By Amanda Little

Last updated 09:08, Friday, 18 July 2008

CARLISLE golfer Craig Goodfellow admitted his Cumbria Masters victory helped erase the pain of missing out on playing at this week’s Open Championship.

Brampton’s assistant pro James Wilkinson chips on to the eighth green

Goodfellow missed out on teeing off at Royal Birkdale by just a single shot when he finished fifth at last week’s final qualifier at Hillside.

The Carlisle Driving Range professional had been in with an excellent chance of qualifying after shooting one-under-par on the front nine, but then dropped four early shots after the turn, before birdieing the 17th.

But that disappointment was forgotten on Tuesday when he defied a howling gale and torrential rain to land the Cumbria Masters title at Keswick Golf Club.

The 33-year-old tagged a 69 to go with his morning round of 70 for a three-under total, finishing one shot ahead of Westerhope assistant George Cowan, with Matfen Hall pro John Harrison, from Castle Carrock, near Carlisle, a further shot adrift in third place.

Goodfellow, who is now preparing for next week’s NE/NW PGA Championship at Seaton Carew and the North Region Championship in Northumberland, said: “I would have loved to be at the Open but there’s no point on dwelling on it now. I’ll settle for watching it on TV on Sunday instead.

“Winning the Cumbria Masters helped make up for the disappointment, and it’s just great to get a win.

“I finished well down the field to a pro-am in Wiltshire after missing out on the Open as I just didn’t have the will to battle, but it’s out of my system now.”

Kendal’s James Atkinson was the top amateur player after a card play-off with double county champion John Longcake, from Silloth, after the pair scored a four-over-par total of 146.

Penrith Driving Range pro Paul Jenkinson and Morpeth’s David Clark tied for first place in the pro’s competition at Monday’s pro-am with their four-under-par score of 67.

Keswick juniors Jamie O’Brien, Will Humphries and Richard Brown, won the team event.

O’Brien, an assistant at Keswick, posted the longest drive of the day – 288 yards at the par five seventh – and at the same hole Matfen Hall’s Paul Fiddes scored an albatross when he holed his second shot.

The event was sponsored for the second time by O’Reilly’s chartered accountants, and the firm will continue their support in 2009.

The pro-am raised £1,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance.

Final Result : -3 Craig Goodfellow (Carlisle Driving Range) 70-69 139 , -2 George Cowan (Westerhope GC) 66-74 140 , -1 John Harrison (Matfen Hall) 73-68 141 , Gary Vickers (Tyneside GC) 73-68 141 , Lvl Chris McDonnell (Hexham GC) 71-71 142