NICK Ludwell, a former Great Britain and Ireland and England amateur international, won the Marlborough Fund Managers PGA North Region Club Professional Championship at Kendal then admitted he should not have played.

"I've been suffering from back trouble for a few years and it flared up again a couple of month ago," he explained.

"I'd forgotten I'd entered this event so I thought I'd give it a go because I was getting bored with not playing.

"Luckily I got through the 36 holes pain free but I don't suppose I'll be fit for much else this season.

"I'd been competing on the EuroPro Tour but had to pull out at the end of June. I was told not to play again but I'm glad I did this week because this is my first regional title," said Ludwell whose problem led to him retiring the European Tour in 2000.

The 32-year-old professional at Selby, where he was a member in his amateur days, added a 69 to his opening round of 68 for a three-under-par total and had a shot to spare over Oulton Park's Steve Gromett who signed for a best of the day 67.

Three strokes off the overnight pace set by Knares-borough's Gary Vickers, Ludwell quickly made his intentions clear when he birdied the first hole and added another on the ninth and despite a double bogey at the 12th picked up another shot on the way home.

Vickers made a dreadful start to his round with two early double bogeys and dropped three more on the inward half to close with a 75 which relegated him to third place.

It was also an ordeal for Alvaston Hall's Kevin Valentine, one behind Vickers at the start of the day, also slipped out of contention after running up an 11 on one hole.

DETAILS: 137 N Ludwell (Selby) 68,69; 138 S Gromett (Oulton Park) 71,67; 140 G Vickers (Knaresborough) 65,75; 141 M Bradley (Chorley) 70,71, P Walker (Knott End) 70,71, P Carman (Huddersfield) 72,69; 142 R Green (Bramhll) 71,71, P Scott (Kendal) 69,73.

Sedbergh...

SIMON Parkin won the final event of the season at Sedbergh Golf Club to tie with his younger brother Matthew on 36 points for the season-long Golfer of the Year title.

Eleven handicapper Simon had been top of the leaderboard in the early part of the season but Matthew, who plays off 8, scored points in every one of the last six events and became Club Champion in the process, beating Dave Metcalfe by two strokes over 72 holes.

The Autumn Open Texas Scramble was won by the team of Nick Woof, Graham Keighley, Jason Thornton and Robert Moffat.

Windermere...

AUTUMN Medal Cup: 1 R. Gough 66-6=60; 2 D. Wood 75-14=61; 3 M. Dawes 72-10=62; 4 G. Greaves 66-4=62; 5 A. Farrer 75-11=64; 6 C. H. Peters 75-11=64. Gross: T. J. Griffiths 71.