The Graeme Storm Junior Open is set to become a permanent fixture in the North-East golfing calendar if the European Tour player gets his way.
The inaugural event at Hartlepool was a huge success with more than 130 youngsters - some as young as seven - taking part.
The scoring was fantastic, the weather less so with spells of hailstones, but there was also some late sunshine and £2,500 was raised for the Finlay Cooper Memorial Fund.
Stockton's Ben Brown, Matfen Hall's Angus Buchanan and Houghton's Rio Jones won the three age categories as former French Open champion Storm and ex Middlesbrough defender Colin Cooper looked on along with hundreds of spectators.
Storm said: “It was an unbelievable day, the weather could have ruined it, but everything was superb, particularly the support from everyone who has come.
“Everything ran really well. We will do it again, 100 per cent.
Graeme Storm
"The standard of golf was unbelievable - we have seen some great swings, real talent and the scoring proved it.
"I'm overwhelmed. I have a lot of people to thank especially the youngsters who took part, all those who donated prizes, my club Hartlepool which really stepped up to the mark, and my wife Sara, who did a lot of the work."
Storm learned the game at Hartlepool Golf Club before going on to become the 1999 Amateur Champion and 2007 French Open champion. He is now attached to Rockliffe Hall Golf Club.
"There were some great prizes up for grabs and the winners will get to play with me at Rockliffe and also won a voucher from my sponsors TaylorMade for a new M2 driver and fairway club,” he added.
Cooper enjoyed watching the action unfold and thanked Storm for choosing to raise money for the charity he set up ten years ago following the death of his son.
He said: “When you are a charity like we are, which is small and self-funding, every single penny that we receive goes straight out to the cause we support.
“Anything that was raised, plus the kudos of Graeme wanting to use our charity, is brilliant. I have a lot of respect for him as a talented athlete, to team up with him for this is just an honour and privilege."
