Locals go for Yorkshire Amateur Glory

One of the major highlights on the county calendar takes place next week when Pannal Golf Club stage The Yorkshire Amateur Championship. The Harrogate club host the five day event which starts with two qualifying strokeplay rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

There are 14 golfers from the Halifax, Huddersfield and District Union who will be aiming to finish amongst the leading 32 players and progress to the matchplay stage commencing on Thursday morning. The elimination rounds continue throughout Thursday and Friday with the 36-hole final played on Saturday.

Dewsbury District's Edward Battye is the first local player to tee-off at 8.30am on Tuesday whilst Chris Dyson (Woodsome Hall - pictured), the only golfer from the area to make the knockout rounds last year, goes an hour later in a group that includes reigning Yorkshire Order of Merit Champion, Steve Brennan.

Union player, David Stafford from Todmorden, has a 10.40am tee-time whilst Dan Overend, representing Woodsome Hall, starts at 1pm followed by a glut of players also occupying an afternoon time on the first day; Jamie Bower (Meltham - 1.20pm), Matthew Colcombe (Longley Park - 1.30pm), Adam Cryer (Hebden Bridge - 2pm), Edward Brown (Huddersfield - 2.10pm), Tom Goodair (Woodsome Hall - 2.20pm), Ben Johnson (Huddersfield - 2.20pm), T Robertshaw (Huddersfield - 2.30pm) and Jonny Heyes (Huddersfield - 3.10pm).

Meanwhile Woodsome Hall's Tom Jenkinson and Fixby man Andrew Shaw play in the penultimate group and face a late finish going off at 4.20pm.

Defending champion - Richard Law from Low Laithes - begins the defence of the title, that he captured with some magnificent golf last year, at 9am in a group that includes Peter Fenton, the former Brabazon Trophy winner who used to play out of Huddersfield Golf Club. Fenton has regained his amateur status following a stint as a professional and is currently a member at Cleckheaton Golf Club having represented Bradford Union already this season in the Yorkshire IDU League.