TOP men in the Halifax, Huddersfield Union in terms of handicap going into the new season are Andy Whitworth, Andy Shaw and Chris Dyson.
The trio have marks of plus one according to figures produced by the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs, based on returns made to them at the close of the last counting events of last year.
Bradley Hall veteran Whitworth, now retired from Union team golf, remarkably retains his place at the top – at this stage last year he stood on plus one alongside Shaw, who has moved from Bradley Hall to Fixby. Now they are joined by Woodsome Hall’s Dyson.
Halifax, Huddersfield sport three players with scratch handicaps – Jim Fairhurst, who has made the same move as Shaw, West End youngster Sam Bridges and Richard Broadley, the Union champion from Fixby.
Last year’s figures showed Halifax, Huddersfield as having four scratch men, Broadley, Dyson and Fixby’s Neil Williams and Hebden Bridge’s Iain Powell.
Again it is Sheffield and Leeds who lead the way in numbers of players with handicaps of scratch and lower. Sheffield boast 20 (12 with marks of plus one and better) and Leeds count 18, seven holding plus handicaps.
Bradford have six men in the category, East Riding eight, Teesside six, Harrogate seven and York three.
Top man in Yorkshire is Hornsea left-hander Steve Uzzell. The English strokeplay champion who has just been named in the provisional Walker Cup squad starts the year on plus four. Next comes Rotherham’s Sam Haywood, Northcliffe’s Gareth Evans and Alwoodley’s Will Shucksmith, all off plus three.
Not all the players in the county list make themselves available or are eligible for Union golf, while the county point out that some clubs may not have submitted details of players. Should they continue not to do so, those players may find entries into national and international events are not accepted.
