Eaglescliffe duo are soaring high

Eaglescliffe’s Michael Williams and Guy Henderson take a one-shot lead into the final day of the 54-hole Yorkshire Challenge, writes Chris Stratford.

After the first two days of the pairs event staged by the county’s three Ryder Cup venues – Moortown, Ganton and Lindrick – they stand on 88pts.

They tacked on 45pts at Ganton to the 43 they had earned at Lindrick on day one.

Breathing down their necks on 87pts are Brampton Park’s Jody Greenall and Richard Scott, who opened with 45 at Ganton and mined 42 more from at Moortown.

A further 14 pairings are within five points of Williams and Henderson, which points to a likely tense finale to the increasingly popular competition that in its sixth staging has again attracted more than 200 couples.

Pannal’s Brian MacCafferty and Andy North, the first-round leaders on 47pts, are among five pairs tied for third on 85.

Williams and Henderson harvested three birdies on the way out at Ganton plus a birdie for net eagle from the latter at the 444-yard par-5 sixth.

They had four more birdies coming home and no onepointers.

Greenall and Scott had three birdies in a row from the fifth at Moortown and four birdies on the homeward run while notching up a single one-pointer.

As with a Tour event, the leaders will go out last on each of the three courses today as the chasing pack go in search of the prestigious Supreme champions title.