TYNEMOUTH Golf Club is enjoying being centre stage for the One-Armed World Golf Championships this week – 11 years after it was last held there.

 

Disabled golfers from across the globe have been at the North Shields course since Monday aiming to qualify for the main match-play format which starts on Thursday.

 

The final will take place at 2pm this Friday when there will be a couple of North-East competitors hoping to impress on one of the region’s fairways.

 

Members’ secretary David Stenhouse said: “In 2006 we had the World One-Armed Golf Championship for the first time and it’s fantastic to have it back again. They love the course and wanted to come back again which is great for us.

 

“The course seems to suit their game but the standard of golf is exceptionally high because there are some single-figure handicap golfers out there, they are certainly better than me.

 

“From a Tynemouth Golf Club point of view it’s fantastic for the club and a great coup. It raises our profile a bit and it’s a great week. The golfers all come along and enjoy the clubhouse, the course and get involved.”

 

JESSICA Hall (Durham Sixth Form Centre) won the North of England Schools,’ Girls’ Championship for the second year in a row with scores of 72, 76 (148).

 

She now goes on to the National Championships at The Kendleshire Golf Club, Bristol, on June 26. Jess will hope to improve on her very good third place finish last year.

 

Hall smashed the Whickham course record with a 72 (eight shots below the previous record) in the morning but that was eclipsed in the afternoon when Boh Greenwood (Lancashire) came in with a 71. Jess still reclaimed the crown she won 12 months ago.

 

In the boys’ Will Skipp (Dyke House College) finished a very commendable second place with 70, 71 (141) two shots behind the winner Matthew Jackson (Lancashire) who shot 70, 69 (139).

 

Hall, Kitana Hollins and Ella Crang (Durham SFC) won the girls’ team event, while Matthew Watson (Durham SFC), Will Marshall (Gateshead College), Skipp and Josh Hoggarth (NW Durham Academy) won the boys’ title.

 

Northumberland’s Rosie Belsham followed on from winning the Northumberland ladies Championships with a very commendable second place while in the boys’ Championship Joseph Robson (Prudhoe Comm HS) carded the best score of the day with a 67 four under par on his way to a fourth place finish on 67,75 (144).

 

STUART Brown scored an impressive eight-under 63 to win the May Medal at Richmond. Brown, a 12-handicapper, finished just four-over after a round that included four birdies and seven pars.

 

Ryan Howe finished runner-up, three points adrift, with a four-under 67 only good enough for third place for Gary Catt. Division 2 was won by Dave Miller with a five-under par 66, while D Maude took the honours in Division 3 with a round of net 67.

 

The Toffs Medal was won by R Holmes, who edge out Chris Lamb on countback after both posting rounds of 67.

 

An impressive score of 49 points was enough to give D Olney and R Metcalfe victory in the Gents 4BBB Open. The pair posted the 13-under par stableford score to edge out home members Ryan and Mick Campbell by a single point.

 

The Stevie Dee Texas Scramble Open, meanwhile, was won by A Rutherford, D Rutherford, P Richardson and G Bell as they topped a field of 112 players. Their score of 57.1 earned them victory by just 0.1 shots from S Robinson, N Morton, K Morton & J Timlin.

 

Steve Bell won the June Medal with a score of 68 enough to claim the prize by a point. Ian Matthews and Michael Slater took the honours in Division 2 and 3 respectively. The Bill Le Duc Trophy was a one-man show as Ian Mains’ score of 43 points earned him a five-point victory.

 

Alison Stanwix took Round 2 of the Fawcett Trophy with a score of 74 to hold off Ruth Lightfoot and Barbara Gregory by a shot. Beth Lightfoot won the seventh stableford event on countback having scored 41 points.

 

DAVE Wright took the honours in the CD Bramall Trophy at Catterick with his round of 64 enough to secure a four-shot victory from Wayne Farrow (68). Trefor Davies and Lee Henderson were a shot further back after two-under 69s. In the Ladies competitions, Ann Hargreaves claimed the Shoppee Salver with her 72 enough for a one-shot victory over Pat Weymes, while Anne Moore (73) won the Guy Trophy by two shots from Margaret Ferguson.

 

ROUND Six of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Series at Bedale was won by Andrew Patridge with a score of 45 points, although he needed countback to win as he edged out the unlucky Ray Bradley.

 

In the Ladies Medals, it was a week to remember for Patricia Knox, who won Division 2 on countback after a three-way tie with Pam Rawlin and Serena Lishman before recording an eight-shot victory in the fifth event. Division 1 of Medal 4 was won by Kate Thompson by a shot from Julie Noble.

 

CHESTER-LE-STREET Golf Club will provide free sessions to juniors wanting to get into the sport.

 

The sessions will take place between 11-12 on Saturday mornings and equipment is provided. For more information call Lee on 0191 3882333.