Tough challenge

The Strensall-based club hosts the north region qualifying round of the £75,000 Glenmuir Club Professional Championship.

Up for grabs at The York on Monday are 13 places in the championship's final, which will be staged at the Saunton course near Barnstable on June 11-14.

Several of the area's professionals are expected to bag some of those prized 13 places. Among the favourites are Pannal Golf Club's Dave Padgett and Gary Brown from Ganton, who is also the Professional Golfers' Association's north region captain.

Fulford's Martin Brown, whose bid for success in the event is likely to be hampered by his not being able to play enough golf as he concentrates his efforts into establishing his business at Fulford, tipped Padgett and Brown to figure among the top rankings.

"They are both very good players and I would expect them to do well," said Brown.

The regional event was held at Pannal GC last year when it produced a series of fine scores and that is expected to be repeated at The York, where the first to take a crack at the heath-land course will be Forest of Galtres GC professional Phil Bradley.

The other North Yorkshire entrants include Paul Johnson (Harrogate), Clive Dell (Oakdale), Gary Vickers (Knaresborough), Tony Skingle (Scarborough South Cliff) and Stephen Raybould (Bridlington Links).

STRONG winds blew away the chance of sizzling scores in the Crossley Trophy at Fulford GC, where only five out of a 129-strong field managed to break par in the York Union of Golf Clubs' event.

Home, however, was where the principal prize lay. Fulford's Barry Hughes (12 handicap) triumphed with a nett 68, three shots clear of his next challengers. Five players were tied on 71, and eventual places were determined on count-back with Steve Dunn (3), also of Fulford, second, Giles Haddaway (5), of Easingwold, third and Heworth's Jim Batt (4) fourth.

Forest Park's M Robinson took the honours with a 68 in the YUGC Fletcher Trophy at The Oaks.

MAGIC was in the air during the North Yorkshire Golfing Society's first outing of the new season.

Now in its 23rd year, the Society boasts members from clubs across the region, all of which were represented in 2002's inaugural contest, the Spring Cup at Filey GC.

Winner of the trophy was Fulford's Maurice Everton. Playing off a handicap of 18, he won with 41 points ahead of David Taylor (Easingwold) on 39. In third was Bob Pickles (Selby) on 38 after a count-back over the last nine holes from Richard Hunt (Heworth).

There was yet another slice of deft handiwork. Fulford's Wilson Irving, a former member of the Magic Circle, conjured a fine iron shot to win the nearest the pin prize on the third hole. The prize for the 16th was gained by incoming captain Bill Stratton (Easingwold).

KILNWICK Percy GC are preparing for a hectic week.

The men are looking ahead to the first scratch league match at Cottingham and the start of the East Riding amateur team championship at Driffield, while the club's ladies are at home in a friendly with Cave Castle.

Juniors from the club are to take part in the British Heart Foundation Championship at Brough followed by the Weetabix age group Championship qualifier on home turf.

The club, meanwhile, have elected Steve Johnson as vice-captain. His wife, Linda, is lady vice-captain ensuring the first husband and wife team as captains-elect.

EXCELLENT scoring decorated the Ampleforth College GC April medal.

Simon Wilson shot a nett 63 to equal the club record and win the division one section ahead of Chris Socket, who also fired a record-equalling 63 only to be beaten on a count-back over the back nine.

The club's Lucy Wood Cup was won by Joy Mullenger on 42 points ahead of Andrew Sanderson (40).

FOREST of Galtres recorded their highest-ever Monthly Medal entry.

Grossing 85, William Walton (24) shot an 11 under par nett 61 to win from 138 other participants.

Chris Blagden pipped Mick Atkinson on the back nine, both netting 69, to win division one.

Richard Cronwright was eight under his 17 handicap to win division two from Simon Cowan, while Dave Iddon edged out Mark Newton on count-back to take division three, each finishing with 68.

EASINGWOLD GC's new club captain Mike Willis and ladies' captain Anne Shedden held their charity drive-in as the preface to the Ken Hudson Trophy. A mixed greensome event, it was won by Peter Smith and Carol Knowles.

The club's season proper then opened with the Charrington Trophy, which was hoisted aloft by Steve Thompson on 45 points but only on count-back over the inward nine holes after eventual runner-up Roger Cooper also totalled 45 points.

The Ben Rider Trophy was won by M Dawkins with a nett 6.

Easingwold's interest in the Mail On Sunday Classic team event has ended on both fronts.

The men, who reached the last 16 nation-wide last year, perished 3- at Scarborough North Cliff, while the ladies lost to neighbours Fulford at the same stage.

FULFORD ladies claimed a narrow 2-1 win over Easingwold in the third round of the national Mail On Sunday Club Classic.

Ann Robinson (Fulford) was three down with three to play against Ed Blogg but salvaged a half to seal the win. Earlier, Easingwold's Gay Enos produced an outstanding display against Dot Elliott. She started 4, 4, 2, 4 to go three up before eventually winning four and three.

That win eased Fulford's 4-3 defeat by visitors Pannal in the Yorkshire Ladies Scratch League with victory secured on the last green of the last match in which Betsy Holden sealed a one-hole win.

THERE was an outburst of Friend-ship at Swallow Hall GC.

Joe Friend won the April Thursday monthly medal and the April Saturday monthly medal with scores of nett 57 and 51 respectively.

In the former event, Les Dent holed in one with a seven-wood on the par three 11th hole.

MARK Holroyd edged a close contest with a nett 67 to win the Forest Park Charity Shield competition. The captain's charity this year is Martin House Children's Hospice.

Updated: 10:52 Saturday, April 27, 2002