HALIFAX, HUDDERSFIELD Alliance officials have decided to break with tradition for this year’s showpiece occasion, the Page Trophy, reducing the season’s grand finale to just an 18-hole medal competition.

Traditionally, the Page Trophy, which always brings the curtain down on the Winter Alliance season, has been played over 36 holes.

In fact, up to a few years ago, the individual competition was actually played over two courses in one day, which as anyone can imagine, threw up its own set of problems, with players competing at one course and then chasing, sometimes across town, to meet their allocated tee-time at the second course.

The then secretary, the late Roger Heap, decided in 2003 the logistics of playing two courses in one day were becoming insurmountable and opted for a one-course venue. That year it was staged at Ogden, when Union team player Alan Dyson, from Crosland Heath, took the trophy after beating Dewsbury’s Mark Colley by one shot.

In the interim, fewer players have entered the Page Trophy, one reason being more and more players are finding it difficult to take a whole day off work, while a number of the more senior golfers are struggling to play two competitive rounds back-to-back in the same day.

“By making the Page Trophy into one round, we are hoping this will make the competition accessible to everyone who plays in the Alliance during the winter months,” said secretary Barry Isles (pictured).

“The event will still be played as an individual medal competition, which is the only one we have during the whole of Alliance season, the rest being Stableford competitions.”

Outlane has the honour of staging the Page Trophy in April, which perhaps fittingly coincides with David Chapman celebrating 25 years as the club’s professional.

Alliance members have quite a lay-off before the next event, which is at Crosland Heath on Tuesday, February 19.

The full list of events in 2013 is:

Crosland Heath: Tuesday, February 19

Bradley Hall: Tuesday, March 6

Willow Valley: Tuesday, March 19

Meltham: Tuesday, April 2

Marsden (Ronnie Parkinson Trophy): Tuesday, April 16

Outlane (Page Trophy): Tuesday, April 30.