Tythy Ladies toast final Plate triumph
THE East Cheshire Ladies League ended another great season in style at Wilmslow Golf Club with some exciting finals to their four divisions.
The East Cheshire Ladies League has ladies from 38 clubs playing in team match-play competitions each week for over six months in the four divisions- Business Ladies, A, B and Plate teams for ladies of varying golf handicaps and hundreds of ladies are involved in exciting games each week.
After coming through the divisions the top teams play knock out matches to reach their goal of finals day which is usually at the home club of the League Presidentin this case Wendy Taylor (Wilmslow GC) who is also the President of the Cheshire Ladies Golf Association.
The winners of each section will then play the winners of their counterparts in West Cheshire to become the county champions
The Business ladies final was contested by Hazel Grove and Marple on a Sunday and Grove emerged with a 2-1 win.
The other three finals enjoyed a pristine course, superb organisation by the East Cheshire officials and staff at Wilmslow plus their usual excellent hospitality.
The winners of the A team final were Astbury who beat Bramhall and Alsager prevented a double by Astbury as they won the B team Shield.
The final Plate competition went to the drama of a final match win for Tytherington against Ringway and the game included a superb hole in one on the par three 9th hole by Bernie Battman of Ringway for her first ace – which will be celebrated for a long time!
The trophies were presented to the winning team captains by Cheshire Captain Frances Gell (Bramhall) and Wendy Taylor to complete a terrific season during the very difficult pandemic times.
At the heart of the action as competitions secretary was Margaret Worrall (Heaton Moor GC) who has done a fantastic job throughout the year. HE Scratch Match Play Knock out at Wilmslow Golf Club has been played for since 1934 and the trophy awarded to the winner is the Hunter Trophy.
For the first time in the long and distinguished history of the competition the final was played between two of the club’s top junior stars Sam Johnson and Sam Hall over 36 holes.
The club records show that very few juniors have been involved at this level before and never has the final been contested by two junior members who are both top team players for Cheshire Boys. Sam Johnson is also a member at Astbury Golf Club where he won the Scratch Championship this season as well as the Cheshire Boys Championships at Delamere Forest and has enjoyed competing in several other top competitions during the season with a good measure of success.
Along the way to the Hunter Trophy final he beat Lancashire cricket legend Paul Allott as well as Ian Menzies and Nigel Stewart to set up the final with Sam Hall, who is also a member of Styal GC.
In the final Sam Johnson stormed into a fivehole lead but Sam Hall showed great fighting spirit to reduce it to two up which was enough to win the title for Sam Johnson.
He was presented with the historic trophy by Wilmslow Vice Captain Berkeley Thirsk after both players had shown their skills and sporting attitude in an excellent final,
Sam Johnson has completed his A levels and is looking to enjoy a gap year to develop his golf before taking up a scholarship in the USA in 2022.
Macclesfield ladies played a singles Stableford and Kath Brocklehurst led in wth a fine haul of 39 points which included successive birdies on holes 14 and 15.
Macc’s men played for the Etchells Trophy and it was close with just two points separating the top eight players.
Chris Doyle led in with 65 from Andrew Baker, Matthew Palmer and Sean Lucey, all 66 with four more players on 67.
Next in was Maureen Routley with 37, two more than Sue Lawton.
Macc ladies just missed out in the East Cheshire League A semi-final to Astbury, who went on the win the final, being level at 3-3 but lost the last match agonisingly on the 18th.
The Chairman’s Trophy ‘major’ at Tytherington saw the partnership of Gary Butler and Jason Waite win with a fine haul of 46 points.
The top ladies were Mary Harris and Dami Diamond with another good score of 44.
The Junior Captain’s Trophy at Avro was won by Matthew Crawford with 67 two less than Sam Young.
Derek Jones won the Avro Sunday Stableford with 40 points from Bob Collins 38 and Steve Yule 37.
A medal for Avro ladies had Sylvia Christelow well clear with 70 from Amanda Belshaw 75 and Carol Lund 76.
It was close in the President’s Day medal at Alderley Edge with Adam Hart winning a cpo on 68 from Michael davies, one less than Andrew Hogg and John Lawton.
The Edge President’s Prize to the ladies had Jean Walker on top with 36 points from Sue Freeman 35 and Fiona Anderson and Julie Ricketts, both 34.
The Assistant Pro’s Day at Davenport was a Team of Four Stableford and it needed a cpo on 84 to see the fab four of D Illingworth, L Jones, D Green and M Forde on top from P Stevens, J Houlker, J Hall and L Bryceland.
The latest 9-hole Stableford at Mottram Hall saw Martin Holden on top with 23 points from Jack Leaver 22.
Gareth Lover led in the Taylor Memorial Trophy medal at Prestbury winning a cpo on 68 from William Jackson, one less than Michael Sutton.
A ladies Stabford at Prestbury saw Rosemary Mason in a league of her own in division one with 37 points taking her six clear of Mary Staton and Alex Forbes.
In division two Jayne Harrison led in with 37 points, two more than
Elizabeth Dunckley and Claire Sutton and the 9-hole winner was Nancy Rowley with 21.
Shrigley Hall’s men played over two rounds for the club championship and in round one Mark Knight set a hot pace with 65, one less than Steven Holroyd, Sam Cleaver and Ed Harrison.
Round two was led in by Harry Bateman with 64, three less than Michael Taylor and Steven Holroyd.
The new club champion is Steven Holroyd with 133 ahead of Sam Cleaver 134.
The Junior Club Championship at Styal saw Tobias Stant unstoppable as he posted a superb 63 to finish well clear of Frederick Wilson 70 and Doug Christopher and Alfie Anderson, both 71.
Styal seniors played their final medal championship round and John Pickerill won a cpo on 66 from David O’Brien, two less than Nick Gillings and John Parr.
The Seniors champion over six rounds is Paul Jones with 416 from Roger McCabe 419 and Stephen Atherton 420.
The Sunday Stableford at Styal was won by Mark Stirling with 43 points putting him five clear of Daniel Birkett and Pete Harris.
There was Summer Cup action for Styal ladies had Frances Purdy winning a cpo on 14 from Hilary Boyce, one more than Gayle Blackburn.