TWO big name European golfers are set to play at Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth next month.

Sam Torrance and Costantino Rocca have confirmed their intention to play in the European Senior Tour English Senior Open being held at Rockliffe on August 22-24, with a pro-am tournament being held on the Thursday.

Scotland’s Torrance is famed for captaining the Ryder Cup team in 2002 and also winning the European Tour 21 times. The 60-year-old, who is also a well-known commentator, was awarded the MBE in 1996 and the OBE in 2003 for his outstanding contributions to golf.

Costantino Rocca is Italy’s most successful golfer to date, having won five European Tours and two European Senior Tours. Fifty-seven-year-old Rocca also finished second in the 1995 Open.

In addition to Rocca and Torrance, former Ryder Cup captain, Mark James, will be playing in the English Senior Open at Rockliffe Hall and other major names are expected to confirm their part in the coming weeks. Steen Tinning will return to defend his title as the winner of last year’s tournament at Rockliffe Hall and Paul Wesselingh, who won last year’s Order of Merit, has also confirmed as playing.

Tickets can now be bought for just £10 (under 16s free) by visiting www.englishsenioropen.com or calling 01325 729999.

A limited number of places, meanwhile, are available for the Northern Golf Masters (NGM), which is being held at Rockliffe on Sunday, July 27. The closing date for entries is Friday, July 11.

Category one golfers from across the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria can take part in the tournament and represent their club. Entries can be made at by visiting www.rockliffehall.com/golf

YORKSHIRE will defend their title as the women’s English County Champions after they won a thrilling climax to North Region county match week at Northumberland Golf Club.

The champions – who have won the national title 12 times - will be challenged at County Finals at Belton Park, Lincolnshire, from September 15-19, by the winning teams from the other five regions.

Yorkshire squeezed through to County Finals after a countback of games won at their regional match week, after they tied with Lancashire and Cheshire with four match wins apiece.

Yorkshire’s 34 points beat Lancashire (30.5) into second place, just ahead of third placed Cheshire (30). The other North region counties are Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria.

BISHOP Auckland’s Jess Hall and Ramside Hall’s Kitana Hollins played their part as Durham came fourth out of six counties at Northumberland.

Durham’s results included an 8-1 win over Cumbria and a draw with Northumberland. They lost to Yorkshire, Cheshire and Lancashire.

The duo have also qualified to play at Birstal in the National Under-16s Championships along with Beamish Park’s Alexandra Stevenson, Castle Eden’s Jack Ainscough and Seaton Carew’s Cameron Wallace.

It is the first time in Durham Schools’ golf history, dating back to 1971, that so many from the area have qualified for the Nationals. Previous Durham representatives include Tour golfer Ellie Givens and Hartlepool pro Alex Wrigley.

ON Monday there was Durham Union Boys drew 9-9 with Lancashire. In a topsy-turvy encounter there were singles wins for Ainscough, Wallace, Ryan Dixon (Castle Eden), James Wilson (Tyneside), Daniel Candish (Ravensworth) and Eaglescliffe’s Will Skipp.

In the earlier foursomes, there were victories for Rian Lamb (Boldon) and Dixon as well as Castle Eden pairing Jack Trewhitt and Thomas Harbord.