SILVER service has thrilled Pike Hills GC member George Hosie.

The seven handicapper joined some limited company after winning the York Union of Golf Clubs' Senior Championship.

On a difficult day, which saw some of the competitors battered by heavy rain, Hosie shot 38 stableford points at Malton & Norton GC to beat the home club's Howard Mayne by a single point with Sandburn Hall's Steve Smith back in third.

Hosie admitted he wasn't sure the tally would be enough to take the overall honours but, celebrating the "biggest thing I have won while I have been playing golf", he now has the chance to put together a fabulous double - with Pike Hills playing their seniors competition on Wednesday.

Hosie said: "I enjoyed it. I played solidly. I didn't put myself into too much trouble and I knocked some really good putts in. The course was in really good condition and the greens were true. I picked my line and they went in. It was my day. I got the pace of them pretty quickly and that was the key.

"The course is a bit longer than Pike Hills but I can hit the ball a reasonable distance so it wasn't too much of a chore, really. It feels absolutely brilliant. It is the biggest thing I have won while I have been playing golf.

"I have won a couple of trophies at Pike Hills in the years I have been a member there but nothing as big as this. If I am being honest, I didn't think it (38 points) was enough at the time. It was. It was a very pleasant surprise.

"All being well, I will look to defend it next year. We have got our seniors' championship at Pike Hills on Wednesday so we will see what happens there."

David Ridley used local knowledge to good effect as he defended the Reed Trophy - but he is unlikely to get a shot at making it a treble of victories next year.

The Fulford golfer took the title at Scarthingwell 12 months ago as a Malton & Norton member and, having switched allegiances from the Welham Park-based course, he used three decades of experience playing there to fire a fabulous 41 points.

The Reed trophy, for players with handicaps from 19 to 27, was last defended successfully in 2006 but Ridley's handicap has tumbled from 18.5 to 16.4 as a result of his win, meaning he is unlikely to meet the qualification requirements to go for a hat-trick in 2016.

Ridley said: "I won the trophy last year and now I have defended it. I don't think there are too many players who have done that. I was a Malton member for nearly 30 years and I switched to Fulford.

"When I knew it was at Malton this year I was quite pleased because I had local knowledge. My game was on song. My handicap is now 16.4 and I will have to go and win the Seniors Championship next year."