DARLINGTON Juniors are Durham County Southern League Champions for the first time in the club’s history. The Juniors had a great season with ten wins and one defeat.

Ella Crang, Matty Bell, Olly Millichap, Jack Atkinson, Leon Austin, James Phetmalaikul, Jack Cheeseman, Harrison Hodgson, Ben Pilkington and Callum Moncur played their part throughout the season.

Team manager Alun Bell said: “The season has seen a fantastic effort from all the Juniors. Team spirit has been the driving force to our success. The team has been a pleasure to manage with great commitment and could not have wished for a better group.”

To add to the success, Hodgson and Millichap represented North of England Boys. Both, together with Bell, represent County Durham. Crang was elected Durham Ladies Captain in 2017. A number of the club’s senior group have competed in National and County competitions.

Darlington have developed an Intermediate Group – 30-plus handicap who play in the Durham County Tour Competition - and are building a strong 7-10 years beginners group.

Both groups attend weekly Saturday morning coaching class run by James Cousins and his professional assistants Simon Calvert and Laura Harvey. Both groups also play in Internal competitions every Sunday, playing off Red and Blue Tees.

Anyone interested in joining the Darlington Junior group should contact James Cousins – 01325 355324 Ext 2.

BISHOP Auckland, represented by Jamie Birkbeck and Jessica Hall, have been crowned Durham County Mixed Foursomes Champions after defeating host club Beamish.

Hall and Birkbeck had to overcome Beamish B, Heworth A, Wearside and Ryton to reach the final, where they won on the last hole.

WESTERHOPE professional Michael Nesbit holed from 260 yards for an albatross on the par five 13th hole on his way to victory in the Barnard Castle pro-am. He shared top spot on six under par 73 with Hartlepool-born Simon Robinson.

DURHAM father and son John and Rob King snatched victory on countback in the PING Family Fourball Betterball – and claimed their first win together in 27 years of playing golf.

They scored 48 points on the Thonock Park course at PING’s Gainsborough Golf Club in Lincolnshire, pipping Yorkshire father and son, Robert and Lewis Hunt, by virtue of their better back nine.

The clincher was Rob’s fifth birdie of the day, which he holed from about 30ft on the 18th and he said: “We are really over the moon, we have never won anything playing together.”

The pair, from Eaglescliffe Golf Club, took up golf together 27 years ago after Rob had a knee operation and had to give up football and cricket.

“I liked the family theme of this competition and I wanted to come and play with my dad,” said Rob, who is an 11-handicapper. John plays off 18, at the age of 75, and manages to fit in three to four rounds a week.

SKIPTON father & son Peter and Chris Simpson have narrowly missed out on the American Golf Family Championship national title. Taking on qualifiers from all over the UK and Ireland, the pair secured a third place finish at four-time Ryder Cup venue The Belfry.

The pair, who play their golf at Skipton GC, put in a fantastic display of golf over three days of competition, only narrowly missing out on the title.

Hartlepool golfer Alex Robertson recorded a hugely impressive third place in the Under 45 category of the American Golf UK Long Drive Championship. Robertson, 25, blasted a series of enormous drives – including one of 414 yards - to take down some of the best long drivers that Europe has to offer, only falling in the semi-finals of one of the most hotly contested Long Drive events ever recorded.

Robertson started the week with a win on the Long Drive European Tour, so went in as the in-form player. After his hard fought semi-final Robertson said: “I have had an amazing week.

“Coming into the American Golf Long Drive event on the back of my first victory on the European Long Drive Tour gave me real confidence. The standard here has been incredible. Everyone was consistently hitting over 400 yards and pushing each other to the next level.”

* Make sure you keep an eye out for The Northern Echo’s coverage from the British Masters at Close House next week.