From left, Harrogate Union President Ian Hepworth with Ian Barnes (Rudding Park), Kevin Askew (Rudding Park), Jonathan Smith (Captain Skipton) and Graham Boffey (Rudding Park)
SKIPTON Golf Club, having formally joined the Harrogate Union last year, hosted the 2nd Division Team Championship, when 24 four-man teams competed for the Harrogate Golf Club Trophy (Sun, May 18).
The competition for players within the handicap index range of 12.1 to 20.9 is a medal round off scratch with all four scores to count. It was played over the orange course, when windy conditions and the undulating course proved challenging for some of the players more used to flattish home courses.
This was particularly reflected in that the par 4 13th hole, normally SI15, proved to be the third most difficult hole, although everybody thought the course was well presented and had, in general, enjoyed the round.
After the first eight games the leading individual scorers were home club players Alex Conroy on gross 82 and Peter Jowesey on gross 84. Alex held his position to the end of the competition, with Mark Whitaker (Knaresborough) moving, at game 12, to second place with a gross 83.
Not surprisingly, with home club players leading the individual leader board both home teams topped the team leader board, namely Skipton B (Andrew Burton, Alex Conroy, Gerald Corrigan and Club Captain Jonathan Smith) on gross 356, and Skipton A (Seth Rawlinson, Bob Jarman, Alistair Coy and Peter Jowesy) in second place with gross 359.
The two teams held their position until game 20 when Rudding B (Rod Smith, Kevin Askew, Ian Barnes and Graham Boffey) returned a gross 356. In the event of a tie the trophy and prizes are shared, meaning that Rudding Park, who won the trophy last year, had managed to keep one hand on it. Rudding member Graham Boffey had also played in the previous year’s winning team.
Joint winners of the trophy with individual scores were: Skipton B team – Andrew Burton (92), Alex Conroy (82), Gerald Corrigan (95) and Jonathan Smith (87), team score gross 356, and Rudding B team – Rod Smith (94), Kevin Askew (89), Ian Barnes (88) and Graham Boffey (75) team score gross 356.The best individual score of the day was won by Alex Conroy (Skipton) on gross 82.
