Defending pairs title at three great Yorkshire courses

HOWLEY HALL’S James Appleyard and Miles Foster today begin their quest to become the first champions of the Yorkshire Challenge to successfully defend their title in an event played across the county’s three Ryder Cup venues – Moortown, Ganton and Lindrick.

The trilateral pairs event, now in its sixth year, sees pairs compete in three divisions, each named after the course on which they begin their pursuit of overall as well as divisional glory.

Appleyard and Foster started out on their route to glory against more than 200 other pairings at Moortown, the Leeds course that staged the first Ryder Cup on British soil in 1929.

By the time they reached Ganton on the final day they had a three-point lead, but a final-hole birdie from Appleyard was ultimately required to give them just a one-point overall victory.

Years of playing together means the Howley Hall men know one another’s game inside out and trust one another’s judgment. The latter element proved crucial, as Appleyard explained.

“I hit a five iron to about eight feet at the last at Ganton,” recalled two-handicapper Appleyard. “We were looking at my putt and I’m saying, ‘it’s right edge’ and Miles said: ‘You’re kidding me, it’s left edge’. So I hit it left edge and it went in.”

The reason he went with his five-handicap partner’s assessment? “He’s a better putter than me,” said Appleyard.

The Howley Hall pair won the competition at their first attempt. “We have been playing together for years, we play together every weekend, and last year we just decided to enter.

“It’s a brilliant event, played on three great courses. You’d pay a lot more than the entry fee if you were just paying the green fees and you’ve obviously got a competition to play and prizes to play for.”