Corrie star set for shot at Gleneagles final

Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall will take a break from the Rovers Return in an attempt earn a dream final at Gleneagles.

Halsall - Tyrone Dobbs in the long-running TV soap - is teaming up with Marriott Worsley Park PGA Professional David Screeton for the regional final of the Lombard Trophy at Dunham Forest Golf Club in Cheshire on Friday 5 July.

The Manchester duo are aiming to make the £43,600 grand final which will be held over the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles in Scotland on September 3-4.

It is a rare opportunity for the pair to play at the venue that is preparing to host the 2014 Ryder Cup.

But Screeton admits he gets little chance to practice with 30-year-old Halsall - who plays off a handicap of 16 - due to his amateur partner’s work commitments.

He explained: “Alan’s a good player, he’s young, enthusiastic and gets round really quickly.

“But he can only get to the club when his filming schedules allow him - sometimes he’s here first thing in the morning, sometimes late at night.

"He's very competitive and he’ll often play a round on his own. I saw him the other day and he’d just been out practicing and working on his game.”

Screeton, a former champion who won the 1986 title in the Bahamas, says the Marriott Worsley Park is an ideal club for high profile members who want some privacy to concentrate on their game.

He added: “There’s a really relaxed atmosphere here.

“We get a lot of footballers playing here too. But it’s a club that someone like Alan can come to and not be hassled. He meets his friends, plays golf and it’s ideal for him.”

58-year-old Screeton hopes some of Halsall’s small screen star quality is reflected in his golf at Dunham Forest.

He added: “I’ve won the final before and I’ve come second in the qualifying event a few times as well.

“So we’ll be going for it, and the chance to get to the final and play at the Ryder Cup venue makes it all the more exciting.”

Other teams taking part at Dunham Forest include Steven Priest and David Savage (Carden Park); Gary Watson and Ben Messenger (Keswick); David Cooper and Nigel Shaw (Newcastle Under Lyme); Jacky Hammond and Robert Martland (Ormskirk); Martin O'Connor and Gary Morley (Vicars Cross) and Kevin Hartley and William Rowland (Runcorn).