to these outstanding young athletes.

"Nothing would give us greater than to see them go on to win at the highest level in their respective sports for our country."

For more information on the Jaguar Academy of Sport, visit jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk.

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