A GALASHIELS golfer has won a trip to Abu Dhabi after finishing joint-second in a major competition.

Jack McDonald, 18, played in the under-18 category at the Faldo Series Wales Championship last week.

His performance has secured him a place in the Faldo Series grand final, which will be held later in the year at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.

Jack told the Border Telegraph: “I didn’t play my best golf over the three days, but given this was only my second tournament back, I was very happy with how I managed to score.”

A total of 260 girls and boys competed in the Welsh tournament, played over three rounds from August 10-12.

The first and third rounds were played on the Wales National Course at the Vale Resort, with the second at Cottrell Park Golf Resort’s Mackintosh Course.

Jack, a plus-one handicapper at Dunbar Golf Club, carded scores of +2, -2 and -1 to finish one stroke behind the winner in the under-18 category. He finished fifth overall, once the under-21 players’ scores had been taken into account.

“To go bogey-free in the final round on the Wales National Course was hard-going in the high temperatures,” Jack told the Border Telegraph.

He now looks forward to playing in the Middle East.

Jack is supported by the Rowan Boland Trust, the George Crawford Legacy Trust, ClubSport Ettrick & Lauderdale, and Titleist/Footjoy UK.