EMMA Blackburn is looking to break down barriers after becoming Wales’ youngest women’s captain at Bryn Meadows Golf Club.

She took up the captaincy at the Gwent club at the age of 22 in March after initially being set to have the role at 21 only for the coronavirus pandemic to cause a delay.

Blackburn has been playing for 17 years and is relishing the chance to be a trailblazer.

“Something that is particularly important to me is breaking down the stereotype that golf is ‘boring’ and an ‘old-fashioned’ sport,” she said.

“I think that by Bryn Meadows taking the step in giving somebody so young this opportunity, they are really helping to break down this stereotype.

“I would love to grow the game of golf and get more lady members into the game in particular – we currently run a New to Golf scheme and having more ladies joining the club and getting involved in the game is really refreshing to see.

“I would also like to become somewhat of a role model for our younger junior girl members. As I grew up playing golf, I never really had any young women to look up to and would love it if I could help to inspire the next generation of female golfers.”

Blackburn first picked up a club at five in Mountain Ash before and started playing competitively in competitions put on by the South Wales Girls Golf Association.

She became a member of the Vale Resort and was called up to play for Glamorgan County when 13, playing for the first team in three inter-county championships, coming runner-up at Bull Bay Golf Club in 2013 and winning the championship at the Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club in 2015.

Blackburn joined Bryn Meadows in 2015 and won the Junior Club Championship before going on to play for the first team.

She was junior captain in 2017, featured for Monmouth County ladies’ second team and played in the men’s winter league at the club, qualifying for the final with her partner.

“I would not be in such a position to influence the club and others had I not had the support of various people throughout my golfing career,” she said.

“I would firstly like to thank Gary Mayo and everybody at Bryn Meadows for supporting me in everything that I have done for the past seven years and giving me the chance to take on such an important role as a 22-year-old.

“I would also like to thank my first golf coach, Peter Johnson, for instilling the love of the game into me as a child, and a special thank you goes to my current coach, Keith Williams, for continuing to improve my golf over the past 14 years and for always believing in me in whatever I do.

“My most important thank you goes to my parents for taking me all over Wales to play golf as a child and for giving me every opportunity they possibly could to enable me to be in the position that I am today.”