One young man to watch this season is Jonathan Fleetwoood.
The 17-year-old won last season’s Halifax-Huddersfield Union Junior Order of Merit, losing just one singles match during the summer and has already started this one at full tilt.
After playing just three qualifying rounds this year, the Huddersfield New College pupil, who plays at Crosland Heath and Woodsome Hall, has reduced his handicap from 3.3 to 2.6.
He claimed maximum points in the Union Juniors’ opening match against Harrogate at Ilkley and jointly leads the Union’s Junior Order of Merit with Oliver Tasker of Willow Valley, both on eight points. Fleetwoood was pleased to comfortably win his match 4&3 against a three-handicapper.
He took up the game just four years ago, but since then has notched up a host of victories and milestones, recording the best junior gross at both Crosland Heath and Woodsome Hall along the way.
He helped the Crosland Heath scratch team get promotion from the Fifth to the Third Division in the Yorkshire three-man team event, along with clubmates Toby Garett and Luke Pilkington.
He played an integral role in getting Crosland Heath scratch team to the Union’s First Division, again losing just one match. He also bagged the Best First Round title at Dore and Totley in the Yorkshire Fourth Division scratch team championships.
This season he is proud to captain the Union Juniors. The squad has lost a couple of experienced players and he believes it will be a tough season, with many younger, but talented, lads coming into the team for the first time.
He said: “I’ve been given the opportunity to be the junior captain of the Huddersfield and Halifax Union, thanks to Tommy Ward. We have a younger team and it will be a very competitive season for us. I think in a couple of years we will have a really good team.
“It’s my last season with the juniors and I want us to do the best we can and I can go out on a high.
“This season my aim is to get down to scratch and get into the Yorkshire team. Ultimately, I want to be the best player I can be and hopefully be good enough to turn professional at some point.”
Fleetwood plays and practises with Jamie Bower, now off plus four, whom he describes as “a great player, friend and role model.” He is supported by his parents Michael, who plays at Meltham off a handicap of 13, and mum, Lynne, who is his chief chauffeur and supporter.
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