THE prestigious Champion of Champions Tournament is to be played at Slaley Hall on Sunday after an eight-year absence, writes Chris Robinson.
The competition is initially for club champions in Northumberland and Durham, plus invitations to top amateurs.
Leading the local challenge are John Ecclestone (Alnwick), Hamish Sutherland (Alnmouth), Stephen Johnstone (Linden Hall), Peter Sander
son (Bamburgh Castle), David Weddell (Alnmouth Village), Richard Gander (Percy Wood), Martin Carss (Dunstanburgh Castle), Stuart McCredie (Goswick), Darren Meakin (Magdelene Fields), Daniel Wood (Duns), Robert Balmbra (Warkworth), Alister Holmes (Seahouses) and John Bone (Burgham Park).
Also, three of the favourites are from Morpeth, led by former Scottish International, and Northumberland County Champion, Sandy Twynholm, who now plays off plus two.
Breathing down his neck is 21-year-old junior and senior county player Craig Penny, who plays off plus one and completing the trio is 26-year-old one handicap Ross Downie, who is also a junior and senior county player and was recently named the 2007 Player of the Year in the Newcastle and District League.
The tournament, which among its winners includes Morpeth's David Clark, was first played in 1968, when it was won by Doug McClelland from South Shields, who followed in 1969 as the Durham County Champion.
