IT was a case of ‘the luck of the Irish’ for a North-East amateur golfer who won a trip of a lifetime to the USA to play a round alongside victorious Irishman Shane Lowry.

Ray Pipe swapped his usual tee off spot at Rockliffe Hall, in Hurworth, near Darlington, for the Firestone Country Club, in Ohio, as a prize for winning the Bridgestone Amateur Golf Championship in June.

The 63-year-old, from Darlington, beat hundreds of amateur hopefuls from across the country to win the trip of a lifetime, where he followed Lowry for every step of his final round 66 before meeting him for a chat and posing for photographs moments after the winning putt was sunk.

The prize also included a round of golf at the Firestone Country Club’s north course and the chance to speak to Bridgestone sponsored golfers Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.

The amateur golfer said: “I really can’t believe the four days I’ve had out here in Akron. We were lucky enough to meet Shane Lowry on Saturday evening and were able to have a good old chat.

“To walk every step of the course with him on Sunday and see him hit that second shot into the 18th was a moment to cherish forever. I can’t wait to tell the lads all about it at Rockliffe when I get home.

“Bridgestone treated us like royalty for every second of our adventure and I really can’t thank them enough for what they have done for us.”

Mr Pipe travelled to the USA with his wife and fellow competition winner, Ger Breen, from Dublin.

Bridgestone’s consumer sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan said: “We are thrilled for Ray and his wife Eileen and glad they had such a great time at the Bridgestone Invitational.

“We are always looking at ways to bring the world of golf closer to tyres, so we’re confident Ray will be thinking of us – and Shane Lowry - when it’s time for a trip to his local garage again.”

Bridgestone has been the sponsor of the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club, in Ohio, since 2006.