The tournament’s patron does not rule out the possibility that we have “perhaps seen tomorrow’s Tiger Woods here”. And the patron of the Harder German Junior Masters is someone whose sporting instincts are rarely wrong – Franz Beckenbauer. Following the completion of his mission “Football World Cup in Germany” the football legend, himself an active golfer with a handicap of 10, had finally found the time to visit Gut Neuzenhof personally. “This country’s sport needs international comparisons far more often,” said an enthusiastic Beckenbauer, commenting on the competitors from 14 countries. “It’s the only way for our own budding stars to make it to the top.”

Branden Grace is already on his way to the top. The South African was the unchallenged star of the three tournament days in Heddesheim. His final score of -9 was a massive ten strokes better than his best fellow competitors – US Americans John Hahn and Justin Doward (+1). Grace, who successfully completed a training programme run by his famous countryman Ernie Els, has all the talent required to be a successful Tour player and “wants to be a second Ernie Els”.

Many of the prominent spectators at the Harder German Junior Masters tournament are already where the up-and-coming young golfers want to be – at the peak of the sporting mountain. Swim star Franziska van Almsick; biathlon Olympic gold medallist Ricco Gross and reigning boxing world heavy weight champion Vladimir Klitschko, whose public appearance at Gut Neuzenhof was his last in Germany before the fight to defend his title. Said Klitschko: “Young people in particular can learn a lot about life from golf, especially at a tournament like this.” The boxer, who has a degree in sports science and is also an amateur golfer, appeared to be somewhat envious of the high standard of play on the course.

Talented young German players also made a good showing. Sebastian Schwind (+2); Berliner Philip Fabian Majow (+3) and Stefan Wolters (+4) from the ‘3 Thermen’ Golf Resort finished directly behind the top three from South Africa and the US. “A lot of players were in good form following the German Championships and we may just have had a small home advantage,” said Louisa Lies. The local heroine from Heddesheim Golf Club was the only girl to play under par, winning ahead of Maria Tschida, who plays for Rheinhessen Golf Club. In what proved to be a big surprise, the strong competition from Thailand and Denmark was not able to match the consistently good game of the young German. Branden Grace and Louisa Lies were the deserved winners of the trophy green jackets, an homage to the famous originals awarded at Augusta.

The tournament, in its fourth year, has become something of a junior world championship. With a handicap cut of -2 for the boys and -4 for the girls, the players visiting the Rhine-Neckar region from 14 countries once again displayed an impressive standard of play. Tour professional Marcel Siem paid a lightning visit to “my favourite junior tournament” on his way to the BMW Open and was visibly pleased that the Harder German Junior Masters has been included in the framework schedule. “I used to be booed at school for being a golfer,” said Siem, “so these kinds of events play a really important part in giving the whole sport a younger image.”

The Harder German Junior Masters again proved themselves to be more than just a junior golf tournament. While the active players enjoyed a comprehensive off-course itinerary including sightseeing and a disco evening, Gut Neuzenhof was making a name for itself as a forum for health and sport.

“It’s in the nature of our event,” said initiator and sponsor Jürgen B. Harder, “that we want to provide a diversity going far beyond the competition itself.” Thus one of the speakers on the subject of golf and health was Dietrich Grönemeyer, the well-known professor of radiology from Bochum, while star coach Tom Burnett from Florida gave an insight into his training methods. And wheelchair-bound Antony Netto was a living example of how the sport can give handicapped people an improved quality of life.

Gut Neuzenhof does not, however, intend to become a specialist symposium, but rather to provide practical advice for anyone who loves golf. Professor Grönemeyer, who is considered to be Germany’s father of microtherapy, put it in a nutshell: “If we approach things with a smile and joie de vivre, we’ll lead healthier lives. And that’s where we can learn from these youngsters.” Children in charge – a line from one of his musician brother Herbert’s greatest hits. And that seems to sum up exactly what the Harder German Junior Masters is all about …