Teenage golf sensation Nicola Foster is keeping her feet firmly on the ground after a whirlwind year was capped by her most prestigious honour yet.

The 14-year-old, of Pinner Hill Gardens, has been selected as Junior County Captain by the Middlesex Ladies County Golf Association after a remarkable rise through the ranks.

This year the Pinner Hill Ladies starlet came third in the Middlesex Ladies Championship in April where she was defeated by the eventual winner; represented Middlesex at Ladies County week; played in the English Girls U15 competition in Durham where she made the finals day after finishing 17th of the top 36 qualifiers; won the South East Championships

U15s handicap prize; and prevailed in several other tournaments including the Redbourne Girls Open and the Pinner Hill Ladies Scratch Cup.

Last week Nicola, a Year 10 pupil at Nower Hill High School, was elected vice-captain of Pinner Hill's Juniors, which again emphasises how much of a precocious a talent she is.

Her mother Donna agrees: "What a lot of people like about her is she will take on board what they are saying to improve their game.

"Her attitude is spot on and she is so dedicated to her training. She is trying to be a role model for the other youngsters coming through."

Nicola, who has also played for the Middlesex Ladies first and second teams this year, became hooked on golf as a nine-year-old Pinner Wood School pupil. A junior organiser from Pinner Hill Golf Club visited the club as part of the school's PE Lessons.

A dozen pupils were selected for several free lessons at the club and Nicola has not looked back since.

Under the tutelage of James Reynolds, a professional at Stanmore Golf Club, Nicola has reduced her handicap from 19 to 8.5. She now plans to lower that to five within the next 12 months.

"I was really happy to get the junior county captaincy," said the teenager. "I never expected it and I'm really excited about it. I suppose there is a little bit of pressure on me but we have a young team and I plan on working closely with them."

And while the youngster has dreams to follow the likes of other teen golf sensations such as Michelle Wie in turning professional, her mother exercises a degree of caution.

"She would love to be a professional but she is realistic enough to know how difficult that is to achieve," added Donna.