FULFORD Golf Club duo Damon Coulson and Craig Smith fell agonisingly short in their bid to make final qualifying for The Open Championship.

The pair were among a host of York, North and East Yorkshire golfers battling for eight qualifying places on offer at Moortown GC, in Leeds.

Coulson and Smith both shot a two-over-par 73, in tough weather conditions, which had them in the hunt as 105 competitors battled on the 7,009-yard par 71 course, which famously held the Ryder Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland and the United States in 1929.

But, in the end, they missed out by a single shot as a score of one-over-par ultimately proved good enough to bag a berth. Smith still has some brief hope, the amateur named 45th reserve should players have to drop out of the final qualifying events, held across the country next week.

Home golfer Nick McCarthy used course knowledge to his advantage as he led the qualifying table with a score of 69.

A host of North Yorkshire golfers finished on three-over-par with Malton & Norton's Chris Halley, Easingwold's Nick Marchant and Selby's Nick Ludwell all performing creditably.

Fulford's Daniel Hood struck 76, while Snainton's John Wells came home with a score of 77. Former Yorkshire Amateur champion Julian Taylor was tied 54th with 78 and eight-time York Amateur winner Martin Brown (Pike Hills) was a shot further back.

The Oaks' James Walker finished with 80.

Yorkshire Ladies, meanwhile, got off to a cracking start as Northern Counties Match Week got under way at Sandiway Golf Club in Cheshire.

The defending champions demolished Durham 8-1 with the morning foursomes pairing of Fulford's Charlotte Austwick and Lees Hall's Holly Morgan rampaging to a 7&6 victory over Natasha Martin and Ella Crang.

Former Sandburn Hall golfer Olivia Hamilton paired with Megan Clarke to beat Emma Martin and Rebecca Woolley 6&5.

Selby's Megan Garland was forced to sit out through illness, while Austwick fell to Briony Bayles in the afternoon singles.

Yesterday, the White Rose girls were playing Cumbria, who were whitewashed in their opening match by Lancashire. They proved little trouble as Yorkshire thrashed them 8-1.