Marsh and Bower chase amateur title

The 19-year-old, recent winner of the Scottish Youths Open Amateur Strokeplay title at St Andrews, goes into the event looking to step up on his tied 16th place at the South of England Open Amateur Championship at Walton Heath last week.

Marsh had rounds of 72, 74, 76 and 75 at the Surrey course for a nine over par total of 297.

Winner Adam Chapman of Windermere shot 287 and Marsh finished behind fellow Halifax-Huddersfield Union and Yorkshire player Jamie Bower of Meltham, who finished on 292.

Bower was left to reflect on a second round 80, which cost him dear. He shot 70, 70 and 72 in his other three rounds.

Marsh, who plays off plus five, is out at 11.20am tomorrow, Bower also takes part in the south west and starts two hours later.

Halifax Golf Club’s Greg Hudson-Hunter won special praise for his efforts as the Halifax-Huddersfield Union’s junior team made it back to back wins.

Tommy Ward’s side won 24-12 against York at Queensbury to follow up 19-17 success over East Riding at Driffield a fortnight earlier.

The enthusiastic Ward has been in charge of the team for six seasons and his side’s haven’t had too much success in recent times so two wins in such a short space of time is an enormous fillip.

The 15-year-old Hudson-Hunter won both his matches against York and he and his foursomes partner rallied from being four down during the first lap at nine-hole Queensbury.

Ward said Hudson-Hunter had played really and looked a good prospect.

Another player to catch the eye, and another double winner of the day, was Woodsome Hall 13-year-old Isaac Turner, who like Hudson-Hunter is benefitting from special coaching organised by the local Union with Lee Shepherd at Stadium Golf, Huddersfield.

Ward has high hopes Halifax-Huddersfield can continue their run of success and keep climbing the table in their two remaining matches this season.

They play Teesside at Outlane on Sunday, August 10 and then Bradford at Baildon on Friday, August 22.

There is also the six-man team championship involving all the juniors sides in the Yorkshire Inter-District League, hosted this year by Teesside at Eaglescliffe on Thursday, August 28.

Results - foursomes: J Fleetwood and E Lister finished all square with D Hague and J Stead, J Morton and T Hunt beat B Stattors and S Morley % & 4, H Butterworth and G Castle bt W Pindard and M Brigham 2 & 1, B Pullen and D Hale lost to O Adamson and M Heels 3 & 2, C Jaffrey and G Hudson-Hunter bt M Jagger and B Plaxton 2 & 1, H Boothroyd and I Turner bt C Matthews and M Clements 4 & 2.

Singles: Fleetwood (Crosland Heath) lost to Hague (Malton 3 & 2, Morton (Huddersfield) bt Stattors 3 & 2, Hale (Hanging Heaton) lost to Morley 1 down, Hunt (Meltham) finished all square with Adamson, Lister (Bradley Hall) finished all square with Heels, Butterworth (Hebden Bridge) bt Jagger 5 & 3, Jaffrey (Lightcliffe) finished all square with Pindard, Hudson-Hunt bt Brigham 4 & 3, Castle (Longley Park) beat Plaxton 1 up, Pullen (Saddleworth) bt Clements 5 & 4, Boothroyd (Crosland Heath) lost to Matthews 2 & 1.