HUDDERSFIELD Golf Club are set to host a brand new individual strokeplay tournament this summer aimed at amateur golfers throughout the North of England.

The event, scheduled for Friday, June 17, will carry with it a £200 first prize, plus a place in the grand final of the Northern Matchplay Championship at Alwoodley in September.

Organised by former Huddersfield member Edward Battye – now a one-handicapper at Dewsbury District – the Northern Matchplay is a season-long knockout competition, where the winners of each county, Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire, progress to the 72-hole two-day finale at Alwoodley.

“Although the main route to the final is by winning the county division of the matchplay section, I want to add an extra dimension to the tournament and provide another way for golfers to qualify,” said Battye.

“The event at Fixby is a stand-alone tournament, along with a similar one at Pleasington Golf Club, near Blackburn, where the winner takes all and in turn qualifies for the Matchplay final.

“When the opportunity arose to bring the event to Fixby it was an easy decision.

“The course speaks for itself and is perfectly located for golfers across the North of England.

“It’s a true test of golf and whoever comes out on top will be a worthy winner of the event.”

Huddersfield is undoubtedly one of the finest championship courses in the region and has famously staged European Tour Seniors events in the past and is a regular venue for the Yorkshire Amateur County Championship.

The player with the best nett score will bag a place in the Matchplay final, while the player with the lowest gross score over 18 holes at Fixby (and Pleasington) will pick up a voucher for £200, incentives which Battye is hoping will tempt many of the region’s better players who are familiar with the course.

Entry is £40, which includes soup and sandwiches, although anyone entering before January 31 can do so at a reduced entry price of £30.

Further details, along with an entry form, can be found on www.northernmatchplay.com