Over the past six months, young golfers in Sussex have been taking part in a hugely successful initiative set up by The Sussex Golf Partnership. The Development Academy was put into operation to identify and encourage girls and boys aged between 9 and 15 who were not already part of the present county squad coaching programme.

96 children were selected to join one of the Development Academies in Sussex: Royal Eastbourne Golf Club, Chartham Park Golf & Country Club in East Grinstead and Rustington Golf Centre, which nurtured their existing talent and offered them support to attain their potential and increase their opportunity to progress to the Junior County squads.

It has been really well received amongst the children, parents and coaches alike. James Victory, aged 9 from Worthing has felt the benefits of the Academy: “It has helped me progress and learn new skills, I have enjoyed it and it is helped me with my confidence playing against others”, whilst Jen Goad, aged 13 from Mid Sussex explained, “I now know lots of different practices to keep my learning a lot more enjoyable so I don’t get bored when I’m not at the Academy sessions”. Pictured are some of our future stars enjoying one of the hugely popular "Try out" days.

Hertfordshire (pictured) swept to victory in the East region County Match Week with a 9-0 whitewash of Cambs & Hunts on the final day at West Herts. They were clear winners of the week with five points from five matches and will represent the region in the finals of the English Counties’ Championship, supported by Virgin Atlantic. In the day’s other matches Bedfordshire upset the form book to beat Essex 5-4 while Norfolk also defeated Suffolk 5-4. Finals placings: Hertfordshire 5 pts, Essex 3 pts, Bedfordshire 3 pts, Norfolk 2½ pts, Cambs & Hunts 1½ pts, Suffolk 0 pts.

In the Midlands South region week at Goring and Streatley, Northamptonshire continued their winning record by completing their fifth victory of the week.They had secured thei r place at County Finals after four days, but rounded off the week with a 6½-2½ win over Buckinghamshire. Worcestershire and Herefordshire beat Warwickshire 5½-3½ and Oxfordshire beat the hosts, Berkshire, 5½-3½.

Final placings: Northamptonshire 5pts, Oxfordshire 3pts, Warwickshire 2½ pts, Worcestershire & Herefordshire 2 pts, Buckinghamshire 1½ pts, Berkshire 1pt. The winners of each of six County Match Weeks will go forward to the County Finals at Kedleston Park, Derbyshire, in September. Three match weeks have already been completed and Dorset will represent the South West, Sussex will represent the South and Lincolnshire will represent Midlands North. The North week will take place at the end of the month.

Fifty-year-old Steve Cipa of South Essex Golf Centre turned back the clock to win the PGA East Anglian Championship supported by Weston Homes plc at Bishop’s Stortford. Cipa, now a member of the European Seniors Tour, twice won the PGA East Region order of merit in 1991 and 1993. His last order of merit tournament win came in the Senate Charity Open at Braintree in 2004. Brett Taylor was on second place.

The first East Anglian Open was won by the late Reg Knight in 1951. Since the many illustrious names have been engraved on the silver trophy including Eddie Whitcombe (three times), Laurie Ayton, Brian Huggett (twice), Lionel Platts, Michael Bonallack as an amateur and Ian Poulter. This was the second of six Order of Merit events arranged for this season. The top three in the Order of Merit will take part in the Srixon PGA Play-Offs in November. PGA EAST ANGLIAN CHAMPIONSHIP: From left: Ian Foster (Bishop's Stortford club captain), Bob Weston (Weston Homes plc who supported the event), winner Steve Cipa from South Essex Golf Centre and John Smith (PGA East Region secretary).

Matthew Southgate claimed the biggest victory of his career when he won the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf. The 21 year old from Essex (Picture © Tom Ward) carded a closing 67 for 275, 13 under par, and a five-shot winning margin from Walker Cup man Stiggy Hodgson and Philip McLean from Scotland.

A member of the England A Squad, Southgate’s biggest win prior to this was the Essex Open but he has been knocking on the door in recent times with second spot in the 2008 English County Champions event, third place in last year’s Welsh Open Stroke Play while this year he has finished fifth in the Portuguese Amateur and seventh in the Irish Open Amateur. British Boy Champion Tom Lewis from Hertfordshire, Lancashire’s Jack Senior and Todd Adcock, the England cap from Sussex, finished tied fourth on 281, Adcock after a 67.

Essex golfer Kay Bone led 10 qualifiers for EWGA’s inaugural Grand Medal Final when she scored net 68 to win the South regional final at Wrotham Heath, Kent. The competition series is run in association with Volvo. Kay, from Upminster, finished two shots clear of the field.

This is Kay’s third season of golf and she’d already been cut to 20 before teeing off in this competition. It is one of six regional medal finals which are contested by players who each returned the four best medal scores at their club during 2009. The leading 10 players at each regional final qualify for the Grand Medal Final at The Worcestershire Golf Club in June.

Cambs & Hunts golfer Sharon Hewison (pictured ) bounced back from a wrist injury to score a four-shot victory in the EWGA East regional medal final at Swaffham. The competition series is run in association with Volvo.

Sharon, who scored net 68, leads 10 qualifiers for the EWGA Grand Medal Final which will take place at The Worcestershire Golf Club on 26 June. Sharon, who had Swaffham member Colin Yates as her caddy, started with a double bogey but then played very steadily. “I just tried to keep playing to my handicap and any pars were a bonus.”