JUST four days after defeating old rivals Lancashire in a Northern Counties league match, the Yorkshire Men’s Team managed to maintain their recent fine form when they edged out the red rose county in the North of England’s County Qualifying Championship held at Ganton Golf Club.

One of the members of the six man team on duty for Yorkshire on this occasion was Bedale’s Daniel Brown, who played a significant part in seeing his county successfully through to the finals, to be held at Royal North Devon Golf Club between the September 26-28.

Brown recorded two rounds of 72 and 74 on challenging Ganton, as Yorkshire ended up with an aggregate team score of 897 which was just three shots less than Lancashire and twelve shots better than Northumberland who finished in third place.

Yorkshire will move on to Devon in September to try to capture their first County Champions’ title since 2007 when Brown will hope to be selected to play for his county in the prestigious championship.

EAGLESCLIFFE Golf Club have marked their centenary year by winning the Teesside Golf Union annual Team Championship.

The scratch three-man team competition, held at Middlesbrough, saw the hosts’ P Dixon, S Alexander and A Montgomery finish second on count back from Eaglescliffe’s S Donald, T smith and N Hunter-Smith. Both teams shot 437 over the two rounds.

JORDAN Smith faces a tough task in defence of the Brabazon Trophy when the English Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship takes place at Seaton Carew Golf Club on June 25-28.

Smith was impressive when he won the title at Formby a year ago, finishing four strokes ahead of Ireland’s Brian Casey with four players, including internationals Ben Taylor (Walton Heath, Surrey) and Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) a further stroke behind.

Most of those will be in action again in a field of 150 that includes internationals and many title winners from home and abroad, a host of talent that befits England’s leading stroke play championship.

Arguably, Smith, a member of last year’s Great Britain & Ireland’s Walker Cup team, faces the greatest threat from his England team-mates such as Ryan Evans (Wellingborough), Toby Tree (Golf at Goodwood), Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park) and Paul Howard (Southport & Ainsdale) as well as Taylor and Mullen.

STEVEN Robins played two superb rounds of golf to win this year's Seaton Salver by two shots – and he has now set his sights on Brabazon glory.

Ramside's John Kirkpatrick returned a commendable 76 to go with his morning 73, and was the early clubhouse leader on 149. A sodden David Hague, from Malton & Norton, came in with a superb 74 and, with a two-round total of 147, it looked as though the title would be heading down to North Yorkshire.

But then the last group emerged through the gloom and it soon became clear that Robins, from Hull, had defied the elements to return a stunning 72, and with his first-round 73, that gave him a winning total of 145. He returns to Seaton Carew to play in this year's Brabazon.

BEDLINGTON’S Kevin Harmison has won the Balasa – the charity promoting disabled golf - event again and finished second in the individual European event.

Harmison said: “This is definitely my greatest achievement up to now, there were some of the best players in Europe taking part so to say I am pleased is an understatement.”

He posted scores of 74 and 79 to beat Duncan Hamilton by one shot in the British competition. Denmark’s Stefan Morkholt claimed the European title with a 145, some eight shots better than Harmison.