Sargent Shoots Record

NICK Sargent became the second PGA North Region player to break a course record in successive days.

The Eastham Lodge professional lowered the Old Padeswood mark by a shot with an eight-under-par 64 in the Flintshire pro-am, rolling in an eagle at the eighth hole and seven birdies as he won by a shot from Rhuddlan’s Matthew Davies.

The previous day, Bridlington Links assistant Alex Belt carded a record seven-under 61 in the Werneth pro-am.

DETAILS: 64 Nick Sargent (Eastham Lodge); 65 Matthew Davies (Rhuddlan); 66 David Shacklady (Mossock Hall); 67 Chris Sands (Skycaddie UK), 68 Barry Taylor (Houghwood).

Housden and Staunton share early lead at Stoke by Nayland

Duo tied five under after opening round in Suffolk

Craig Housden and Kieran Staunton lead The Stoke by Nayland Championship 2009 on the PGA EuroPro Tour after shooting five under opening rounds of 67 at the Suffolk venue.

Both men started their rounds on the back nine, and Staunton (Woodcote Park) fired down the front nine after going through the back level – with birdies at the first three holes followed by two more to end on five under. Housden (Channels) picked up four birdies before dropping a shot at the 18th to go out four under and could’ve have lead on his own with a 66 had he not dropped a shot on the ninth.

Four players trail the leading pair by one stroke after a scorching day on the Gainsborough course. Lorne Kelly (Pro Dream USA) started on the back nine and recovered from a double bogey at the 13th to shoot 68, while Barrie Trainor (South County) roared to four under after five with two birdies and an eagle and recorded pars at every remaining hole in his round of four under.

Paul O’Hanlon (Curragh) was one over after 11 holes but three birdies and an eagle in the five holes from there put him in the group on four under, the final member of the quartet being Mark Kerr (Golf Fit Ltd/Bathgate GC) who will rue a dropped shot at 17.

Peter O’Keeffe will feel he should be right up with the leaders, sitting at five under with four holes to play but two bogeys means he joins Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) in registering a three under par round of 69.

A clutch of players at two under will be hoping to improve on their rounds of 70 in Wednesday’s second round – Jon Wetton, Peter Finch, Paul Dwyer (Clitheroe), Scott Jamieson, George Cowan (Westerhope), Jeremy Kavanagh (Stoke Park) and Daniel Perrett (Clevedon/Purple Golf) all sit three shots behind, with Challenge Tour regular Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) one under par on his home course.

The second round of The Stoke by Nayland Championship 2009 begins at 7.30am on Wednesday morning, with live scoring available at www.europrotour.com via the Score Updates link, where you can find the full first round leaderboard.

Places Still Available for Mixed Open at Hazel Grove Golf Club

Hazel Grove Golf Club in Cheshire still have a few places available for their Mixed Open on Sunday 5th July 2009.

Entry is just £24 per couple with a handicap limit of 24 for men and 36 for ladies. The competition is a fourball betterball event and an entry-form can be found here.

Oxfordshire Golf Comps

Many new open golf competitions have been added to www.golfempire.co.uk over the past few weeks.

New golf courses with events recently added include; Burford Golf Club, Tadmarton Heath Golf Club and Waterstock Golf Club.

All clubs listed in Oxfordshire at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/oxfordshire-clubs.htm

SURRY 14/1 FOR EUROPRO TRIUMPH AT STOKE BY NAYLAND

MONEY LIST LEADER FAVOURITE – MOUL 22/1 ON HOME COURSE!

Stoke by Nayland hosts the PGA EuroPro Tour this week and Order of Merit leader Steve Surry is the 14/1 favourite with Sky Bet to win the Colchester event, which begins on Tuesday.

It’s the fifth event of the summer and Surry (Cumberwell Park) is looking for his second win to strengthen his position ahead of Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill) who misses out this week. Sky Bet are still offering 20/1 that Surry wins three or more events on this year’s Tour.

Sky Bet’s John Rhodes said: “An excellent field is assembled this week, with Order of Merit leader Steve Surry once again topping the betting at 14/1. An interesting one for me is local pro Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland – 22/1) who has been plying his trade on the Challenge Tour recently, and Nicky Harris (Whitefield GC – 28/1) after his second place in the last event at Bovey Castle will look forward to returning to a course he won on last year on the EuroPro Tour.”

Elsewhere in the betting, Chris Gaunt is third favourite at 25/1, currently sits in 20th spot on the Australian Tour, with his brother – Tour regular Daniel – a 28/1 shot. Prince’s winner Scott Jamieson is also 25/1 ahead of a talented bunch at 28/1 – Chris Rodgers heads this group, currently in the top 30 on the Asian Tour, and is joined by Elliot Saltman (Aegon), Simon Lilly, Steven Tiley (Royal Cinque Ports), Graeme Clark (Doncaster), Paul Dwyer and the aforementioned Harris.

To view the full market and place a bet on the Stoke by Nayland event and the Tour in general, click here: http://www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvClass&id=34&aff=4527&EPT_Website

The tournament kicks off on Tuesday morning with live scoring available from www.europrotour.com

Belt ties up course record

ALEX Belt refused to buckle under the heat as he blitzed the course record with a sizzling seven-under-par 61 in the Werneth centenary pro-am.

The reigning PGA North Region champion from Bridlington Links conjured up eight birdies after the old mark of 63 had been equalled twice earlier in the day.

Warrington-born Paul Carman, a long-time professional at Huddersfield, was first to post the score followed by former European Tour player Neil Cheetham who is attached to Sheffield club Dore & Totley.

Belt, winner of the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 Welsh Open Young Professional title in April, was among 19 out of the 39-strong field to beat par.

And sharing fourth place on 64 with Lee Park’s Chris Crowder was ex-Tour player turned tournament official Neal Briggs who represents Styal.

Hampshire Golf Updates

Some new open golf competitions can now be found on Golf Empire (www.golfempire.co.uk) in the county of Hampshire.

Look out for new amateur golf tournaments at Barton-on-Sea Golf Club, North Hants Golf Club and Southsea Golf Club.

Various New Open Competitions Just Listed

A multitude of new open golf competitions have recently been uploaded to www.golfempire.co.uk

The events include open events at several golf clubs across a number of counties. Below is a list of just some of these tournaments:

Durham - Blackwell Grange and Beamish Park.
Scotland - Dufftown, Fort Augustus, New Galloway, Pitlochry and Tain.
Kent - Chart Hills.
Derbyshire - Cavendish.
Leicestershire - Cosby.
Staffordshire - Little Aston.
Essex - Five Lakes.
Berkshire - Easthampstead (Downshire).

Happy Golfing!

Where there’s a Will . . .

WILL Barnes celebrated his selection to the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team with a maiden victory in the North Region following his move from the Midlands. And he achieved it in his adopted home town of Lancaster where he fired a six-under-par 65 at Ashton Hall to deny host club assistant Jon Salisbury by a shot.

Barnes, 33, originally from Lichfield who completed his training at the Belfry, recently took a teaching role at Garstang Golf Club, north of Preston, and is head of junior coaching and development for local schools.

He arrived in the area with an impressive record, having won several collegiate events while studying in South Carolina before returning home in 1999 where was one of the leading players in the Midland Region, competing in the European Team Championship in Spain last year.

“I lost my ranking when I came here but I’ve been invited to the Spirotech Manchester Open and Leeds Cup. Otherwise, my playing opportunities are limited,” he said.

“I just have to be patient,” he added after entering his own team at Lancaster and beat fellow PGA Cup rookie Barry Taylor, an assistant at Houghwood, by three shots.

The pair will line up against America at The Carrick on Loch Lomond on September 18-20 where Barnes will renew acquaintanceship with former Northenden professional and 1994 North Region champion Paul Wesselingh from Kedleston Park who is making his six successive appearance.

Meanwhile, all three are in the Open Championship local qualifying field on July 6-7.

Brooks 13/2 to top PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit

Surry still 4/1 money list favourite ahead of Stoke by Nayland showdown!

Daniel Brooks has been cut from 33/1 to 13/2 to top the 2009 PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit after his fine victory at the Sureshot GPS International Open at Bovey Castle last week.

Brooks (Mill Hill) finished two shots clear at eight under par to pick up the £10,000 winner’s cheque and moved into second spot in the money list as a result. He is right on the tail of leader Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park), who is 4/1 to fight off all challengers and finish top of the pile.

Scotsmen Jack Doherty (North Gailes) and Elliot Saltman (Aegon) occupy fourth and fifth spot are both 10/1 to prevail along with Paul Dwyer, while Scott Jamieson is 14/1 and Simon Lilly is a 16/1 shot.

Stoke by Nayland hosts the next event on the Tour from Tuesday June 30, and the winner of that event last year, Nicky Harris (Whitefield GC), is 20/1 in the Order of Merit market, with Chris Hanson (Crosland Heath) 25/1 – click here to view the full market at Sky Bet: http://www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvClass&id=34&aff=4527&EPT_Website

The Tour returns to the Suffolk venue for the seventh year in a row for the fifth event on this year’s calendar. Danny Nickless, operations manager of the Tour said: “Stoke by Nayland is an integral part of the PGA EuroPro Tour – from hosting pre-qualifying to setting the players a stern test next week. The opening events of the summer have been played to a fine standard and I know the winner here will have to play very well to get the better of the Gainsborough course.”

With a solid start to the summer on the Challenge Tour, Jamie Moul plays his home course while Chris Rodgers currently sits in the top 30 on the Asian Tour. Chris Gaunt – brother of Tour regular Daniel – is in 20th spot on the Australian Tour and also takes part at Stoke by Nayland.

“We are really pleased to be hosting the PGA EuroPro Tour again,” said Tamara Unwin, director of Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf Club and Spa. “The course is looking fantastic – our green staff as usual have done a brilliant job, and we are looking forward to another few days of exciting golf here at Stoke by Nayland. Everyone is welcome to come along and watch these excellent young players – which will include our prodigy Moul - as well as the Pro-Am event on Sunday which will feature a few well-known sporting personalities.”

Brooks will be further buoyed after topping regional qualifying for The Open Championship at Old Ford Manor with a round of 67. Brooks will be joined by a number of EuroPro Tour players at the final local qualifying event on July 6-7 at three courses in Scotland, with Tom Haylock and Elliot Saltman among those to make it through.

Open Golf Competitions in Leicestershire

Looking for open golf competitions in Leicestershire? Well, look no further!

Golf Empire brings you details about several open golf tournaments for amateur golfers in the UK at www.golfempire.co.uk

Lots of events are already listed with open golf events at Charnwood Forest Golf Club, Humberstone Heights Golf Club and Park Hill Golf Club the most recent to be added.

See all the events in Leicestershire at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/leicestershire-clubs.htm

Cheshire Golfing Events

Some superb open golfing events can be found on the Golf Empire website in the county of Cheshire.

Recent competitions just added to www.golfempire.co.uk will be staged at; Ashton-on-Mersey Golf Club, De Vere Carden Park Golf Club, Cheadle Golf Club, Walton Hall Golf Club, West Hoyle Golf Club and Wilmslow Golf Club.

Full info at: http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/cheshire-clubs.htm

Blackpool Park Junior Open

A Junior Open will take place at Blackpool Park Golf Club on the 28th July 2009.

The competition for boys and girls has an entry-fee of just £7 and takes the form of an 18-hole individual medal. Handicap limits are 28 (boys) and 36 (girls). An entry-form can be found here.

Parents and potential entrants will no doubt be interested to know that Blackpool Park is a holder of the prestigious Junior GolfMark Award, a national scheme that identifies and recognises junior and beginner friendly facilities.

Maly pushing for record

PGA North Region secretary Graham Maly is hoping to have powered his way into the Guinness book of Records after racking up 105 finger tip push-ups in one minute.

The fitness fanatic and former tour professional achieved the target at his third attempt at Marriott Worsley Park, Manchester, and raised nearly £1,000 in sponsorship for the Wishes4kids charity.

“I am anxiously waiting to see if I’ve beaten the world record,” said Graham, 34, who had been training for nine months.

“I’d set myself a personal goal and although I am a little disappointed that I had not been able to achieve more I’m quite happy with my performance. Now I feel that I’d like to set myself another target.

“It’s a good cause. The charity has been established to grant a wish to youngsters for are terminally ill or have experienced life-changing or emotional traumas of major abuse.”

Northumberland Golf Treats

Northumberland is a great county to play golf in. There are many excellent courses in this beautiful county and www.golfempire.co.uk bring you many courses where you can find and enter open competitions.

Several courses are listed with some new competitions just added at Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club and Prudhoe Golf Club.

Further reading at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/northumberland-clubs.htm

Golfing in Shropshire

If you are looking to play Golf in Shropshire then this page (http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/shropshire-clubs.htm) is an absolute must for you.

It lists many open golf tournaments in the county with new events just added at Arscott, Shrewsbury and Wrekin Golf Clubs.

Thompson tops as Young closes in on Fleetwood

CARL Thompson won his first Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit event when he claimed the Calvert Trophy at Ashton & Lea after staging a recovery on the home stretch in each round.

The Manchester one handicapper amassed five threes, four of them birdies, as he opened with a level par 70. He looked to have ruined his chances after a brace of double bogeys on the outward half in the afternoon but he retrieved the situation on the back nine to post a 71.

Thompson finished a shot ahead of runner-up Oliver Pantoja from Ashton-on-Mersey who prevailed on a countback from Castletown’s Chris Kneen and Mark Young. The Longridge man hoisted himself into second place in the merit he has won for the last two years and cut Formby Hall’s Tommy Fleetwood’s lead to 70 points.

DETAILS: 144 Carl Thompson (Manchester) 71 73; 145 Oliver Pantoja (Ashton-on-Mersey) 73 72, Chris Kneen (Castletown) 71 74, Mark Young (Longridge) 70 75; 150 Craig Connell (Ashton-on-Lea) 78 72, Kyle Hughes (Formby Hall) 76 74, Paul Kinnear (Formby Hall) 72 78; 152 Ken Hudson (Hart Common) 78 74, Chris Bracewell (Ashton & Lea) 76 76, Daryl Callister (Mount Murray) 75 77, Chris Harrison (Sandiway) 75 77, Sean Blinkhorn (Leigh) 74 78.

Northern Order of Merit Table - 21st June 2009

Tommy Fleetwood, Formby Hall = 300
Mark Young, Longridge = 230
Carl Thompson, Manchester = 210
John Carroll, Huyton & Prescot = 200
James Robinson, S&A = 165
James Wilson, Formby = 150
Charles Ford, Kirby Muxloe = 150
Zac Harrison, Preston = 150
Thomas Winn, Morecambe = 150
Jay McGarvey, Whitefield = 150
Ian Kenwright, Haydock Park = 150
David Hurd, Leasowe = 150
Ollie Smith, Ashton-on-Mersey = 145
Adam Wills, Sandiway = 115
Michael Hearn, Chorley = 100
Marcus Mohr, Hawarden = 100
Bob Bardsley, Denton = 100
Oliver Pantoja, Ashton-on-Mersey = 100
Gareth Hastie, Dunscar = 95
Roger Smithies, Manchester = 75
Chris Kneen, Castletown = 75
Mark Rabone, S&A = 60
Richie Blundell, Hillside = 60
Andrew Addison, Ashton-in-Makerfield = 60
David Simpson, Penrith = 60
Colin Brown, Bromborough = 60
Paul McFerran, Childwall = 55
Jonathan Corke, Rowany = 50
Will Jones, Oswestry = 50
David Marshall, The Worcestshire = 50
Stephen Jopson, Carlisle = 50
Nick Jackson, Chorley = 50
Martin Thomas, Royal Liverpool = 50
Craig Connell, Ashton & Lea = 50
Richard Pickard, Mere = 45
Mark Millhouse, Bolton = 45
Sean Nicholls, Shaw Hill = 45
Mike Kelly, Ashton-under-Lyne = 45
Ashley Sage, Sandiway = 45
Kyle Hughes, Formby Hall = 45
Kevin Reilly, S&A = 40
Richard Kilshaw, Hillside = 40
Declan Dixon, Fairhaven = 40
Graham Jackson, Manchester = 40
Luke Hignall, Prenton = 40
Paul Kinnear, Formby Hall = 40
David Smethurst, Formby = 35
Paul Lowey, Rowany = 30
Kristian Taylor, Formby = 30
Simon Coumbe, Pontefract = 30
Michael Downs, San Roque = 30
Reece Cranfield, Haigh Hall = 30
Mike Howarth, Penwortham = 30
Chris Cuthbert, Prestwich = 30
Brian McCann, Morecambe = 30
Ken Hudson, Hart Common = 30
Jonathan Harrison, S&A = 25
Anthony Bolton, Formby = 25
Ewan Patterson, St Annes Old Links = 25
Chris Rabbich, R&A = 25
Chris Bracewell, Ashton & Lea = 25
Drew Molloy, Hillside = 20
Tim Cooper, Marriott Worsley Park = 20
Matthew Galley, Morecambe = 20
Tom Stewart, St Annes Old Links = 20
Steve Benton, South Staffs = 20
Daryl Callister, Mount Murray = 20
Anthony Stirling, Formby = 15
Anthony Holden, Preston = 15
Gareth Clark, Manchester = 15
Paul Jones, Royal Birkdale = 15
Chris Harrison, Sandiway = 15
Kevin Kean, Ashton-on-Mersey = 10
Gavin Nesbit, Boldon = 10
Paul Armstrong, Penwortham = 10
Daniel Sefton, Lancaster = 10
David Peel, Stockport = 10
Sean Blinkhorn, Leigh = 10

Various New Open Golf Competitions

A number of new open golf competitions have just been uploaded onto the Golf Empire website from across the UK.

New competitions include a Junior Open at Canons Brook Golf Club in Essex and a Seniors Team Open at Rugby Golf Club in Warwickshire. Other new open tournaments include the Royal Norwich Amateur Championship, a Team Open at Norwood Park (Nottinghamshire) and a Ladies Individual Open that has been re-arranged from May at Abbey Hotel Golf Club in Worcestershire.

A full fixture list of open events have also been added at Rhuddlan Golf Club (Wales) and at Lansdown Golf Club (Gloucestershire).

All the events can be found on www.golfempire.co.uk

Golf in Warwickshire

Looking to play golf in Warwickshire? Check out www.golfempire.co.uk for hundreds of open events throughout the Midlands.

New open comps just added in Warwickshire include tournaments at Rugby Golf Club and Harborne Golf Club.

More details at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/warwickshire-clubs.htm

Daniel Brooks claims maiden EuroPro Tour victory

22 year-old wins by two strokes at Bovey Castle!

Daniel Brooks cruised to a two stroke victory in the Sureshot GPS International Open at Bovey Castle to claim his first win on the PGA EuroPro Tour.

The 22 year-old held a four shot lead overnight at ten under par and remained ten under through 15 holes, before consecutive bogies at 16 and 17 meant he finished on eight under (202) for the tournament. None of the chasing pack were able to put him under any real pressure on the final day, with Nicky Harris (Whitefield GC) sneaking second spot by one stroke at six under (204).

“I’m over the moon with the win,” said Brooks, who is in second place on the Order of Merit after four events. “I know it is early in the summer but it’s always important to be in that top five so hopefully I can kick on from here.”

Brooks was joint leader at seven under after the opening round of 63 and pulled away from the field with a second round 67 – eleven birdies in the first two rounds the key to his triumph.

“I played very well in those two rounds,” said Brooks, whose first bogey of the tournament didn’t come until the 16th hole of his second round. “I hit lots of fairways and holed plenty of putts; I didn’t really hit a bad shot in three days to be honest.”

We’ve already seen on the Tour this year that a four shot lead going into the final round is no guarantee of victory, but Brooks maintained a level head and had no special plans to stay on course for the win. “I just told myself to have a steady day with no mishaps and keep the ball in play,” he said of his final round preparations. “When you have that buffer you just need to keep some of it for the latter stages of the round and I had just that.”

Runner-up Harris began the day on five under and remained there until the last where he picked up his third birdie of the day to move to six under.

Four under was the round of the day, and it was good enough to earn Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown GC) a share of third place with Jamie Elson (Forum Financial Associates) with both players picking up crucial birdies on the last to finish at five under (205).

The final holes were key in sorting the standings, with Paul Dwyer’s birdie-birdie finish giving him a share of fifth place at four under (206) with Neil Walker (Special Steel Group) and Matthew Evans (Rotherham) – the latter carding a two-over 72 after teeing off in second spot.

Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park) remains top of the Order of Merit after a 71 saw him finish with three other players at three under (207). For the full results from Bovey Castle, visit www.europrotour.com and click on the Score Updates link on the homepage.

The fifth event on the PGA EuroPro Tour takes place at Stoke by Nayland from June 30.

FINAL RESULTS FROM SURESHOT GPS INTERNATIONAL OPEN:
1 Daniel Brooks 63, 67, 72 -8 202 £10,000
2 Nicky Harris 67, 68, 69 -6 204 £5,000
=3 Llewellyn Matthews 65, 74, 66 -5 205 £2,100
=3 Jamie Elson 66, 69, 70 -5 205 £2,100
=5 Paul Dwyer 69, 69, 68 -4 206 £1,200
=5 Neil Walker 68, 68, 70 -4 206 £1,200
=5 Matthew Evans 69, 65, 72 -4 206 £1,200
=8 Graeme Clark 69, 72, 66 -3 207 £825
=8 Martin Sell 68, 71, 68 -3 207 £825
=8 Chris Hanson 68, 71, 68 -3 207 £825
=8 Steve Surry 67, 69, 71 -3 207 £825

Burhill Family Foursomes Golf Tournament

Golf Empire are delighted to team up with Burhill Golf Club in Surrey to bring you details about the annual Family Foursomes Open Golf Competition held at the prestigious club.

Full details can be found on the Burhill Golf Club page.

Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club Events

Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club in Worcestershire now have their 2009 open golf competitions listed on the Golf Empire website (www.golfempire.co.uk).

Darenth Valley Open Tournament

This week we are delighted to inform everybody about the staging of the 3rd Darenth Valley Open Tournament. A fabulous event promising a fantastic day of golf.

The Event:
The 18-hole individual medal will take place on Sunday 28th June 2009 and is open to both ladies and gents of all ages.

The entry-fee of £39 per person includes the competition, prizes and a presentation luncheon. There are prizes for men and women as well as nearest-the-pin and longest-drive bonus competitions.

To Book:
There are a limited number of places still available in the event and those interested in securing a slot should book asap. There are a number of ways to reserve a place.

1. An entry-form is available here

2. You can call Pete in the Pro Shop or Debbie in the clubhouse - telephone 01959 522922 / 01959 522944.

3. Fill in an online contact form on the Darenth Valley GC website and somebody will get back to you.

The Venue:
For those not familiar with Darenth Valley, it is beautiful 18 hole, par 72, parkland course that for many years been considered to be one of the best pay and play courses in the South East of England.

It is set in gently undulating, picturesque countryside in an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ and offers a challenge to all standards of golfers.

A comfortable Clubhouse awaits any participants and offers a wide range of facilities.

Birdie bursts benefit Balmaseda and Brooks at Bovey

Duo share 15 birdies to lead at seven under in Devon

Carlos Balmaseda and Daniel Brooks both posted fantastic opening rounds of 63 to share the lead at seven under in the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Sureshot GPS International Open at Bovey Castle in Devon.

The Spaniard picked up four birdies on both front and back nines with just a single blemish on the 16th to lead by two shots on a day of fine scoring on the South Coast. Brooks (Mill Hill) didn’t drop a shot all day, going through the turn at two under par before picking up back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 then three more birdies in his last four holes.

Young South African Louis De Jager was part of Balmaseda’s three-ball and he is one of four players to share second spot two shots back at five under. The 22 year-old has enjoyed success on the Sunshine Tour and showed he could mix it in Europe too, going out level par after three birdies and three bogeys, but finishing strongly with three further birdies building up to an eagle at the last in his 65.

Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown GC) joins De Jager after posting five birdies without dropping a shot, while Tom Haylock (Ground Construction Ltd) mirrored the South African’s effort with an eagle at the last seeing him post a 65 – which Mark Ramsdale (Formby GC) equalled late in the day with an eagle two at the fourth the highlight for him.

Last week’s event at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent was a tight affair and the early signs are that Devon holds much of the same in store with a cluster of players chasing at four and three under.

Jamie Elson (Forum Financial Associates), Paul Maddy (Gog Magog) and Jeremy Kavanagh (Stoke Park) carded four under rounds of 66 to lurk three shots behind Balmaseda, while Order of Merit leader and Sky Bet’s 12/1 favourite Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park) heads a pack of players at three under after the opening round, along with

The second round of the Sureshot GPS International Open begins at 6.30am on Wednesday morning. The full first round Leaderboard is available at www.europrotour.com by clicking on the Score Updates link, also home to live scoring.

Hanson a 20/1 shot for Bovey Castle victory

Yorkshireman fourth favourite in Devon – Surry 12/1 for second win!

The PGA EuroPro Tour heads to Bovey Castle in Devon for the Sureshot GPS International Open this week, with Steve Surry the 12/1 favourite with official bookmakers Sky Bet.

Surry (Cumberwell Park) finished tied seventh on the Challenge Tour in Ireland at the weekend so he’ll consider himself to be in good shape to claim his second win on the 2009 Tour. One man who will be eager to attack the South Coast course is Chris Hanson (Crosland Heath), who surrendered a final round lead for the second time at Prince’s last week, but has good memories of the venue.

“We have come to the fourth event of the season and we have a cracking line-up assembled,” said Sky Bet’s John Rhodes. “Surry comes in off a fine performance on the Challenge Tour and heads the market for Bovey at 12/1, followed by Prince’s winner Scott Jamieson at 16/1 and runner-up Elliot Saltman (Aegon) at 18s.

"Hanson will be looking to break his final round hoodoo when he tees up in Devon this week. The Yorkshireman has lead both his EuroPro Tour starts this year with one round to go and failed to win – and amazingly in a three starts at Bovey Castle he has been the leader going into the final round, winning once back in 2006. He must surely win sometime as he is playing great stuff at the minute – he’s a 20/1 shot.”

Outside the top four in betting, two South African’s catch the eye. Louis De Jager has performed well on the Sunshine Tour and will be a popular pick at 40/1, as will Louis Moolman at 45/1. To bet on the action in Devon with Sky Bet, click here: http://www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvClass&id=34&aff=4527&EPT_Website

The Sureshot GPS International Open begins on Tuesday morning and you can follow the action by visiting www.europrotour.com and clicking on the Score Updates link.

Full Northern Order of Merit Points Table

Tommy Fleetwood, Formby Hall = 300
John Carroll, Huyton & Prescot = 200
Mark Young, Longridge = 170
James Robinson, S&A = 165
James Wilson, Formby = 150
Charles Ford, Kirby Muxloe = 150
Zac Harrison, Preston = 150
Thomas Winn, Morecambe = 150
Jay McGarvey, Whitefield = 150
Ian Kenwright, Haydock Park = 150
David Hurd, Leasowe = 150
Ollie Smith, Ashton-on-Mersey = 145
Adam Wills, Sandiway = 115
Michael Hearn, Chorley = 100
Marcus Mohr, Hawarden = 100
Bob Bardsley, Denton = 100
Gareth Hastie, Dunscar = 95
Roger Smithies, Manchester = 75
Mark Rabone, S&A = 60
Richie Blundell, Hillside = 60
Andrew Addison, Ashton-in-Makerfield = 60
David Simpson, Penrith = 60
Carl Thompson, Manchester = 60
Colin Brown, Bromborough = 60
Paul McFerran, Childwall = 55
Jonathan Corke, Rowany = 50
Will Jones, Oswestry = 50
David Marshall, The Worcestshire = 50
Stephen Jopson, Carlisle = 50
Nick Jackson, Chorley = 50
Martin Thomas, Royal Liverpool = 50
Richard Pickard, Mere = 45
Mark Millhouse, Bolton = 45
Sean Nicholls, Shaw Hill = 45
Mike Kelly, Ashton-under-Lyne = 45
Ashley Sage, Sandiway = 45
Kevin Reilly, S&A = 40
Richard Kilshaw, Hillside = 40
Declan Dixon, Fairhaven = 40
Graham Jackson, Manchester = 40
Luke Hignall, Prenton = 40
David Smethurst, Formby = 35
Paul Lowey, Rowany = 30
Kristian Taylor, Formby = 30
Simon Coumbe, Pontefract = 30
Michael Downs, San Roque = 30
Reece Cranfield, Haigh Hall = 30
Mike Howarth, Penwortham = 30
Chris Cuthbert, Prestwich = 30
Brian McCann, Morecambe = 30
Jonathan Harrison, S&A = 25
Anthony Bolton, Formby = 25
Ewan Patterson, St Annes Old Links = 25
Chris Rabbich, R&A = 25
Drew Molloy, Hillside = 20
Tim Cooper, Marriott Worsley Park = 20
Matthew Galley, Morecambe = 20
Tom Stewart, St Annes Old Links = 20
Steve Benton, South Staffs = 20
Anthony Stirling, Formby = 15
Anthony Holden, Preston = 15
Gareth Clark, Manchester = 15
Paul Jones, Royal Birkdale = 15
Kevin Kean, Ashton-on-Mersey = 10
Gavin Nesbit, Boldon = 10
Paul Armstrong, Penwortham = 10
Daniel Sefton, Lancaster = 10
David Peel, Stockport = 10

Ingestre Park Opens

Golf Opens at Ingestre Park Golf Club in Staffordshire can now be located on the Golf Empire website.

More info at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/ingestre-park-golf-club.htm

Young back in the frame

LANCASHIRE champion Mark Young moved into contention for an unprecedented third successive Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit titles with his victory in the Frank Stableford Open at Wallasey.

And the 27-year-old Longridge player, who has moved up to third place, would have been justified if he’d pulled out of the event because he only realised three days earlier that he was competing in this week’s Amateur Championship at West Lancs and Formby.

“I got my dates mixed up but I enjoy Wallasey and did not want to withdraw at such short notice,” he said.

Young, the top performer for Lancashire in last week’s Northern Counties Championship at Seascale, rattled up 71 points over two rounds to prevail by one from Leasowe’s David Hurd.

“I did not think I’d done enough to win,” he admitted. “But scoring was not easy on firm and fast-running fairways.”

Meanwhile, next Sunday’s Caldy Quart has been cancelled through insufficient entries.

DETAILS: 71pts Mark Young (Longridge) 37 34; 70 David Hurd (Leasowe) 34 36, Adam Wills (Sandiway) 34 36, Colin Brown (Bromborough) 37 33; 69 Martin Thomas (Royal Liverpool) 30 39, Ashley Sage (Sandiway) 40 29; 68 Luke Hignall (Prenton) 31 37; 67 Brian McCann (Morecambe) 33 34, Gareth Hastie (Dunscar) 35 32, Steve Benton (South Staffs) 36 31; 66 Paul Jones (Royal Birkdale) 33 33, David Peel (Stockport) 34 32.

ORDER OF MERIT LEADERS: 300pts Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall); 200 John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot); 170 Mark Young (Longridge); 165 James Robinson (S&A); 150 James Wilson (Formby), Charles Ford (Kirby Muxloe), Zac Harrison (Preston), Thomas Winn (Morecambe), Jay McGarvey (Whitefield), Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park), David Hurd (Leasowe); 145 Ollie Smith (Ashton-on-Mersey); 115 Adam Wills (Sandiway) 100 Michael Hearn (Chorley), Marcus Mohr (Hawarden), Bob Bardsley (Denton). - Full table to follow.

Hindley Hall Open Events

Open Competitions can now be found on the Golf Empire website for events to be played at Hindley Hall Golf Club in Lancashire.

Hertfordshire Open Golf Events

More open golf events can now be found in Hertfordshire. Recent golf clubs listed on the www.golfempire.co.uk website include Harpenden Golf Club and Knebworth Golf Club.

Full list of events in the county can be seen here http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/hertfordshire-clubs.htm

Jamieson wins Prince’s play-off

Scott edges out Elliot Saltman IN KENT to win PartyPoker.com European Championship

Scott Jamieson birdied the second play-off hole at Prince’s Golf Club to win the PartyPoker.com European Championship on the PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Scotsman battled fellow countryman and overnight leader Elliot Saltman (Aegon) twice down the 18th after Saltman bogeyed the last hole to drop to nine under. Both players parred the hole first time around, but Jamieson knocked his approach to within six foot the second time and knocked in his putt for a birdie and the £10,000 first prize.

“Once you are in the play-off it turns into Matchplay and I’ve always enjoyed that,” said the 25 year-old. “There were definitely nerves on those play-off holes but it would be wrong not to be nervous really.”

Jamieson was seven under par overnight, two shots behind Saltman and co-leader Chris Hanson, but he immediately put pressure on with three birdies on the front nine to move to ten under.

“I knew how bunched up it was and that I would be in contention after my front nine, but I didn’t really think too much about it as the leaders were a few pairings behind me,” said the 25 year-old.

A double bogey on the tenth checked his progress, but that was cancelled out with birdies at the 12th and 15th. Jamieson appeared to hand the initiative to Saltman when he three-putted at 16 for bogey to finish at nine under and faced a nervous wait in the clubhouse to see how Saltman faired.

Saltman was steady throughout his final assault, going out at one under before a bogey at the 11th dropped him back to nine under. He appeared to be heading for victory with a birdie at the 15th, but a bogey at the last meant he was to play-off for the title, and ultimately had to settle for the runners-up cheque, like he did in 2008 at Faithlegg.

“It’s a really pleasing win and it helps me move up the Order of Merit for one of the five Challenge Tour cards,” said Jamieson, a 35/1 shot with Sky Bet before the tournament. “I’ve been working very hard and it’s as much a victory for my family and my sponsor’s, the Haughey family and City Refrigeration.” Jamieson moves up to third in the money list with his win.

Roy Mugglestone (Lindrick) made a real charge with three birdies on the front nine to move to seven under before back to back birdies at 15 and 16 gave him a real chance of posting a formidable target for Saltman and co. But he was unable to pick up another shot in his remaining holes, bogeying the last to finish eight under. Mugglestone shared third spot with Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool), who moved to eight under with four holes thanks to birdies at 13 and 14 but couldn’t find another birdie in the closing stages.

Following rounds of 69 and 67, Ross Whitelock (Staddon Heights) would have hoped to put pressure on the leaders but four bogeys in his first eleven holes scuppered any realistic chances of victory, although he recovered with birdies at 12 and the last to take fifth spot.

Hanson (Crosland Heath) suffered another final round disappointment to finish in a five-way tie for sixth. Hanson – who was five shots clear in the opening event at Collingtree Park only to finish eighth – was unable to make any headway, remaining level through to the 13th before dropping shots there and on his final two holes to finish on six under. James Busby (The Shropshire), Duncan Stewart and Phil Worthington (Donnington Grove) were all seven under ahead of the final round but all posted one over rounds of 73 to finish alongside Hanson and Kevin Harper (East Devon), who carded a 71.

The PGA EuroPro Tour moves to Devon next week where the fourth event will take place at Bovey Castle from Tuesday 16 June – visit www.europrotour.com for more information.

FINAL RESULTS – PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, PRINCE’S GOLF CLUB

=1 Scott Jamieson -9 67, 70, 70 207 £10,000.00 (won on second play-off hole)
=1 Elliot Saltman -9 66, 69, 72 207 £5,000.00
=3 Roy Mugglestone -8 70, 70, 68 208 £2,100.00
=3 Ian Keenan -8 68, 69, 71 208 £2,100.00
5 Ross Whitelock -7 69, 67, 73 209 £1,400.00
=6 Kevin Harper -6 70, 69, 71 210 £950.00
=6 Duncan Stewart -6 72, 65, 73 210 £950.00
=6 Phil Worthington -6 68, 69, 73 210 £950.00
=6 James Busby -6 67, 70, 73 210 £950.00
=6 Chris Hanson -6 67, 68, 75 210 £950.00
11 Daniel Brooks -5 69, 68, 74 211 £750.00

Golf in Lincolnshire

If you are looking at playing golf in Lincolnshire then check out the Lincolnshire page on www.golfempire.co.uk

Listing many events some new open competitions have just been added at; Cleethorpes Golf Club, Kenwick Park Golf Club and Sandilands Golf Club.

See the full list at: http://www.golfempire.co.uk/club/lincolnshire-clubs.htm

Hanson and Saltman share lead at Prince’s

Duo both at nine under ahead of Friday’s final round in Kent

Chris Hanson and Elliot Saltman go into the final round of the PartyPoker.com European Championship at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent tied for the lead at nine under par.

Saltman (Aegon) was the overnight leader at six under and kicked his round off on the back nine with two birdies in the opening three holes. A double bogey at the par-four 13th checked his progress, but he picked up three further birdies in his round to card a three under round of 69 to take his score to 135 for the opening two rounds.

Hanson (Crosland Heath) joins Saltman out in front after starting one shot behind the Scotsman in second spot, thanks to two birdie-bursts on both nines. The 23 year-old began with a double bogey on the first but birdied the second before a cluster of four birdies from the sixth hole saw him go out at three under par. A trio of birdies from the 14th further improved his round although the man who let slip a five shot advantage on the final day of the opening event a Collingtree Park will be a touch frustrated with a bogey at the last that denied him sole possession of the lead.

Ross Whitelock (Staddon Heights) stands alone in third place going into the final round after an impressive back nine charge. The 28 year-old – three under after his first round – went out in level par but blitzed down the home stretch with three birdies and an eagle for a 67.

Duncan Stewart shot the round of the day to fire himself into contention, with six birdies and an eagle contributing to his seven under round of 65 – placing him alongside Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill), Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool), James Busby (The Shropshire), Scott Jamieson, Phil Worthington (Donnington Grove) and Sam Hufton (Copt Heath) two shots behind the leading duo.

The high quality scoring from the opening two rounds at the Sandwich course saw the cut set at one under – Ben Kerr (Saffron Walden) will be the first player out at 8am on Friday, with Saltman and Hanson teeing off at 12.03pm. To follow the final round of the PartyPoker.com European Championship from Prince’s Golf Club, click on the Score Updates link at www.europrotour.com.

Late starter Shacklady wins Brough Classic

DAVID Shacklady believes his late start to the campaign has given him a big advantage over his PGA North Region rivals.

“I feel a lot fresher by not playing in some of the earlier events but I’ve already had three victories, two seconds and a fourth in six outings,” said the Mossock Hall tournament professional after winning the Brough Classic Pro-am for the first time in 16 years.

He added: “Brough is always a tough course when it’s breezy and bouncy because there’s not much room for error. I usually struggle round there and I’ve not got a fantastic record.

“But I holed out well, apart from three-putting the final green. I always felt in control and saw every shot clearly.”

Shacklady, 42, racked up four birdies in his first round 65 and two more in his closing 69 for a two-under-par total to win by one from Haigh Hall’s Craig Corrigan, Alex Belt, from Bridlington Links and Houghwood’s Barry Taylor.

DETAILS: 134 David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 65 69; 135 Craig Corrigan (Haigh Hall) 69 66, Alex Belt (Bridlington Links) 69 66, Barry Taylor (Houghwood) 67 68; 136 Adrian Ambler (Walton Golf Centre) 68 68.

Saltman hits the sixes at Prince’s Golf Club

Scotsman shoots a six-under 66 to lead the PartyPoker.com European Championship

Elliot Saltman picked up three birdies in his last four holes to lead the PartyPoker.com European Championship at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent at six under.

The imposing Scotsman began his round with four birdies in his first five holes to go out at four under par. He was five under after 12 but double bogeyed 14 to drop to three under. That blip didn’t throw Saltman (Aegon) and he composed himself to finish birdie-birdie-par-birdie and claim the lead by one stroke after a fine round of 66.

Saltman was the 22/1 third favourite with official bookmakers Sky Bet, and he will go out as the leader in the second round with a quartet of quality players a stroke behind him.

James Busby (The Shropshire, 35/1) heads that group with three-hole blitz on the back nine seeing him pressure Saltman, with birdies at 13 and 15 sandwiched an eagle at the 14th for a round of 67.

Scott Jamieson (25/1) will be keen to build on his run at the Green17 Faithlegg Championship in Ireland where a final round 77 scuppered his chances of victory after going into the last day with a share of the overnight lead. He finds himself in good shape after the opening day in Sandwich, starting on the back nine and picking up three birdies, then doing the same on the front nine but dropping a shot at the first.

Chris Hanson (Crosland Heath, 33/1) was the front-runner in the opening event at Collingtree Park and again finds himself in the mix thanks to a birdie at the last, while Nicky Harris (Whitefield GC, 60/1) finished with three birdies on the trot for his 67. The final player of the five at five under is Thomas Hobbs (Bramshott Hill GC, 400/1) who began on the back nine and has a trio of birdies at five, six and seven to thank for his position.

Phil Worthington (Donnington Grove), Craig Smith, Sam Hufton (Copt Heath), Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool) and Daniel Gaunt (Burhill GC) shot four under rounds of 68 are hot on the tails of the those at four under going in Wednesday’s second round, while a host of players sit at three and two under par.

The full scores for the first round and live scoring for the rest of the tournament is available on the new online scoring system for the PGA EuroPro Tour. This can be accessed by clicking on the Schedule link on the homepage – www.europrotour.com – and clicking on Leaderboard next to the PartyPoker.com European Championship entry, or via the following link – http://europro.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/europro9/event/europro911/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

All change for Manx Classic

THE PokerStars Manx Classic, the jewel in the PGA North Region crown for nearly 30 years, has a new title sponsor, a change of venue – and will be televised by Sky Sports.

The three round pro-am, carrying a £25,000 prize-fund, moves inland from its original Castletown home to Mount Murray at the end of next month.
“It has a fantastic infrastructure and the course provides a stern but fair test,” said regional secretary Graham Maly.

“The club is unrivalled on the island with competitors benefiting from practice and leisure facilities at the four-star hotel complex.”

In addition to PokerStars, island businesses Doherty Quinn, Cubbin and Bregazzi, Luminaires, RBS Coutts and Escape Properties are also supporting the event on July 29-August 1.

It is being driven locally for the second year and organiser John Tinsley said: “It was important this year we were able to provide the essential facilities which in recent years have been difficult to access at Castletown.

“Competitors will be able to enjoy the wide range of facilities in addition to be able to stay on site. I am grateful to all sponsors and the hotel management for being so supportive.

“In addition to the excellent hotel facilities we are hopeful that we will be able to stage a Poker tournament on July 30 in aid of local charities and the TV coverage is another added benefit of taking part in the pro-am. Everything is in place to make this year’s PokerStars Manx Golf Classic the best yet.”

The Manx Classic has been regularly listed as one of the UK’s biggest pro-ams and attracts several past and present European Tour along with leading PGA North Region professionals.

Open Competitions in Dorset

There are many fine open golf competitions held at golf courses throughout Dorset. Some new events just added to www.golfempire.co.uk will be held at; Chedington Court, Lyme Regis and Queens Park Golf Clubs.

Want to Play Golf in Yorkshire?

Yorkshire is a huge county with approximately 200 golf clubs! Golf Empire lists hundreds of events to be played at courses throughout the White Rose county.

New competitions have just been added at Several of these courses including; Bedale Golf Club, Branshaw Golf Club, Calverley Golf Club, City of Wakefield (Lupset) Golf Club, Crosland Heath Golf Club, Doncaster Town Moor Golf Club, Dore & Totley Golf Club, Huddersfield (Fixby) Golf Club, Leeds (Cobble Hall) Golf Club, Middlesbrough Golf Club, Romanby Golf Club, Rotherham Golf Club, West Bradford Golf Club and Wheatley Golf Club.

Amongst the events is The Keepmoat Lee Westwood Trophy at the Rotherham Golf Club.

Dwyer favourite for Prince’s crown

Sky Bet make Paul 18/1 to win the third event on the 2009 Tour.

After a brief hiatus the PGA EuroPro Tour returns to action with back-to-back events, starting with the PartyPoker.com European Championship at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent first up from Tuesday 9 June.

With a number of current EuroPro Tour players gaining invites to the Challenge Tour this week in Ireland – including early Order of Merit leader Steve Surry – official bookmakers Sky Bet have made Paul Dwyer the 18/1 favourite. The Clitheroe Golf Club man claimed a joint runners-up place at the opening event at Collingtree Park and followed that by finishing in a tie for fourth spot at Faithlegg in Ireland. Simon Lilly and Elliot Saltman joined Dwyer in second spot in the opener and they are 20/1 and 22/1 respectively, with Scott Jamieson and Steve Tiley both 25/1.

Zane Scotland makes a return to the Tour he played regularly on from 2004 to 2007 and is sure to attract a lot of attention. The 26 year-old has played in six events on the 2009 European Tour so far and is a 35/1 shot to win in Kent – while Franny and Rob McGuirk playing their home course are 33/1 and 100/1 respectively.

A victory at Prince’s for any of the players in the top ten of the Order of Merit at this early stage would see them go above Surry at the top of the money list before the Tour moves onto Bovey Castle in Devon next week, so there is sure to be plenty of interest in the Order of Merit market on Sky Bet too.

Kington Golf Club Open Competitions

Check out the open events to be held this year at Kington Golf Club in Herefordshire - http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/kington-golf-club.htm

Kenwright gets it right

LANCASHIRE player Ian Kenwright mastered testing conditions at Manchester to win the Hulbert Trophy by four shots from former county captain Bob Bardsley.

He also picked up his first points of the campaign in the Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit as he compiled rounds of 74 and 72 for a two-over-par aggregate on a day when the standard scratch was set at 76.

Bardsley, from Denton, posted 72 and 78 to push his former Lancashire team-mate Roger Smithies, the 2002 merit winner, into third place on countback.

Chorley’s Nick Jackson, the only player in the top 12 to beat par with a first round 71, followed up with 80 for fifth spot.

DETAILS: 146 Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park) 74 72; 150 Bob Bardsley (Denton) 76 74, Roger Smithies (Manchester) 72 78; 151 Carl Thompson (Manchester) 76 75, Nick Jackson (Chorley) 71 80; 152 Mike Kelly (Ashton-under-Lyne) 79 73; 153 Graham Jackson (Manchester) 76 77, Chris Cuthbert (Prestwich) 76 77; 155 Chris Rabbich (R&A) 80 75; 156 Tom Stewart (St Annes Old Links) 74 82; 157 Gareth Clark (Manchester) 81 76, Daniel Sefton (Lancaster) 80 77.

Northern Order of Merit Points Table

The Latest Northern Order of Merit table (following The Hulbert Trophy) is show below.

Tommy Fleetwood, Formby Hall = 300
John Carroll, Huyton & Prescot = 200
James Robinson, S&A = 165
James Wilson, Formby = 150
Charles Ford, Kirby Muxloe = 150
Zac Harrison, Preston = 150
Thomas Winn, Morecambe = 150
Jay McGarvey, Whitefield = 150
Ian Kenwright, Haydock Park = 150
Ollie Smith, Ashton-on-Mersey = 145
Michael Hearn, Chorley = 100
Marcus Mohr, Hawarden = 100
Bob Bardsley, Denton = 100
Roger Smithies, Manchester = 75
Gareth Hastie, Dunscar = 70
Mark Rabone, S&A = 60
Richie Blundell, Hillside = 60
Andrew Addison, Ashton-in-Makerfield = 60
David Simpson, Penrith = 60
Carl Thompson, Manchester = 60
Paul McFerran, Childwall = 55
David Hurd, Leasowe = 50
Jonathan Corke, Rowany = 50
Will Jones, Oswestry = 50
David Marshall, The Worcestshire = 50
Stephen Jopson, Carlisle = 50
Nick Jackson, Chorley = 50
Richard Pickard, Mere = 45
Mark Millhouse, Bolton = 45
Sean Nicholls, Shaw Hill = 45
Mike Kelly, Ashton-under-Lyne = 45
Adam Wills, Sandiway = 40
Kevin Reilly, S&A = 40
Richard Kilshaw, Hillside = 40
Declan Dixon, Fairhaven = 40
Graham Jackson, Manchester = 40
David Smethurst, Formby = 35
Paul Lowey, Rowany = 30
Kristian Taylor, Formby = 30
Simon Coumbe, Pontefract = 30
Michael Downs, San Roque = 30
Reece Cranfield, Haigh Hall = 30
Mike Howarth, Penwortham = 30
Chris Cuthbert, Prestwich = 30
Jon Harrison, S&A = 25
Anthony Bolton, Formby = 25
Ewan Patterson, St Annes Old Links = 25
Chris Rabbich, R&A = 25
Mark Young, Longridge = 20
Drew Molloy, Hillside = 20
Tim Cooper, Marriott Worsley Park = 20
Matthew Galley, Morecambe = 20
Tom Stewart, St Annes Old Links = 20
Anthony Stirling, Formby = 15
Anthony Holden, Preston = 15
Gareth Clark, Manchester = 15
Kevin Kean, Ashton-on-Mersey = 10
Gavin Nesbit, Boldon = 10
Paul Armstrong, Penwortham = 10
Daniel Sefton, Lancaster = 10

Somerset Golfing

Joining the number of golf clubs already listed in the county of Somerset is Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club.

View details about amateur golf opens at this club by clicking on the following link: http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/minehead-west-somerset-golf-club.htm

Hundreds of New Open Golf Events in Scotland

Hundreds of new open golf competitions have recently been added to the Golf Empire website throughout Scotland.

Golf empire is the largest and fastest growing directory of open golf competitions in the UK and now boasts over 2000 open golf events listed in Scotland.

Over 50 new golf clubs have just had their 2009 amateur open golf tournaments listed on http://www.golfempire.co.uk/ including the following golf courses;

Central:
Aberfoyle GC
Bellshill GC
Blairbeth GC
Bothwell Castle GC
Cochrane Castle GC
Crow Wood GC
Dollar GC
Douglas Park GC
Dunblane New GC
Greenock Whinhill GC
Haggs Castle GC
Helensburgh GC
Kilmacolm GC
Kilsyth Lennox GC
Kirkintilloch GC
Lanark GC
Muckhart GC
Strathaven GC
Whitecraigs GC

Heartland:
Aberdour GC
Alyth GC
Crail GC
Dunkeld & Birnam GC
Dunnikier Park GC
Forfar GC
Pitlochry GC
Scotscraig GC

Highlands:
Fortrose & Rosemarkie GC
Muir of Ord GC
Nairn GC
Newtonmore GC

North East:
Elgin GC
Forres GC
Peterculter GC
Stonehaven GC
Westhill GC

South East:
Bathgate GC
Broomieknowe GC
Craigmillar Park GC
Dunbar GC
Gullane GC
Haddington GC
Harburn GC
Hirsel GC
Merchants of Edinburgh GC
Musselburgh GC
Prestonfield GC

South West:
Cathcart Castle GC
Largs GC
Loudoun GC
Stranraer GC

Play Golf at Perranporth

If you are looking to play golf at Perrenporth Golf Club in Cornwall during 2009 then you have a great opportunity to do so with their open golf week.

Full details including formats and costings can be seen on the following link: http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/perranporth-golf-club.htm

Bush Hill Park Now Listed

Bush Hill Park Golf Club in Middlesex are now registed with Golf Empire and have provided details about some of their amateur open golf competitions.

Details can be found on their dedicated page: http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/bush-hill-park-golf-club.htm

South Essex Golf Centre

South Essex Golf Centre have recently listed some open golf competitions at their complex.

Visit http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/south-essex-golf-club.htm to find out more.

Buckinghamshire Golf Competitions including Woburn

New open golf competitions have recently been added in the county of Buckinghamshire.

Some of the amateur golf events just added include some fabulous open competitions at Woburn Golf Club. This famous club is home to the Duke's, Marquess' and Duchess' golf courses - all presenting a unique and enjoyable challenge.

Woburn is famous for it's associated with European Tour star, Ian Poulter. Ian has been attached to the club as Touring Professional since 2003, during which time he has been a great ambassador for the Buckinghamshire club. Poulter is extremely supportive of Junior Golf and in 2008 held his third consecutive “Ian Poulter Junior Invitational” which, with the support of his sponsors, was hosted at Woburn.

Full details about the five events to be held in August can be seen on the Woburn Golf Club page on the Golf Empire website.

More Opens at Halesworth Golf Club

Information about more open golf competitions is now available at Halesworth Golf Club in Suffolk.

New events at the is golf club can now be found at http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/halesworth-golf-club.htm

Play the UK & Ireland's Top 100 Golf Courses

Find, enter and play in open golf competitions at the Top 100 Golf Courses in the UK & Ireland!

We all know that playing in open golf competitions can be an excellent way to play new and different courses at a greatly reduced green-fee rate, however, many open events can fill up very quickly, especially at the top golf courses. Therefore we have listed the Top 100 Golf Courses, according to Golf Monthly, and provided information about how to enter their open tournaments.

Links are even provided to the actual entry-forms or pages with further details. But places in some of the tournaments are like gold dust so we suggest adding the page to your favourites so that you can check it regularly for new events being added.

Of course some of these fine golf courses don't hold any open events but hopefully you will find the selection that we have provided useful and allow you to mark off some of the courses from your list of 'must-play' golf courses.

Details about 2010 open golf competitions will be listed as soon as we receive the information.

Golf in Bedfordshire

Open Golf Competitions are now listed at Millbrook Golf Club in Bedfordshire.

Visit http://www.golfempire.co.uk/golf-clubs/millbrook-golf-club.htm for full details.