CHALLENGE-SEEKING Steve Robinson has bagged a new coaching mission.

The Malton and Norton Golf Club professional for the past 11 years has been appointed coach for the north-east region of the English Ladies Golf Association. The appointment was confirmed last week, with Robinson to take charge of the top women golfers across the north-east from October.

From then on, through the winter, he will devise a series of coaching sessions to be held by him across the region to further hone the skills of the area's leading women players.

Robinson's new role springs from his increasingly impressive portfolio of coaching work. He has been spearheading the development of the Yorkshire elite squad of women players, including Malton and Norton's Emma Duggleby and Rebecca Hudson - who represented Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup against America last weekend. He also coaches the Yorkshire boys team, which recently won the Northern Counties crown by eight shots.

Robinson, who last week posted a worthy seventh spot in the Yorkshire PGA championship at Fulford GC, with the same scores of 70 and 71 that landed him the title five years earlier, was delighted by his new role.

"It's another challenge and one that I am eagerly looking forward to meeting," he said. "It's always rewarding to work with good players and I am just hoping I can do a good job."

Robinson praised the progressive attitude at Malton and Norton which has encouraged his increasing sphere of influence in coaching.

"Malton and Norton have been very good for me and hopefully I have been good for Malton and Norton. Long may that continue."

Meanwhile, Robinson is among an eight-strong North Yorkshire contingent which will be vying for honours in the De Vere Hotels' PGA north region championship next week. The event, at the Heron's Reach course in Blackpool, is over three rounds from Wednesday to Friday. Robinson will be seeking to improve his placing on the current PGA north region Order of Merit.

Updated: 07:54 Wednesday, August 07, 2002