The PING Welsh Junior Tour is set to expand this year, opening its competition to golfers up to the age of 18.
The tour previously catered to players from the under-8s to under-14s age group.
However, the addition of the new under-18s category aims to provide more opportunities for young players to continue competing at a national level.
The expansion - which will be in place when the tour comes to Haverfordwest on July 12 - is intended to benefit those aged 14 to 17 who may not meet the handicap index required for elite championships.
By broadening the competition's reach, the organisers hope to aid the Wales Golf High Performance team in identifying talented players who may develop later than their peers.
Dan Fullager, Wales Golf's competitions manager, said: "We have added in another age category into the PING Welsh Junior Tour for under-18s in order to help shape and develop the pathway for junior golfers.
"This in turn also provides playing opportunities for those aged 14 to 17 who may not be able to play in the elite championships based on their handicap index."
The organisers are also keen to encourage more female participation and have therefore introduced separate boys' and girls' categories within each age group.
Mr Fullager added: "All of these changes come off the back of feedback from parents of players, and we were very happy to seek improvements in the competition in any way we could."
The competition holds great importance for Wales Golf, providing a fun and safe environment for young golfers, aged six and above, to participate in a national competition.
The addition of the under-18s category will allow players to continue enjoying this experience until they are 17, should this be their appropriate competition level.
Ian McCallum, PING sponsorship and events marketing manager, said: "The PING Welsh Junior Tour plays a vital role in golf development across Wales, giving young players of all ages the opportunity to compete, grow, and, most importantly, enjoy the game.
"PING is very proud of our continued partnership and friendship with everyone involved in the PING Welsh Junior Tour and Wales Golf."
The PING Welsh Junior Tour will visit several locations this summer, including Mold, Llanishen, Pwllheli, Cradoc, Aberdare, and Haverfordwest.
The competition will culminate in the final event in Carmarthen at the end of September.
Each age group will have its own order of merits, with the final being invite-only.
The competition format for each age group will be as follows: modified stableford for under-8s, under-10s, and under-12s; stableford (handicap qualifying) for under-14s; and net strokeplay with a gross prize (handicap qualifying) for under-18s.
For more details on the tournament, visit the Wales Golf website.
