North Of England Open Amateur Youth Championship - 8-10 August
As it has for over 30 years, the Championship was staged once again at the Middlesbrough Golf Club. A major 72 hole stroke play event, it has boasted many big names amongst its winners and entrants over the years such as Sandy Lyle, Roger Chapman, Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam. With a strong entry from Northumberland and Tyne & Wear players, hopes were high for a local victory. The first hurdle was to make the cut. No easy task as, with over 130 entrants from all over the UK, only 45 players and ties would make it through to the final two rounds. With a host of County titles between them, 6 out of the 14 local players made it through the first two rounds. Leading the way was Phil Waugh (Hexham) with 68 plus James Curry (Prudhoe) and Chris Paisley (Stocksfield) with 69's. With solid rounds of 71, 70 and 70 respectively, all three comfortably made the cut along with Phil Ridden (City of Newcastle), Sean Heads (Hexham) and Craig Wilkinson (Blyth). But it looked like it was going to be a battle between the top three Tynedale players. And so it proved with Chris Paisley shooting 67 and 71 for 277 and 6th place. Just one shot back in 7th was James Curry with 72 and a fine closing 67 for 278. A further shot back in 8th was Phil Waugh who shot two 70's for 279. Ridden (288), Heads (292) and Wilkinson (305) sadly faded over the final two rounds to finish in 30th, 40th and 53rd places respectively. Although James will be disappointed not to have won, he will be pleased to have put behind him the disaster of the Carris Trophy when a 4 shot penalty for an over age caddy cost him a top 10 spot having gone into the last two rounds lying second.