THE record has stood for more than 40 years, but now the new kid on the block has shattered it.

At the age of 16 years and 11 months, upcoming prospect Jack Johnstone has become Bellingham Golf Club's youngest club champion as he shot two impressive rounds of 70 at the weekend.

He broke the previous record shared by brothers Graham and Ian Wilson who, in a bizarre coincidence, both won the championship aged 17 years and four months in 1970 and 1973 respectively.

Not only did Jack leave with the Bramwell Cup for best gross, the five handicapper completed the clean sweep as his nett score of 130 (65, 65) earned him the Thompson Cup too.

Club stalwart Mick King was runner-up in the main competition, four points behind on 144, with Alec Jones nine points off in the nett scores.

Jack said: "It feels great to become the youngest champion, and I didn't even know about it until Graham told me. When I found out I was over the moon.

"Hopefully the record will stand for a long time as it did last time, and to get the record from two great players is great.

"I was playing well going into the club championships and was really looking forward to it, and everything went right and fortunately my putting was good.

"Being the club champion at my local course is my biggest achievement, and I think it will probably be the biggest ever!"

During the summer holidays before returning to Haydon Bridge High School in September, Jack is working under former Hexham assistant Phil Waugh, who is now professional at Brampton.

Jack is a joint member at Hexham too and was part of the team which finished as runners-up in the Northumbria Junior League.

He has a big future ahead of him, which is something Bellingham chairman Graham Wilson spotted in him at an early age.

He said: "Jack deserves to hold the record after two great rounds of 70. He can go as far as he wants in golf so long as he keeps working at his game and keeps his feet firmly on the ground.

"We are very proud of him at Bellingham and we hope his success will encourage other youngsters in the North Tyne and Rede Valley to take up the game.

"Places like Bellingham need more lads like Jack, and he is a cracking lad who will do very well."

See page 60 for details of how Jack and his Hexham teammates came close to winning the Northumbria Junior League title.