BLACKBURN cousins Sophie and Joey Lamb made it a family affair after winning individual titles at one of Europe’s top junior competitions.

The talented teenagers, who are among the best young golfers in Lancashire and represent the Red Rose county, overcame strong international fields at the 2012 U.S Kids Golf European Championship.

Held at Luffness New Golf Club near Edinburgh, Sophie and Joey showed their quality over three days and 54 holes.

Their reward is now an invitation to the US World Championship at the world famous Pinehurst, North Carolina, the course that hosted the 1999 and 2005 US Open.

Sophie, 14, a member of Clitheroe Golf Club and a Westholme School pupil, won by six shots from Venezuela’s Gabriela Coello after a stunning even-par 216.

Playing off a handicap of four, and competing in difficult wind and rain, she holed two eagles during the event and three successive birdies on her second round was the catalyst for success.

Flying under the radar all week, Joey’s steady play saw him crowned boys 15-18 champion.

Despite being tied in fourth place on the second day, the former QEGS student crept up the leaderboard with a one-over-par 73 on the final day.

Finishing at four-over-par 220, Joey, 18, claimed victory over Danish brothers Jacob and Martin Hornshoej.

Joey, the Lancashire Boys Championship runner-up in 2010 and 2011, is in the second 12 months of a two-year programme at the Lee Westwood Golf School.

Last summer, the Wilpshire member competed in the Junior World Golf Championships at Torrey Pine, in California, after winning the Callaway Qualifier for Boys at the London Club.

His cousin Sophie has made rapid progress in golf after getting her first handicap of 45 just over three years ago. She is a member of the England Girls ‘Birdie’ squad and has been the Clitheroe Junior Knockout champion for the last two years.

A regular county junior and senior ‘B’ team player, Sophie finished 14th in this year’s Scottish Girls U16 Championships and won the Northern County Foursomes at Hesketh with her partner Christine Stokes.

Westholme School have been supportive of her golfing career, particularly school principal Lillian Croston.