THE British Masters will return to the North-East and Close House next year.

After the success of hosting the 2017 event, Lee Westwood will front the tournament coming back to the club where he is attached.

It will take place on the Colt Course from July 30 to August 2.

Almost 70,000 supported the event last time, the first European Tour tournament to visit the North-East in 15 years.

The event takes place next year in the final stages of the qualification campaign for Europe’s 2020 Ryder Cup team. “I’m delighted to announce that the Betfred British Masters is once again going to be at Close House,” said Westwood, the 24-time European Tour winner and ten time Ryder Cup player.

“Hopefully we will get another great field and I am sure it will be a great spectacle like it was a couple of years ago. The crowds in the North-East love their sport and their big events, and Close House will be at its best again.

“I’m really looking forward to taking on the hosting role again too. Last time we did some interesting things - on the pitch at St James Park and hitting balls by the Tyne Bridge – so it will be fun to do it a second time.”

Close House owner Graham Wylie added: “We don’t get too many big sporting events in Newcastle, but when we do, we really support them. With 15 months to promote it, I’m sure we will get a lot of people there and it will be a lot of fun, as it always is in Newcastle. Close House is a great spectator course and the fans loved getting so close to some of the world’s best players.”

Sweden's Marcus Kinhult was lost for words after producing a brilliant finish to claim his first European Tour title in a thrilling climax to this year’s British Masters at Hillside.

Kinhult's chances looked to have gone when he surrendered a one-shot lead with bogeys on the 15th and 16th.

But he birdied the final two holes to finish a shot ahead of defending champion Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace and Robert MacIntyre.

Pepperell had set the clubhouse target on 15 under after a closing 66 before MacIntyre produced a stunning eagle-birdie finish to join him at the top of the leaderboard.

A four-man play-off looked on the cards when Kinhult birdied the 17th and playing partner Wallace missed from four feet.

But after Wallace also missed for birdie on the last, Kinhult holed from 12 feet to seal a remarkable win and secure the £500,000 first prize.