FORMER winner Nick Wilson is just one step away from reaching the Examiner Matchplay finals day once again.
The Fixby man won the knockout competition in 2004, and subsequently went to Majorca on the Examiner Overseas Challenge, his prize for taking the title.
This year he is on the trail again, having beaten former county and Meltham cricketer Paul Booth five and four in the last round to set up a quarter-final tie with Marsden’s David Scott.
The 14-handicapper from the Hemplow club had one of the outstanding results so far when he knocked out Halifax, Huddersfield Union team member Edward Battye, a one-handicapper from Dewsbury, over his home course.
Having gone three up after nine holes, Scott was rocked when Battye hit back by birdieing the 10th, 12th and 13th holes to level the match.
“After that run of birdies I thought that was it, because he was playing really well,” said Scott.
“But it helped being on my own course, and fortunately I managed to win the next three holes to close the match out three and two.”
Crosland Heath’s Colin Hall defeated another Dewsbury member David Potter.
But he had to go the extra mile to do it after the two men finished all square after 18.
Hall finally edged the contest on the second extra hole to set up a last-eight clash with Meltham’s Steve Whiteley, himself a former winner of the Overseas Challenge (in Tenerife).
Two more Meltham members will also be at home in the quarter-finals with Jim Hemmings entertaining last year’s finalist Robin Hanson, from Woodhall Hills.
Hemmings, playing off 14, visited Bradley Park and just pipped Michael O’Hara 1 up, to book a home draw against Hanson, who was last season’s beaten finalist, and who had the benefit of a bye in the last round.
The other two men with byes from the last round, Chris Holmes and Pat Carmody, will meet at Meltham in the last quarter-final clash.
The winners will go forward to the finals day at Woodsome Hall on Thursday, September 18, where the outright winner will be jetting off to Portugal later in the year to join the Examiner’s fabulous Overseas Challenge week in Lagos.
It takes place over three courses on the Algarve, at Morgado (the newest to open), Boa Vista and Palmares.
The holiday is for seven nights, from Thursday, November 6 to Thursday 13, and accommodation in Lagos is at the four-star Hotel Tivoli Lagos.
For further information on the holiday or to make a booking, see the advert below.
Matchplay quarter-final draw: Steve Whiteley (Meltham, 13) v Colin Hall (Crosland Heath, 5); Nick Wilson (Huddersfield, 7) v David Scott (Marsden, 14); Jim Hemmings (Meltham, 14) v Robin Hanson (Woodhall Hills, 17); Chris Holmes (Meltham, 5) v Pat Carmody (Woodsome Hall, 21).
Closing date is August 18.
