SINGLE-SHOT success was toasted at the double by friends Ed Johnson and John Betts, who shared a remarkable sixth sense.

In a momentous 24 hours both players celebrated holes in one.

First on the bag-the-ace trail was Johnson, a 15-handicap member of Swallow Hall. While playing at the Wheldrake-based course with Betts, Johnson teed off with a six-iron shot at the 142-yard sixth hole, a blind dog-leg to the left.

When they reached the green Johnson and Betts, the latter a member at Allerthorpe Park GC, began to scour the grass bank behind the green and to the left of the pond which borders the hole.

There was no sight of the ball, so running out of options Betts asked his playing partner: "Have you looked in the hole?" And right there was the ball to crown Johnson's second ace on the course, his first having been posted two years ago.

But the one-shot drama did not end there. The very next day 18-handicapper Betts enjoyed his own brand of six appeal when he aced the 151-yard sixth hole at Allerthorpe, his five iron registering the feat as he played in tandem with Mick Hudson and John Prosser.

As soon as the round was finished he took the opportunity of ringing his ace mate Johnson. After an opening gambit he could not contain himself from breaking out into the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein refrain of: "Anything you can do, I can do better."

Recalled Betts, who paid tribute to Wheldrake coaching professional Dan Moody for improving his game: "It was an amazing coincidence and we celebrated with a few drinks that night."

Johnson was equally exuberant. "It was certainly a strange coincidence, especially as both holes in one were at the sixth. But it was one to celebrate."

NORTH Yorkshire's finest women golfers will be in high-profile action in Devon next week.

Ganton's England international Sara Garbutt, the former Knaresborough player, will be defending her English stroke-play title at Saunton.

Other players from the county who hope to challenge Garbutt are her Ganton club-mates Naomi Edwards and Rachel Bell, Faye Sanderson (Heworth), Katie Dobson (The Oaks) and Jodi Edwards (Catterick).

Fulford's Dot Elliott achieved a notable victory when she defeated Pat Wrightson, the Yorkshire veteran's champion, who had not previously lost to a veteran this season, in the Yorkshire Scratch League match at Fulford.

Elliott, the former York champion and a single figure handicap player for many years, won four and three as she helped Fulford to a 4-3 win over Huddersfield.

Rob Bradley has regained the Kilnwick Percy GC Club Championship after an absence of three years.

Bradley won the title for four consecutive years, the last being in 1999. He recaptured it with rounds of 79 and 75 for a gross 154 to win by a stroke from Toby Gowthorpe and Kyle Mathers, Gowthorpe finishing as runner-up on count-back.

IT was Terry's gold in the Forest of Galtres GC Proctor Cup.

Terry Nicholson, an 11-handicap player, won the event with 44 stableford points from Colin Sanderson on 43.

Nearest the pin on the 16th hole was Warren Mapplebeck with Brian Callington nearest the pin in two at the par four 12th.

David Cornthwaite reached the Hall of Fame regional final at Rotherham on August 21 when he had the best nett score of 68 in Fulford's qualifying competition.

Peter Skelton's 66 won the best nett prize in the second qualifying round of the Fulford club championship.

FORMER Fulford ladies captain Joan Foster won the David Melville Cup and July medal with a nett five-under-par 69. Trish Mitchell (84) won the lowest gross prize.

Updated: 12:19 Saturday, July 12, 2003