Belt eyes Leeds Cup glory

Alex Belt fired an early warning shot at his rivals in the De Vere Leeds Cup, which starts today at Oulton Hall, when he carded a two-under-par 68 in testing conditions in the pre-tournament pro-am.

The PGA Europro Tour player, attached to Snainton Golf Centre in North Yorkshire, would dearly love to win professional golf's oldest trophy to pair with the De Vere North Region Championship title he captured for the second time earlier this season at Herons' Reach.

He also put in a strong performance in the PGA Yorkshire Masters at Sandburn Hall in June when he lost in a four-hole play-off to Abbeydale's Gareth Davies, so he is clearly the man in form.

Belt picked up four birdies in the last eight holes in the pro-am to share the honours with Hainsworth Park's Mathew Daley and Michael Ramsden, from Renishaw Park.