Report from the Great Northern Minigolf Open in Wigan

Scott Lancley wins the inaugural Great Northern Minigolf Open in Wigan.

Margate's Scott Lancley won the Great Northern Minigolf Open played in Wigan's Haigh Woodland Park on Saturday 8th April.

Scott Lancley on his way to victory on Haigh Woodland Park's Crazy Golf course

Played over two rounds on the park's two 18-hole courses, Lancley won with a 36 hole score of 87. Stockport's Richard Gottfried was runner-up on 93, with Ramsbottom's Russ Dent finishing in third place on 95. A total of nine players took part in the first staging of the event.

The finishers in the Great Northern Minigolf Open

Russ Dent was making a return to competitive minigolf after a seven-year break and rolled back the years with an impressive round of 44 on the Adventure Golf course to lead by five shots after round one. Gottfried and Lancley were in a tie for second after round one.

Russ Dent hitting only his second shot in seven years

Richard Gottfried playing the Windmill and Plateau hole on the new Adventure Golf course as John Moore looks on

However, Lancley's visit to the north wasn't for nothing as he stormed to an amazing round of 38 on the Crazy Golf course to take the title and the trophy.

The top three from l-r Richard Gottfried, Scott Lancley, Russ Dent

Results of the 2017 Great Northern Minigolf Open:
1st - Scott Lancley - 49+38=87
2nd - Richard Gottfried - 49+44=93
3rd - Russ Dent - 44+51=95
4th - Emily Gottfried - 52+49=101
5th - John Moore - 54+50=104
6th - Cat Patterson - 65+59=124
7th - Ryan Lancley - 65 DNF
8th - Ethan Rottenbury - 67 DNF
9th - Zoe Lancley - 83 DNF

Speaking after his victory Scott said "I'm humbled to have won the first Great Northern Minigolf Open and put my win down to my vast experience of the second course we played today."

Scott on his way to victory on the Crazy Golf course

Players had travelled from Kent, other parts of Greater Manchester, Bedfordshire and Tyneside to compete in the tournament.

For once John Moore hadn't travelled the furthest to compete

The Aces championship for most holes-in-one was a very close contest. The first course had proven incredibly tough and no players had recorded an ace during the 18-holes. John Moore was the first to hit an ace, doing so on hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course. Richard followed this with a hole-in-one on the second. There was another drought until Russ hit a perfect shot on the 14th hole. Emily managed until the last minute to get an ace, doing so on the 18th. However, it was to be Scott taking the Aces title to go alongside the main event as he hit aces on the 16th and 18th to do the double.

Nuts! Richard playing the Adventure Golf course

Russ on his way to a clubhouse lead after round one

Scott in action during round one

Emily plays the Tank hole 16th on the Crazy Golf course