TOP golfers from the UK and Ireland are expected to compete in the North of England Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship being staged for its third year in September.

The World Amateur Golf Ranking event and the final fixture of the Titliest Footjoy England Order of Merit has a restricted field of 117 competitors due to shorter daylight hours, and with a maximum prize pot of £1800.

Held at the Open Championship qualifying venue Pannal Golf Club, near Harrogate, from September 29 to October 1 the 72-hole stroke play championship is open to players with a maximum handicap of 1.4.

Last year it attracted top golfers from across the UK, the Isle of Man and Ireland when the championship was won by Windermere Golf Club’s Adam Chapman who held off a challenge from fellow England A squad teammate Jamie Bower to clinch the Shaw Plate by one stroke.

The 19-year-old said after his victory that his target for 2015 was Walker Cup selection – an honour he achieved in January when he was confirmed among the 20-man squad.

Northern Counties secretary Dennis Trickett said: “We understood that England Golf was looking for an event late in the season so decided with their help to set up this championship. After some disappointing weather that restricted play in the first year, the championship is now going from strength to strength. It was keenly contested in 2014 and we are anticipating an even better event this year.”

Entry forms and competition rules and conditions can be downloaded from www.englandgolf.com and ncgu.co.uk

AMATEUR golfers are reminded that the new season of the BOSS Watches H1Club has teed off.

After six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus, 75, turned back the clock with his stunning hole-in-one during the par-three contest at Augusta last week, there’s now a chance to be your own hero.

The H1Club has given away more than £1.2m-worth of exclusive BOSS Watches to amateur golfers who have scored a hole-in-one during a club competition – and the luxury German brand has vowed to continue its reward throughout the 2015 season.

Once again, each golfer recording a verified hole-in-one in a club competition will receive a limited-edition timepiece and membership of the exclusive club – launched in association with HowDidiDo, Europe’s largest golfing community – with access to exclusive benefits and H1Club merchandise.

No notification is required to participate in the main BOSS Watches H1Club programme as all official club competitions are recorded on the HowDidiDo system, so holes-in-one will be noted and automatically ratified by the golfer’s club. The new BOSS Watches H1Club season launches for aces recorded from last Monday.