YOUNG golfers from across the country teed off in Hartlepool at the Graeme Storm Junior Open.

Graeme Storm, the European Tour double champion, was at Hartlepool Golf Club to watch 160 players battle it out for honours.

It is the second year in a row that the competition has taken place and will raise money for the Finlay Cooper Fund.

The event has grown in numbers this year and has attracted talents from Yorkshire, the Peak District, Lancashire, Merseyside and Buckinghamshire – as well as those from County Durham and Northumberland.

Speaking under glorious blue skies on Saturday morning, Storm said he was really excited for the day of golf to come.

"It should be a fantastic day for the kids to play golf," he said.

"It was such a huge success last year that it was always in our minds to bring it back to Hartlepool Golf Club."

Colin Cooper attended the event and, along with wife Julie, was presented with a cheque for £5,000 raised by the tournament for the Finley Cooper Fund.

WINNERS

7-10 age group mixed

Adam Dews 35 (countback)

Ben Brown 35

Jamie Skinner 33

11-14 boys

Best net

Kieran Hall 58

Harry Etherington 61

Best gross

Dan Norman 73

11-14 girls

Best net

Ella Jackson 64

Emily Atkinson 66

Best gross

Libby Bell 81

15-18 boys

Best net

Matthew Booth 61

Ryan Mackie 64 (countback)

Best gross

Ben Bailey 70

15-18 girls

Best net

Ella Crang 71 (countback)

Emily Baxter 71

Best gross

Amy Sutheran 84 (countback)

For a full report see Paul Fraser's golf column in Wednesday's Northern Echo.