MALTON and Norton star Emma Duggleby was beaten 5 and 4 by her Curtis Cup colleague Rebecca Hudson in the final of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship at Walton Heath yesterday.

The result was a reversal of the English Amateur final when Duggleby beat Hudson, from Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, at Hunstanton.

Hudson, 21, who lost the crucial match against the USA at Ganton last week, had been in superb form all week.

The best of the 64 qualifiers, she cruised past Angela Stanford, one of America's Curtis Cup stars, to set up another showdown with 28-year-old Duggleby.

Duggleby had edged past another American, M Frankhauser on the 19th in the third round.

She then beat French girl K Icher on the final hole in the quarter-finals and repeated the feat in the semi-finals to knockout Swedish player Maria Boden.

But she could not match Hudson's power in the final and the South Yorkshire player went two up after three holes and had doubled the margin after six.

Duggleby pulled a hole back, but Hudson regained her four hole lead at the 11th and brought the match to a swift conclusion by serving up an eagle at the 13th.

Hudson said: "I feel I've played confidently, but at times it has just been on auto pilot. I am going to Italy on Friday with the England junior women's team and have plenty of enthusiasm for that European Championship."

Former Fulford golfer Stephen East was beaten on his home course of Moortown in the final of the Yorkshire Amateur Championship.

The 41-year-old lost a tight battle when Wakefield-based James Godbold birdied the 35th hole for a 3 and 1 victory.

Godbold (Howley Hall), 19, had show nerves of steel throughout the competition, knocking out the likes of James Lupton, an England youth player and Neil Smith, the Yorkshire Youth champion.

East, a previous holder of the county title, led by one after the first 18 holes, but Godbold was soon on level terms after lunch and soon forged ahead, claiming an eagle on the second hole and then took the third hole after East got trapped in deep rough.

East birdied the 10th, but Godbold finished the stronger with his par good enough to take the 11th and then birdies the 12th for a two hole lead and sealed victory with his fourth birdie of the afternoon at the 17th.