Heworth Golf Club duo Chris Ledger and Paul Kelly resisted a home guard battering ram to retain the York Union of Golf Clubs' Sharpe Trophy.

The venue for the first Union event to move to a full-length circuit from the shorter winter courses was staged at Forest Park GC.

Home members' local knowledge was to the fore with no fewer than six Forest Park pairings in the top ten. But pole position was bagged by Ledger and Kelly, whose total of 66 enabled Heworth to retain the trophy.

The winners finished one shot clear of Terry Brown and Ronnie Forsyth with fellow Forest Park members Derek Mastaglio and Dave Elcocks taking third place on 68 on count-back.

KYLE Mathers posted an overall gross of 146 to take the Kilnwick Percy GC two-day stroke-play competition ahead of Toby Gowthorpe on 150.

Mathers was also the Sunday winner with a net 66 to reduce his handicap to three, while the first-day winner was Phil Curtis with a nett 64. He proved the overall nett winner on 134 with Malcolm Sharkey second on 138.

The women's stableford went to Iona Buckle with an excellent 39 points to pip Carol Kilford and Jenny Brooks, while the midweek stableford junior event was captured by junior vice-captain Matthew Coe on 42 points. James Haigh won the junior Easter event (40 points) with Coe second and Michael Dennington third.

Fulford GC President's Putter first round was won by Craig Manson with a five-under-par nett 67. John Smith, playing off one, had the lowest gross with a par 72.

Meanwhile, John Robinson marked his election as Fulford's chairman of greens with victory in the midweek medal off the yellow tees with a nett 69 on count-back.

ALEXANDER the great ruled in Forest Park GC's Easter Monday mixed trophy in which Jane Alexander holed in one at the par-three 14th with a seven iron.

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, April 09, 2005