DID you enjoy The Open? So did the North-East's top golfers.

Whether sat in their favourite armchair or propping up the bar at their local clubhouse, they had a great view of the enthralling play-off.

There were 156 players in The Open - and none of them came from this region.

And as the world's best were competing at Muirfield, Hartlepool's Graeme Storm was again struggling to assert himself in France. Storm, a former British Amateur champion, pulled out of the Aa St Omer Open after carding a first-round 80.

But since his third place in the Open de Argentina in April last year, Storm has become accustomed to dropping out of a competition before the weekend has started.

Of the 15 events he has entered in 2002, he has made the cut just three times, earning £9,500. He is 236th on the Challenge Tour money list.

Ashington's Kenneth Ferrie has fared far better, a third-place finish in the Open de France helping him pick up around £96,000 this year.

But neither even came close to making Muirfield, and while English golf is going through a transitional period, the North-East scene is almost completely barren.

It is in stark contrast to the local amateur game, which is thriving and producing talented players by the course-load.

Ian Smith, a committee member at Bedale Golf Club, said: "The fact that there was no North-East player in The Open is a serious condemnation of the standard of players around here.

"It's quite dismal that no-one from Newcastle down to Leeds was good enough to get in a field of 156 players.

"We were anxious to see players from local clubs make it through but a few of them couldn't get past final qualifying.

"But the amateur game is strong in the area. There are a lot of good young players coming through.

"The amateur system is producing people who can get to the highest level - people like Jonathan Lupton, who's in the Walker Cup.

"It's just a question of finding someone who can make that extra step up to the professional game."