PIKE Hills golfer Martin Brown is eyeing a 2004 double after winning the York Union Amateur Golf Championship at the weekend.

Having clinched victory at The Oaks with a five-under par two-round total of 139, rising star Brown, 24, is now setting his sights on defending his York Union of Golf Club's Open Championships at his home course in August.

Plumber Brown saw off the challenge of the area's top professionals to clinch that title by five shots last year and he enjoyed the same winning margin in the amateur version at the weekend.

Afterwards, he said: "I played really, really well because it was a good field. Three of us were tied in the morning after shooting 70s but they fell back in the afternoon.

"The course was in great condition and I enjoy playing there because it's where I won the Open last year but now I'm looking forward to taking on the professionals again at Pike Hills."

Brown, who plays off a plus-one handicap, harbours hopes of turning professional himself having this year become the first Pike Hills player in the club's century-long history to represent Yorkshire.

When asked about his ambitions for the rest of the year, Brown replied: "I want to try to get a regular spot in the Yorkshire team and see what happens from there. I'm still hoping to turn professional and that's going okay although I'm on the lookout for sponsorship now."

He added: "I also want to say thanks to Steve Robinson who is the pro at Malton for all his help."

Adam Newton, of Fulford, and Heworth's Alistair Smith were the two men who both shot 70s to share the lead with Brown after 18 holes of the Amateur Championship.

An afternoon round of 74 was enough to earn Newton the runners-up spot but The Oak's Tony Raper (74, 71) and Fulford's Matthew Kelly (74, 71) edged ahead of Smith, who shot a second round 75.

The morning gross prize went to David Holder, of The York GC, while Fulford's Steve Dunn took the afternoon honours.

Kirkbymoorside's Tom Rollinson, playing off a handicap of 12, won the Juniors' Seward Trophy with a net score of 65 playing over the same course length as their senior colleagues.

Rollinson held off challenges from The Oaks pair Tom Parry and Phil Dobson, who scored net 68 and 69 respectively. Fulford's Matthew Lord took the gross prize.

Brown is in red-hot form at present and came within a whisker of capturing the Pannal Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

He lost at the third extra hole to Gareth Evans (Northcliffe) after they tied on 140, Brown firing rounds of 69 and 71.

Two extra holes were halved before Evans took the title after putting his tee shot within ten feet of the hole at the third while Brown missed the green.

Brown's Pike Hills colleague Adrian Lount shot 149 to finish joint sixth. Heworth's Jim Batt was a further two strokes adrift on 151.

Updated: 10:52 Saturday, June 12, 2004