North stars secure Challenge Bowl
North Cliff Completed a clean sweep of the three local winter alliances last week when they were duly crowned as the East Riding Alliance Hull Daily Mail Challenge Bowl winners following round 10 at Bridlington Belvedere Golf Club.
Having led from round one at Pike Hills in September it was no surprise that North Cliff took the title.
However, they did it in a style worthy of champions with the leading pair of Andy Allcock (2) and Alan Richardson ( 8) bringing in the best score of the day at Belvedere to take the tankards with a five under par 67 edging out Hessle’s assistant professional Paul Lockwood (Scr) and amateur partner Brian Coombes (12) on a back nine countback.
North Cliff ’s second counting pair of Simon Boddy (1) and Dave Ellard (7) provided superb support finishing in joint third place both playing excellent golf to ensure the season long pacesetter’s title aspirations were never threatened.
Allcock and Richardson’s win owed much to a hot finish of two-under-par over the last three holes, with Richardson contributing a birdie two on the testing cliff top 193 yard par three 16th and Allcock rounding matters off with a timely birdie four on the last hole.
Strong finishes in the Chall e nge Bowl standings saw Hornsea and Hessle finish in joint second place, albeit 28 shots off the pace.
Fourth place Hull can also look back on a successful season achieving their highest finish for a number of years.
Speaking after accepting the Challenge Bowl from Alliance President Nick Ludwell (Selby), North Cliff team manager Alan Richardson was full of praise for his team saying.
He said:” We pick the team from a small nucleus of players lead by our club pro Fra- ser Kelley and there is a strong team spirit and a competitive edge for places.
“We managed to get our noses in front at Pike Hills in the season opener and thereafter were able to build a lead.”
It has certainly been a fortnight for the North Cliff club to savour, for alongside the Alliance Challenge Bowl the club has added the Scarborough & District Alliance Pennant Trophy and the Flamborough & District Rabbits League title to the club’s trophy cabinet.
The next Alliance fixture is at Selby on Wednesday March 25 when the President Nick Ludwell will host his President’s Salver Competition.