A TRIP of a lifetime awaits amateur Michael Sandalls and Broadway PGA professional, Martyn Freeman, if they can come through the next stage of what is now long established as Europe's biggest Pro-Am competition, the Lombard Trophy.

Sandalls took his first big step towards a luxury five-day trip to one of Europe's most acclaimed courses, San Lorenzo in Portugal, when he won the club's qualifying competition.

He and Freeman now advance to the regional final on Monday, June 24 at Coventry where they will play one round of betterball medal play against around 80 other partnerships.

Sandalls (54), is an electrician from Evesham. Married with two children, he has been playing golf for 20 years and plays off nine.

Freeman (41), has been the club professional at Broadway for ten years.

The winning professional in the regional final receives £475 and there are valuable prizes for the top amateurs. The top professional prize in Portugal has been increased to £7,500.

The winners of 16 regional finals throughout Britain and Ireland will enjoy the experience of playing at San Lorenzo from September 6-10.

Sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland, the Lombard Trophy this year offers an increased professional purse of £75,000 - that's £12,000 up on last year.

Now in its eighth year, the event had an entry of more than 100,000 club golfers representing almost 1,200 clubs.

A high scoring ladies stableford competition has enabled Broad-way to submit the names of six club winners to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity, organisers of the National Queen Mother's Cup competition.

The winners will be notified if their scores are among the qualifiers who will then go forward to the semi-finals at the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club on July 12.

The six qualifying scores were posted by Pauline O' Hagan and Susan Jackson (42pts), Susan Carter (41) and Janet Straw, Rosemary Shufflebothom and Lesley Gee (36).

The men's April Medal was won by Tim Thornley with a net 66 after an excellent one-under-par round of 71.

Results - April Medal (Division One): 1 T Thornley 71-5-66; 2 Andrew Rouse net 67; 3 Mike Everitt 71 (cb); 4 Mike Humpston 71. Division Two: 1 Peter Rhodes 69; 2 Ron Waters 72; 3 Peter Dyke 74.

Joe Steward BB Stableford: 1 Paul Handy & Malcolm Scarsbrook 48pts; 2 Patrick Twigger & Brian Wright 47 (cb); 3 Richard Leeman & Don Butler 47.

Bonzo Roberts Foursomes: 1 Terry Moulder & Chubb Campbell; 2 Albert Powers & Simon Edwards.

Evesham Ladies

Huntingdon Cups: 1 J Marston & I Ashman 71pts.

April Medal - Silver Division: I Ashman 91-19-72. Bronze B: J Roberts 115-40-75.