Union hope to put disappointment behind them in team trip to Hornsea

HALIFAX, HUDDERSFIELD and District Union of Golf Clubs’ senior side will look to make amends for narrowly relinquishing their Yorkshire Inter-District Union League title when they head for Hornsea on Sunday aiming for glory in the six-man team championship, writes Chris Stratford.

Team manager Frank Greaves saw his line-up finish the seven-fixture league season with a 24-12 win over Harrogate at Huddersfield, a scoreline replicated by East Riding against Bradford at Burstwick that meant they are crowned champions due to a superior match points difference. Both East Riding and Halifax-Huddersfield finished with five wins, a draw and a loss.

The sole defeat for HalifaxHuddersfield proved decisive, a 29-7 whipping by Sheffield at Worksop where too many of the visitors had a bad day all at the same time.

But that was an anomaly in four seasons that have seen the union come third, second, first and second.

“It’s disappointing, but for a small union like us, I think we can give ourselves a small pat on the back.”

Three players finished with perfect records on Sunday – Huddersfield’s James Skirrow and Dylan Shaw-Radford plus George Hanson, of Crosland Heath - and they will be joined at Hornsea by Huddersfield pair, Adam Walker and Aron Schnacke, plus Halifax Bradley Hall’s Sam Bridges in the 36hole six-man team event.

“This is probably the best six-man team we’ve ever put out, by handicap,” enthused Greaves.

“It includes two Yorkshire champions in Dylan, the Boys’ U18 champion, and George, the U16 champion.

“To be fair, we haven’t really challenged for this in the last couple of years, we’ve been fifth and third, but I know there is some hunger in the lads that they haven’t got a prize yet this season.”

Greaves had to step in and play against Harrogate when Crosland Heath’s Toby Garrett was ruled out through work commitments, and he followed a 5&4 foursomes victory alongside Skirrow with the narrowest of singles losses.

He only succumbed when young opponent Richard Fawcett, of Thirsk and Northallerton, holed an eagle putt at the 487-yard par-5 last after Greaves had narrowly missed his own putt for a three.