MORE young female golfers than ever before are set to take part in this month's US Kids Golf European Championship in East Lothian.

Hundreds of future golf stars aged from six to 18, hailing from more than 40 countries, will be competing over five of the county's most historic courses from May 28 to 30 - just a month and half before The Open Championship comes to Muirfield.

And this year's US Kids Golf European Championship will feature a record number of girls, with numbers having increased significantly over the last two years. Girls now account for a quarter of all competitors in the tournament.

The increase in the number of girls entering the competition - played over Gullane No. 2, Gullane No. 3, Craigielaw, Luffness New and Longniddry - follows on from the successes some girls have already gone on to after shining at the tournament.

Among them is Gullane Golf Club's Lesley Atkins, who competed in the second US Kids Golf European Championship when she was 11 and was most recently crowned Scottish Girls champion in 2010 and Scottish Schools champion in 2012.

Now 18, Atkins is taking up a golf scholarship to the prestigious Division 1 US college Florida International University (FIU) to play for its Golden Panthers sports team.

She said: "The US Kids Golf European Championship is a very challenging event that pits you against the very best junior players from around the world.

"Not only do you feel your ability is being truly tested, it is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and I still have close friends in America who I met through the championship.

"Now that I have been awarded a scholarship to FIU I really hope to be in with a chance of qualifying for the Ladies Professional Golf Association and Ladies European Tour in the future." Alasdair Good, US Kids Golf European Championship coordinator and professional at Gullane, welcomed the increase in girls signing up, saying: "I love golf, so for me the more people who take up the game the more they get to see just what a great activity and pastime it is. And if that means more woman and girls are playing, then that's even better for the game in general.

"I've certainly seen golf become a sport that the entire family can enjoy and it is clear that with more women playing, it is encouraging more girls to play." Dan Van Horn, president and founder of US Kids Golf, was also delighted, saying: "It is fantastic to see the number of female competitors grow to such a level that they now account for 25 per cent of all players - it shows how inclusive the tournament truly is.

"I also look forward to seeing the extra buzz and reaction to this year's tournament as East Lothian plays host to The Open at Muirfield - meaning that in the space of a month or so the best golfers, both now and of the future, will be on the same soil." The courses at the tournament are modified for each age group in order to provide the same level challenge, meaning holes are progressively shorter as the age groups get younger. It ultimately allows the players to reach the greens in the same number of strokes as the top professionals.

The top finishers in each category will compete in the Van Horn Cup over Gullane No 1 on May 31 - a showpiece event, modelled on the Ryder Cup, where the best European players are matched up against the top golfers from the rest of the world. The top five finishers in each age and gender group also automatically receive an invitation to the US Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.

For more information or to register, visit www.uskidsgolf.com