DEDICATED golfer Stuart Rank has strengthened his grip on a long-cherished dream.

Since he first took up the sport as a ten-year-old to follow in the trolley tracks of his father Bill, Rank junior has always wanted to be a club professional.

Now the Easingwold GC assistant is on the threshold of realising that ambition - and it is due to two of the best scores he has returned during the boiling cauldron of competition.

Rank's performance in the recent York Open championship, where he finished fourth has enabled him to take the first major steps to becoming a club professional. His rounds of 73 and 70 - just three shots off eventual champion Steve Dunn - guaranteed his handicap dropped to the requisite three. That means he will now apply to the Professional Golfers' Association to sit its 'playing test' for the next intake of wannabe professionals.

If he passes then he will embark on a three-year course at the end of which he will hopefully graduate as a professional.

The 24-year-old Rank is not seeking a place on the professional playing circuit, declaring: "You have to be a bit special to go down that route." But his dream is to become a professional at a club with his own shop to provide him with a 'good living'.

His display in the York Open merely served to strengthen his aspiration which first flourished when his father took him to play at Easingwold as a ten-year-old. Since then Rank junior has been a member of the club, where he has assisted professional John Hughes for the last three years. Rank's father, meanwhile, is currently the head green-keeper at Thirsk and Northallerton GC.

"I guess you could say golf was in the blood," quipped the youngest Rank off the production line. "I have always wanted to be a professional and my display in the York Open could not have come at a better time.

"They were arguably my two best rounds in my career, even better than when I won the Easingwold club championship. There was such a lot of pressure on me, but now I feel a big weight has been lifted."

A WARM friendship has blossomed between two golf clubs of the same name thanks to a wayward mail delivery.

A mis-delivered parcel containing 18 cups for the greens, arrived at Heworth (York) GC in the spring of 1996. As the club would have only ordered 11 cups - it boasts only 11 holes - enquiries discovered that the delivery was intended for Heworth (Gateshead) GC.

The respective captains contacted each other and a match was arranged at Gateshead, with a return at York.

The fixtures have become an annual event, and not wanting to be left out, the ladies of Heworth York and Gateshead, too got in the act, the most recent clash being at York.

Said the York lady captain Mrs Mary Wilson: "We shall always be grateful to that wayward parcel, because we have become firm friends with the ladies from Heworth Gateshead, whose club opened in 1912, the year after ours in 1911."

The York hosts triumphed 51-41, but that has not stopped the friendship prompting verse from one of the Geordie contingent. In best tongue she declared: "So lang may these trips continue and the seeds of such visits sow, cement us two clubs so it gans on an' on ta grow."

THERE was a peach of a show in the battle for York Union's Pick Trophy staged at Scarthingwell GC.

Four players totalled 41 stableford points with count-back coming into play to show that Scarthingwell's Ken Peach had prevailed.

Second-placed Ron Perigo of Aldwark Manor had the consolation of being the division two (20-28 handicaps) winner just ahead of Forest Park's Tom Hutchinson, who was third overall.

Another host course player, Barry Ellis, was the fourth-placed player on 41 points, but he headed the division one (0-19 handicap) rankings.

THE Enwright stuff was displayed in Forest of Galtres GC's inaugural John Riley memorial championships for 16 and over handicaps.

Sam Enwright (16 handicap) shot a net 67 to win on count-back from Glen Hill (18) and Kevin Banfield (16).

Dave Fotheringham - using a driver, six and eight irons - edged Bill Johnson - driver, five wood and eight iron - to capture the Eggs' three-club strokeplay event with a nett 67.

YORK Union lost 21-15 to Harrogate at Heworth GC in their final Yorkshire Inter-Union League tie of the season to leave them at the foot of the table.

Tomorrow York play in the Inter-district Union team championship at Brass Castle in Middlesbrough. The team is: Martin Brown (Pike Hills), James Duckett (Boothferry), Steve Dunn, Matthew Lord, James Mason (all Fulford); Andrew Holmes (Kirkbymoorside). Reserve: Adrian Lount (Pike Hills).

KILNWICK Percy GC's Autumn Challenge Cup, played as a pairs betterball strokeplay event, finished with three duos tying on net 61.

Count-back yielded victory to Mick and Mark Adinall ahead of second-placed David Jacobs and Steve Johnson with Norman Turton and Peter Sayer in third.

GILLIAN Allison won Fulford GC ladies' section's September medal with an eight-under-par 66, four ahead of veterans' winner Anne Everton.

Updated: 10:31 Saturday, September 07, 2002