NORTH-EAST golf has some brilliant teenagers coming through and several of them showcased their talents in the Durham County Schools’ Championships at Beamish Park.

While there was individual success in the Under-18s categories for Gateshead College’s Will Marshall and Durham Sixth Form’s Jessica Hall, there was also a special achievement at Under-16s level.

Will Skipp, from Eaglescliffe and Dyke House College, became the first golfer in the competition’s 47 years to become Durham U16 champion three years in a row. Heworth Grange’s Faye Wheatley claimed the honours in the girls’ section.

It has been a fantastic year already for Hall, even though she finished second in the British Colleges’ final at Forest of Arden and narrowly missed out to Bishop Auckland clubmate Briony Bayles in the Durham Ladies’ County Championship.

She bounced back to win the Intercollegiate Tour Championship at Moortown, Leeds, when she recorded a four-under-par opening round before shooting one over and three over to finish level par and winner by seven shots.

That was Hall’s first national title and is an indication of just how far she has come. She is the first golfer attached to Durham Sixth Form College to claim that title.

Hall, who next plays in the Chrichley Salver at Sunningdale, has already received her first call-ups for England this year.

She was first chosen to represent her country in the Nations Cup at the Irish Girls Open Strokeplay Championship at Roganstown last month.

“I was thrilled when I received the call,” said Hall. “I then received the second call to say I’d been chosen to represent England in the Nations Cup at the Scottish Girls’ Open Strokeplay Championship at Montrose soon after too.

“Winning the Schools’ Championship (at Beamish) was good because it is my last school year and I would like to play for England Schools’ again. I enjoyed captaining them in the game against Scotland last year.”

Hall aims to become a Tour player and is certainly going confidently about it. Her highlights include finishing 18th in the Portuguese Ladies Championship and third in the Irish Girls Championship, achievements which sit proudly alongside side claiming her first two caps.

“If nothing else happens it has been a good year,” she said. “I’m playing lots of national tournaments and hope to achieve some more high finishes, or even win again. I would also like to get my handicap into positive territory if I can.”

While scratch golfer Hall was hitting her 74 to win the Durham Schools’ at Beamish, Skipp was pressing Under-18s winner Marshall, who cardes 74 gross, all the way in the boys.

Skipp, who has cut his handicap from three since, was runner-up with his round of 75 and that was enough for him to also win the Under-16s crown for the third year in a row.

“It’s quite special to hear that no one has done that before me, but a win is a win and it never loses how special it is,” said Skipp. “I was off eight when I first came in and now I am down to one.

“It’s from hard work and gaining a lot of distance. If you go in with a wedge instead of a five iron it helps! I would love to win it a fourth time next year because I can still play in it again.”

Skipp won the Durham County Under-16s title at Darlington as well and he is on the England selectors’ radar after tying eighth in the Midlands Under-16s strokeplay Championship at Hawkestone Park. He is coached by Wynyard’s Andrew Betts and is gearing up for big performances at the McGregor Trophy in July and the Scottish Under-16s Championship.

Cameron Johnston (Durham Sixth Form) and Tilly Barton (Consett Academy) won the best net scores in the Under-18s Durham Schools’ Championships.

Sedgefield’s Kieran Hall, Teesdale’s Cara Tweddle, Whickham’s Jamie Bone and Fyndoune’s Abbi Wheatley claimed honours in the 13-36 handicappers category. The Durham Schools’ Team Championship was won by Durham Sixth Form B.