ROB DINWIDDIE thinks the experience of being in the mix for four days of European Tour golf can lead to even greater success.

After a frustrating 18 months on the Tour, the County Durham golfer is now on course to retain his card for a further year after three top 15 finishes in a row.

The best of those arrived in the Czech Republic last weekend when he ended up in fourth spot with a financial boost to the tune of 50,000 euros.

That has taken him in to the top 100 in the Race to Dubai rankings ahead of teeing off at the Russian Open today when he knows another decent finish could pretty much guarantee him a spot on Tour next year.

And Dinwiddie, attached to Barnard Castle Golf Club, is as confident as he has been on the main Tour since turning pro nine years ago.

“It was a good week for me overall really,” said Dinwiddie. “I was a bit disappointed not to hit the ball well on the back nine on Sunday, but I found it difficult to chip out of that thick rough. All in all it was a good week.

“When I birdied ten and got to 16 under on Sunday then I thought that would give me a good shot at winning it. But everything feels good, there’s no reason why I can’t keep playing the way I am and hopefully it helps me to play better on the Sundays.”

Dinwiddie, who played in his first Open Championship inn July, is now ranked 91st in the Race to Dubai and is a pretty comfortable 55,000 euros ahead of those chasing a coveted top 110 place which guarantees a card. That is the result of his appearances at the Czech Masters, Made in Denmark and Omega European Masters.

“It was lovely to be up there in the last couple of groups on the last couple of days,” said Dinwiddie, who is looking forward to testing the new Skolkovo Golf Club in Moscow today.

“I want to put myself in to a position a couple of times, starting at Russia. What I have heard is that it is a very nice course. The last one I played there was very good too. I am looking forward to seeing this one.”

Hartlepool’s Graeme Storm still has work to do though. He is giving Moscow a miss after a decent finish in the Czech Republic, but he remains 20,000 euros shy of a top 110 place.

THERE was no title party for Durham at the English Boys’ County Championship at King’s Lynn Golf Club.

The seven-man team made up of Jack Ainscough (Hartlepool), Rian Dixon (Castle Eden), Christopher Handy (South Moor), Thomas Harbord (Castle Eden), Aaron McManus (Darlington) Will Marshall (Heworth) Tom Skelton (Beamish Park) had to settle for fourth place.

Eventual winners Wiltshire were pushed all the way by Northamptonshire, who were playing in County Finals for the first time, but Wiltshire found the answers when it counted and eventually won 6-3.

In the final day’s third-place play-off Hampshire scored their first win of the week by beating Durham 6-3.

THE 2016 North of England Under-14 Open at South Moor will be played on August 10-12.

This will be on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, instead of starting on a Tuesday.

This allows the girl golfers to play an Under-14 event in Cumbria on August 9 and gives relations of players in the Scottish Under-14 Open field a day’s leeway – following that tournament – to drive their youngsters down to County Durham.

For tournament information, visit www.northofenglandu14golf.co.uk