JAMIE BOWER won the Halifax, Huddersfield Union Junior strokeplay championship at Bradley Hall, but will be unavailable for the matchplay rounds.
The Meltham player shot 73, a mark matched by Marsden’s Ethan Shaw, and claimed the title (the event being sponsored by Cartridge World) on countback to collect the Lightcliffe Tankard.
With Bower missing the matchplay Shaw goes in as top seed, and Bradley Hall’s Andy Hare, the next best-placed player outside the eight qualifiers, takes Bower’s place.
The Lightcliffe Trophy for the low net score went to Crosland Heath’s Lewis Collier with 68 off his seven handicap, though again a countback was required to separate him from Liam Parfitt, from Saddleworth.
Leading scores: 73 - J Bower (Meltham), E Shaw (Marsden). 75 - L Collier (Crosland Heath). 76 - T Williams (Lightcliffe), N Marsh (Lightcliffe). 78 - T Goodair (Woodsome Hall), L Edmonds (Meltham). 80 - M Major (Huddersfield). 81 - A Hare (Bradley Hall).
Matchplay draw: E Shaw (Marsden) v A Hare (Bradley Hall)) at Elland; N Marsh (Lightcliffe) v T Goodair (Woodsome Hall) at Hanging Heaton; L Collier (Crosland Heath) v M Major (Huddersfield) at Hanging Heaton; T Williams (Lightcliffe) v L Edmonds (Meltham) at‘Elland.
Woodsome Hall’s Adam Cryer qualified for the match-play of the Yorkshire Amateur championship at Fulford along with fellow junior Jamie Bower, from Meltham, then went on to knock out top qualifier Mark Killen, from Hessle, in a first round match that went the distance.
Bower got past James Coldwell (Knaresborough) by the same margin and what happened next? The two local lads then came up face to face with Bower advancing by 3 and 2 to book a date with one of Yorkshire’s big guns, Steve Brennan, from Wheatley.
Fulford scores included, qualifiers: 148 - J Bower (Meltham) 77 71. 150 - A Cryer (Woodsome Hall) 79 71
Non qualifiers: 152 - D Stafford (West End) 79 73, M Colcombe (Longley Park) 78 74. 153 - N Marsh (Lightcliffe) 74 79. 155 - M Hepworth (Dewsbury) 75 80, A Schnacke (Huddersfield) 78 77. 159 - E Battye (Dewsbury) 77 82. 161 - T Goodair (Woodsome Hall) 82 79. 163 - G McLean (Meltham) 82 81. 164 - B Johnson (Huddersfield) 84 80. W/d - R Broadley (Huddersfield) 80.
Bower is in tomorrow’s Union side to take on Bradford in the Yorkshire Inter-Union League match at Bingley St Ives. It lacks Toby Garrett, who is unavailable, and the injured Tom Goodair.
The team is: Aaron Schnacke (Huddersfield), Andy Shaw (Huddersfield), Brad Tupman (Huddersfield), Jared Ellison (Huddersfield), Andy Wilford (Huddersfield), Iain Powell (Hebden Bridge), Jamie Bower (Meltham), Ben Adamson (Crow Nest Park), Dave Stafford (West End), Mark Birkett (Halifax), Ben Crowther (Dewsbury), Mark Hepworth (Dewsbury).
Chris Hanson broke the course record at Kirkella with a winning 62 in the Hull club’s Yorkshire PGA pro-am.
He finished two clear of rookie Steve Uzzell, while retired Cleckheaton pro Mike Ingham surprised everyone, including himself, by carding 68 in his first competitive outing of the year and which tied him alongside Yorkshire champion Nick Ludwell.
Hanson was unable to reproduce that hot form in the Phoenix Gas Classic, the PGA North Region’s newest Order of Merit counting event, at Wychwood Park, Cheshire.
He shot 72 74 to tie in 17th place, eight shots back from Paul Grannell and Steve Parry, Grannell winning in a play-off.
