YOUNG golfer Mark Hewlett won nett honours in his first big competition.

The 12-year-old played at the North of England Under 14s Junior Open Strokeplay Championships at the South Moor club in County Durham.

The course produced a stiff challenge for 95 competitors with the original 54-hole format reduced to 36 due to a day of rain.

Worcestershire’s only participant, a member of Hadzor's Gaudet Luce club, teed off early on the second day and started nervily.

But the county under 14s captain bounced back with birdies on the sixth and 10th holes in a five-over-par gross 77 for 12th and joint first nett after the first round.

Three pars, three bogeys and three birdies on the front nine in the final round put Hewlett in a strong position.

Five pars, three bogeys and a birdie at the 15th helped him finish with a two-over-par gross 74 for 10th overall.

And after carding his best two rounds Hewlett easily took the best nett prize with 129 ahead of Todd McKie from Cheshire by four shots.

Hewlett admitted: “I’ve never been nervous playing golf, however, from the first tee to the last putt I felt a nervous wreck.

"I can now use this as experience knowing I can play my best golf if I feel this way again.”