MANCHESTER Hopwood players Rachel Connor and Kelly Tidy are in the seven-strong England squad to compete in the French Junior Championship which starts at St Cloud next Thursday.

Rachel, 17, coached by Nick Dougherty's dad Roger, won for the first time on American soil in January when she claimed the Doherty-Jones Championship in Fort Lauderville.

She was also the youngest JJB Sports MEN Women's champion as a 12-year-old and Kelly, 16 is the Welsh Under-21 champion and a past Greater Manchester Junior Open winner.

They will team up in France with county team-mate Florentyna Parker, from Royal Birkdale, who is defending her title and who last week was selected for the GB&I Curtis Cup team to take on the United States at St Andrews.

FORMER MEN Manchester Open winner Garry Houston carded three-under-par 69 to trail first round leaders Australian Tony Carolan and Finland's Mikko Ilonen in the Ballantine's Championship in Korea. Birchwood's Phil Archer had a 71.