NEW champion Steven Ridley wants to achieve his 'ultimate goal' after succeeding in the Durham County Third Division Individual Competition.

The 22-year-old was in emphatic form at Crook on Saturday when he finished two shots clear of the host club's Jeff Jobson.

Now Ridley, in his fourth year on the fairways, wants to make sure he continues to progress and he would love nothing more than to try his luck in the First Division championship one day.

And, after coming on leaps and bounds since finishing tenth in the Fourth Division competition at Blackwell Grange, he is convinced he can knock his 15-handicap down so he can take further steps toward the elite.

"To win the title was fantastic," said Ridley, who would need handicap of between one and five to qualify for the First Division's tournament. "I have improved massively in the past 12 months and I want to keep that going.

"I would love to play in the Second Division's version next season and to do that I would have to get my handicap down by another five maybe six in that time.

"My ultimate goal has to be competing with the best in the region in the First Division competition but that's still a long way off. It would be great though."

Ridley carded a net 66 to overcome Jobson and his two Crook clubmates Steven Coote and Frank Griffiths.

But, despite being a member at Bishop Auckland, Ridley revealed he does tend to spend a lot of time on the Crook course.

"My mate Jonny Diaz is a member at Crook so I would say I have been around there a dozen or so times with him," said Ridley, who then finished fifth in the Brancepeth Castle Spring Open on Sunday with partner Michael Toole.

"It is a course I like and it was to my benefit on Saturday that I had played at Crook before.

"That didn't stop me having a tough time on the outward nine when I shot a 43. But my 38 coming back proved to be the major factor and that won it for me."

Result of the Third Division competition, for 11-15 handicappers: 1st Steven Ridley (Bishop Auckland) 81-15-66; 2nd Jeff Jobson (Crook) 79-11-68; 3rd Steven Coote (Crook) 83-14-69; 4th Frank Griffiths (Crook) 81-12-69; 5th Stuart Porthouse (Wearside) 83-13-70.

l Four of the region's amateur golfers have clinched places in the Audi quattro Cup UK Regional Final.

The tournament is regarded as one of the country's top amateur competitions and now Sunderland pair Colin Healy and Philip Hall, Hutton Henry's John Anderson and Burnopfield's Andrew Hutchison have all qualified after succeeding in the Wearside Golf Club tournament.

There were over 50 competing with that quartet but it was Healy who won the Mill Audi Wearside event with a score of 39.

Anderson, Hall and Hutchison all carded scores of 38, 38 and 37 respectively in the Stableford rules matches.

Healy, aged 24, will now team-up with Anderson, 33, while Hall, 50, plays with Hutchison, 33, in a Regional Final at the Marriott Hollins Hall Golf Club in Shipley near Bradford July 27.

Two British pairs will contest the Audi quattro Cup World Final staged at Vilamoura in Portugal on 20-24 October.

* Reigning champions of the Clark Cup, Blackwell Grange, have crashed out at the first hurdle this time around.

Blackwell suffered a 3-2 defeat at Ryton in the first round of the competition and now Ryton face Heworth.

First Round results: Boldon 3 Brancepeth Castle 2; Darlington 3 Billingham 2; Barnard Castle 4 Crook 1; Castle Eden 5 Ramside 0; Oakleaf 4 Mount Oswald 1; Hobson 4 Woodham ; Houghton le Spring 3 Tyneside 1; Durham City 5 The Wynyard 0; Wearside 4 George Washington 1; Consett 5 Hartlepool 0; Hydro 4 South Shields 1; Ravensworth 3 Birtley 2; Roseberry Grange 4 Bishop Auckland 1; Beamish Park 3 Heworth 2; Ryton 3 Blackwell Grange 2; Eaglescliffe 3 Seaham 2.

Second Round (to be completed by Monday 28th June 2004): Ryton v Heworth; Houghton le Spring v Wearside; Eaglescliffe v Barnard Castle; Mount Oswald v Castle Eden; Bishop Auckland v Ravensworth; Boldon v Billingham; Durham City v Consett; Hobson v Hydro - could all winning club captains please inform the County Secretary of the result of their match as soon as the match is completed.

Published: 02/06/2004