Keen amateur golfers braved the March chill to take part in the seventh Northern Final of the Matchplay Championship to win a place in the Egyptian Grand Final in May.

In all, 36 teams teed-up at the Marriott Hollins Hall in the stunning Yorkshire Dales for what was to be a nail-biting finale.

It has been a record year for entries in the Matchplay Championship which is now the UK’s largest amateur golf tournament and a fixture on the golfing calendar with coverage of all the finals on Sky Sports.

The top three from the prestigious men’s pairs CONGU active handicap category make it through to the Grand Final which takes place at the five star Marriott Taba Heights Golf Resort in Egypt from May 8.

Ranked first with 40 points were newcomers to the tournament Declan Quigley and Mark McCoid, joined by Kenneth Burke and Richard Law in second place with 38 points and Kevin Butler and David Anderson taking third position.

They will be joined by mixed pair winners Karen Burns and Graham Bell who won with 37 points, and husband and wife team Karen and Peter Greene who took second place in the category with 36 points.

Non active CONGU handicap champions Patrick Turtle and Cyril Morris took top spot in their category with 38 points.

“It was a fantastic day’s golfing and there were some real nail-biting moments because the scores were so close. It made it even more competitive because Sky Sports were there to cover play and interview all the competitors,” said John Woosey, Managing Director of The Golfers Club which promotes the Matchplay Championship.

The Southern Regional Final will take place on Wednesday, April 14 at the Marriott St Pierre where a further 10 pairs will join the lucky northern group who have already qualified for Egypt.

Each finalist will be given international flights to Egypt, a practice fourball round of golf, seven nights’ full board  accommodation at the five star Marriott Taba Heights Golf Resort and attend a lavish prize-giving gala dinner.

The  Matchplay Championship also recently announced that it will be hosting its 2010-11 grand final at The Els Club, Dubai.

The venue is a major coup for the prestigious tournament which was launched in 2003 giving all golfers, whether they are members of a club or not, the chance to win a trip of a lifetime and have their progress followed by the Sky Sports cameras, all for an entry fee of just £20 per person.

Entries are now open for the 2010-11 tournament which take place on May 7-14, 2011, at the stunning course designed by Ernie Els, winner of a record seven World Matchplay titles.

They have until June 30 to enter and will then take part in regional qualifier rounds before a North and South regional final. In all 36 finalists will make it to the Dubai Grand Final, staying at the sumptuous Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel.

Headline sponsors of the event are Direct Golf UK, Rewards4Golf.com and Golf Monthly and the tournament, as well as the regional finals, will be covered by Sky Sports and the Daily Telegraph.

To enter the Matchplay Championship for 2010-11 or to find out more information, log onto www.matchplaychampionship.co.uk.