Golf: Mear has edge in champions battle
ANDREW MEAR won the big battle of the two former Examiner Matchplay Golf champions when he edged out reigning Halifax, Huddersfield Matchplay champion Richard Broadley in the first round of this year’s competition.
And it was a battle, as the Cleckheaton eight-handicapper had to go down the 37th (the first extra hole) before shaking off Broadley, the plus one man from Fixby.
Mear’s brother Simon was not quite so fortunate, however, as he lost at the 37th against Headley’s Darren Whiting at Cleckheaton.
Two more first-round ties which went to the first extra hole involved Huddersfield club colleagues and close friends, Jonny Heyes, who was up against Norman Corcoran, and Nick Wilson, who was tackling Corcoran’s Meltham colleague Ian Saxton.
Heyes was three up after the opening 18 at Fixby, but Corcoran rallied to level at the ninth at Meltham, and after falling behind again levelled the match at the 36th. However, Heyes finally clinched it down the first extra hole.
Meltham gained some revenge in the other match, however, as Saxton led Wilson by three holes over the Thick Hollins course, and stretched that lead to five up over at Fixby.
But Wilson (the first-ever winner of the Examiner Matchplay and subsequent overseas holiday) is nothing if not durable, and he showed his pedigree by hitting back to square the match at the 14th.
On this occasion, however, the honours went Meltham’s way as Saxton wrapped up victory at the 37th after the two had finished level after 36.
Another man definitely not destined to land a second Matchplay title is reigning champion Paddy Carmody who went down 2&1 to Wortley’s Ben Sharpe.
As explained in the opening round draw, due to the odd number of entrants, it is necessary to implement an intermediate round for just four players (in order to bring it down to a straight 16) before the full second round draw is made.
The unfortunate four to make up the intermediate round are Martin Mitchell (Huddersfield), who has home advantage over Meltham’s Roy Johnson, while Outlane’s Alan Henderson plays host to Woodsome Hall’s Rob Scollick.
Those two matches should be played by Sunday, June 21 at the latest, with results submitted to David Lockwood at the Examiner Office.
All matches from now on are of one round duration, at the course of the first-named player in the draw.
This year the golfers are chasing a first prize of a FREE golfing week to Benidorm in November.
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