QUEEN of clubs Christina Rumbelow has qualified for the finals of a national competition to find the most improved girl golfer in the country.

The 12-year-old, who plays out of Easingwold Golf Club, is one of 23 youngsters taking part in the climax of the Abraham Trophy at Royal Cromer, in Norfolk, on Sunday, July 26.

Rumbelow has qualified on the basis of handicap reduction and has been selected out of the Yorkshire area.

Having won a national skills challenge run by England Golf last year, the youngster has continued to improve and now plays off a handicap of 17.8.

From Brompton, near Scarborough, Rumbelow has also been turning heads in local circles - finishing second in the Seward Trophy at The Oaks last weekend in what was her first York Union of Golf Clubs' competition.

Step-dad Neil Turner said Rumbelow, who first starting playing golf when she was six, was looking forward to playing at Royal Cromer.

"She has been working very hard and she is always on the short game area to try and get better," he said. "She gets a lot of coaching from Alastair Grindlay at Easingwold, from Michael Brooks at Malton and from Yorkshire Ladies.

"She was a bit surprised to finish second at the Seward Trophy. She was there to fill up the numbers and to get a bit of experience. But she likes The Oaks. She is looking forward to the final of the Abraham Trophy.

"Christina said the same thing about the skills challenge. She is going to go out there and give it everything she has got. There is a lot of stiff competition and she has never seen the course before but she has worked hard for it.

"She didn't have a target until the Abraham Trophy. She sees her target as to go down there and win it. Christina will really enjoy it."

Turner added that Rumbelow's ambition was to be either a professional golfer "on the TV" or to teach children how to play the game.