AXED! – Prince Andrew’s junior golf tournament is scrapped

A junior golf tournament pioneered by Prince Andrew has been scrapped in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

The MailOnline is reporting that the Duke of York Young Champions’ Tournament, launched by the disgraced royal in 2001, has been played for the last time.

An international mixed tournament, the tournament brought together up to 70 of the world’s most talented male and female junior golfers to battle it out in a 54-hole stroke play competition.

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Past competitors include the current world No.1 Rory McIlroy, women’s major champion Anna Nordqvist, and European Tour winners Matteo Manassero and Tom Lewis.

It was scheduled to be played at North Berwick this September but, according to MailOnline, that won’t be happening as a result of the Queen’s son’s links to convicted sex offender Epstein. The American was found dead in his prison cell last August while awaiting trial for child sex trafficking,

Prince Andrew, the eighth in line to the throne, stepped back from royal duties last November amid intensifying scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein.

The MailOnline report claims that the Young Champions Trophy “was run by DOY Youth Development — a subsidiary of the Prince Andrew Charitable Trust — which has recently been wound up, ceasing all operations in the process.”

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The tournament has been supported by the R&A and their affiliated national governing bodies and counted towards the World Amateur Golf Rankings and the American Junior Golf Association’s performance-based entry system. Since its inception, golfers from more than 50 different countries participated.

Last year’s tournament was staged at Royal Portrush and won by English golfer Conor Gough.