A 13 YEAR OLD boy has been banned from a golf club family competition because he is adopted. Laune Briggs was three months old when he was adopted by Mrs Audrey Briggs, a former Welsh golfing champion, and her husband, who live in West Kirby Cheshire.
Mrs Briggs and her son reached the third round of the annual family foursomes event at Burhill Golf Club, near Walton on Thames, in August, but another competitor complained to the club, saying Laurie should not be allowed to take part.
The club secretary, Mr Dick Richards, wrote to the Briggses saying the conditions of entry for the competition stated it was open to only mother and fathers with natural sons and daughters.
The letter said: "On the entry form you received, you will see that stepchildren are not permitted and it is my error that adopted children did not feature on the form this will be corrected for next year."
In a further letter, the club captain said: "Your deep disappointment touches me greatly but this event has always operated with the qualification that family pairs must be blood relations. I know that this can be hard to accept in circumstances such as yours."
Mrs Briggs, who has represented Britain and Ireland, said yesterday: "I am very upset about the whole thing and we are hoping that the club will change their minds. My son is at school at the moment and I want to save him from any further hurt."
Burhill Golf Club said it could not comment as the secretary was away until Monday. Mr Leigh Chambers of the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering, said he had "never come across anything like this before".