RISING talent Martin Brown can rightfully be lauded as Pike Hills Golf Club's man of the century.

The winner of the York Union of Golf Clubs' York Open championship last summer, Brown was picked to represent Yorkshire in a full county game - the first time county honours have been bestowed on a player from the club which this year celebrates its centenary.

Officials at Pike Hills were justifiably proud of the breakthrough as was Brown, who in combining his full-time job as a newly-qualified plumber with trying to make it as a golf professional could hardly have got off to a more impressive start to 2004.

Brown made his Yorkshire debut in the first friendly of the season against Derbyshire at Scarborough's South Cliff Golf Club, where several new holes were christened in the inter-county exchange.

The White Rose ranks prevailed, shading their Derbyshire opponents 9-8, which prompted Foxwood-based Brown to declare: "Making my county debut was great, especially when people at the club were telling me I was the first to do so in the 100 years that Pike Hills has been going.

"And it was even a better experience because we managed to win."

The 24-year-old Brown lost his foursomes and singles matches, but to the most spectacular of finishes - losing on the 18th hole in the former to an eagle and then again on the last in the singles to a birdie.

Recalled Brown, who plays off a handicap of plus-one: "I played really well and I was chuffed to be in with a shout in both matches right until the death. You know that any game has been good when you are still going on the last hole."

After capturing the coveted York Open championship by four shots at The Oaks GC last August Brown told the Evening Press his dream was to become a professional. To that end he had dedicated the previous two years to sharpening his game while at the same time training for a back-up trade as a plumber.

He has now achieved the latter, which enabled him to spend the winter months on a Yorkshire coaching programme under the watchful gaze of golf guru Pete Cowen - the man who coaches Britain Ryder Cup ace Lee Westwood and North Yorkshire's king of swing Simon Dyson - and Yorkshire coach Graham Walker.

"It's the first time I've been able to have any training in the winter and it's really helped my game. It was from the Yorkshire coaching that I got the call-up to the first Yorkshire friendly match against Derbyshire," added Brown, who also finished last season in then top 20 of the Yorkshire Order of Merit.

"Representing Yorkshire was a big boost. It has put the icing on the cake to the work I've done in the winter. Now I'm looking forward to a good summer."

Updated: 10:18 Saturday, April 03, 2004