FORMER Lyme Regis youngster Sophie Keech received an invitation to participate at the exclusive Stoke by Nayland course, as part of the Ladies’ European Tour Access Series, and secured a sublime top-10 finish.

The top-15 ranked amateurs in England – Keech ranked eighth – were invited to play alongside more than 70 international professionals in the prestigious tournament.

On the opening morning, the 18-year-old, was paired with English professionals Melissa Nicol and Joanne Hodge.

Not allowing her nerves to get the better of her, Keech played some superb golf in a round that included three birdies to shoot level-par, leaving her in the second amateur position in the field behind Ellie Goodall and joint 10th overall.

With an earlier tee-time in the second round, Keech then shot two-over-par to remain second in the amateur standings, and well inside the eight-over-par cut.

Paired with two more pros in the form of Alexandra Peters and Sarah Attwood for the final round, Keech birdied the third hole then fired back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth, leaving her two-under after nine holes.

A double-bogey on the 13th did not deter her, and she kept her determination with a birdie on the 15th and finished the round one-under with a 71, leaving her one-over for the tournament.

With Goodall leading the amateurs on the first two days, a 78 in her final round meant that Keech had won the amateur title, and she had finished eighth overall on her first experience of a Ladies’ European Access Tour tournament.