CLIVE McFADZEAN and his partner Peter Smith blazed round their home course of Bradley Hall yesterday to come in with a magnificent 47 points – but still won only on a back nine countback!
The Holywell Green golf course was staging the final Halifax, Huddersfield Winter Alliance Stableford event of the season (the last event is the Page Trophy on April 29) and high-scoring was the order of the day as Spring weather finally broke through.
The Bradley Hall pair (Smith actually plays at Hebden Bridge) scorched home with an amazing 26 points on the back nine, four handicapper McFadzean claiming an eagle on the par 4 323-yard 10th, when he drove to the side of the green and then chipped on to the banking and watched the ball roll backwards down the slope and into the hole for four points.
And that helped them clinch first prize over Castlefields duo Richard Badrock and Fred Leek, who also carded 47 points, but with 23 points on the inward half.
Shot of the day, however, must have come from Ian Tootall, a 20-handicapper from Todmorden, who reached the par-5 eighth in two and then sank a monster putt for a nett albatross and five points!
Hebden Bridge’s David Astin was the top pro, winning with 44 points, having taken just 30 shots to cover the last nine holes.
