UPCOMING Malton & Norton Golf Club starlet Josh Stead has been selected for the England Under-16s Yorkshire regional boys' squad.

England Golf have 10 regional squads and Stead, the reigning York Union of Golf Clubs' Junior champion, is one of six boys to be accepted for the 2017-18 train-on party for the White Rose county.

Stead has been a part of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs' U15s coaching scheme since the age of 12 and this selection is a great end to a successful season.

As an individual, the 15-year-old was selected to represent Yorkshire Boys U16s against Lancashire and duly won his singles and halved his foursomes match in the White Rose county's victory.

A last-hole birdie also saw him become York Union Junior champion, following in the footsteps of previous Malton & Norton winners of this title – current European Tour player Simon Dyson and England amateur international David Hague.

Stead had carded rounds of 67 and 72 at Heworth GC, holing his birdie putt at the 18th to edge Fulford's Tom Kelly by one shot.

Stead, who has a current playing handicap of 1.7 (2), was also part of the Malton & Norton team - alongside Christina Rumbelow and Poppy Rudd, with Lewis Stead as reserve - that won the Yorkshire Junior Team Championship at Sandburn Hall, a triumph which saw them progress to the English County Finals at Woodall Spa last month.

The Welham Park youngsters had previously retained the York Union Junior Team Championship trophy at Scarthingwell GC, winning by an eight-shot margin, with Stead firing the best score for the day of 40 points.