A STRAIGHT-HITTING amateur golfer from Okehampton Golf Club will travel to Portugal next month to represent Great Britain, after last week booking his place on the tee with players from across the world.

Terry Steer, from Germansweek, playing with fellow Devon golfer Peter Lesser at the national finals, finished on the same score as the winners but narrowly lost out on their back nine score.

However, Terry and his partner were far from disheartened as the first two pairs won the right to represent Great Britain in the Audi Quattro Cup World Final at Vilamoura in Portugal. They will be competing with other amateur golfers from more than 30 countries.

Terry said he was ?over the moon? to have finished second and secured the chance to play in Portugal. ?It is something I have always wanted to do, have a week?s golf on the Algarve and now I can. I can?t believe we are representing Great Britain in a World Finals, We are still on cloud nine?.

Terry said the pair?s games tended to compliment each other. ?Peter is a very long hitter, whereas I am more of a straight hitter, they call me ?Steady Eddie? at the golf club.?

The Forest of Arden Golf Club near Meriden in Warwickshire ? home of the prestigious English Open ? was the tough test awaiting the amateurs competing for the Audi Quattro Cup UK golf title last Wednesday.

Terry and Peter recorded an impressive 39 points in the one-day, better-ball Stableford competition.

Winning Essex duo Nigel Clark and Paul Rolison and Somerset?s James Ward and Malcolm Bradley, from Worcestershire, also finished on the same score ? the three pairs could only be separated by their back nine scores.

Terry, 54, qualified for the national final at the Forest of Arden by finishing fourth in the singles qualifier at Woodbury Park in May and then teaming up with Peter to notch up third in the regional final at St Pierre Golf Club, in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales in July.

Terry was playing down his chances at the World Final, joking: ?I have finished fourth at Woodbury, third at St Pierre, and second at the Forest of Arden so the only way we can go now is up!?

Terry has been playing at Okehampton Golf Club for around 18 years and has a handicap of 13.