AN amateur Darlington golfer will be swapping his Rockliffe Hall club surroundings for the Firestone Country Club in Ohio after winning at The Belfry.

Ray Pipe overcame the odds – and the weather – by winning the Bridgestone Amateur Golf Championship, which paves the way to a trip to the prestigious Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, where he will actually play a round himself before the competition begins on August 6.

The 63 year-old from Darlington won a qualifying event to earn a place at the final and went on to win it outright with a stableford score of 34.

“Playing at the Belfry was a magical experience in itself, but to go on and win the event and such a phenomenal prize like a trip to America is a dream come true,” said Pipe. “I actually three putted the 15th, 16th and 17th and thought my chance might have gone, but I thought of what I always tell my grandchildren, which is – never give up!

“I was certainly very nervous standing on the first tee and a bit deflated at one point on the back nine, but golf has a habit of coming up with a twist in the tale. The conditions were really tough so I knew my score of 34 was competitive, but to be announced as the winner was an incredible feeling.”

The Northern Echo: Darlington's Ellie Givens

DARLINGTON'S Ellie Givens, pictured above, has high hopes of making an impression today at the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters.

Givens, enjoying the best start to a season of her career to date, will be part of a strong field at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club in Denham this morning.

The 26-year-old finished a credible 28th to earn just under 2,000 euros at the Deloitte Ladies Open recently and before that she claimed 8,000 euros by finishing 13th at Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. She has climbed to 51st in the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and on track to retain her card for next year.

The Northern Echo:

JACK AINSCOUGH, pictured above, has sealed a place in the England Schoolboys team to face Scotland in September.

The 15-year-old, who became Hartlepool's youngest ever club champion this summer, clinched one of the coveted eight places by finishing highly in the English Schools' National Boys Championship last week.

His two-round 146 shot total at Peterborough Milton Men's course earned a share of second spot just one behind winner Joseph Bannan, from Manchester.

Ainscough, a student at Hartlepool's Dyke House College, will now face Scotland at Kilmarnock Golf Club on September 14. He said: "I didn't even play that well. Tee to green I was decent but I missed a nation of putts. I should have won it, I didn't play my best."

THREE County Durham golfers have timed their first hole-in-ones perfectly to land a new watch.

Bishop Auckland Golf Club’s Michael Kavanagh, 63, scored his ace on the 162-yard, par-three seventh, with an eight-iron and the 17-handicapper was rewarded with a specially-commissioned timepiece.

Barnard Castle’s 16-handicapper Maurice Eustace, 75, claimed one too for his ace on the 164-yard, par-three 11th at his club.

Consett's Chris Southworth, 69, delivered at the 143-yard par three 14th.