Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs

30 August
Northern Counties League, Yorkshire v Cheshire at Prenton Golf Club.
A team that included several players from the Boys Squad lost a close fought match nine and a half points to eight and a half. The morning Foursomes were decided on the last green with Cheshire clinching a one point advantage three and a half points to two and a half. The afternoon Singles games were shared at six points each. The young players performed well in their debut in the Senior League and gained valuable experience for the future.
It was a disappointing end to the season having only won one match against Durham and losing three others by just one point.

20 August
Team Championship at Middlesbrough Golf Club.
Middlesbrough hosted the Championship as part of their Centenary programme, but the heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon which flooded several greens, almost caused the event to be cancelled.
Special rules were applied on Wednesday to enable play to proceed, preferred lies, relief for plugged balls and all bunkers taken out of play and for once this summer was played in sunshine for most of the day.
The winners, Hallows trailed Saltburn by one shot at the halfway stage but a second round score of 283 gave the Hallows team of
A Hodkinson, S Campbell, J Smedley and J Maw a winning total of 567. J Maw also won the individual 36 hole prize with two rounds of 67, W Crick from the Oakdale G.C. won the best morning round with a score of 66 and D Booth from the Rotherham G.C. won the afternoon round with a score of 67.
16 August
Northern Counties 6 man team Championship at Castletown G.C. Isle of Man.
Lancashire won by one shot from Northumberland on the windswept links course on the Isle of Man and go forward to represent the Northern Counties at Hollinwell in the English County Finals at the end of September.
Yorkshire came a disappointing seventh in the Championship but Nick McCarthy of the Moortown Golf Club won the individual 36 hole trophy with scores of 73 and 74 against par of 72.
July 5
Northern Counties, Yorkshire v Lancashire at Lindrick Golf Club.
The Morning Foursomes were played in heavy showers, but Lancashire managed the course and conditions better than Yorkshire and took a healthy lead at lunch, four and a half points to one and a half.
Yorkshire put up a fight in the afternoon and with two matches left on the course, both at all square after fifteen holes, could have halved the match. Yorkshire won one of the matches and halved the other which gave Lancashire a winning total of nine and a half points to eight and a half.
Jun 28
Yorkshire Amateur Championship at Alwoodley Golf Club.
The Champion for 2008 is Richard Law, the Yorkshire Boys' Captain, from the Low Laithes Golf Club.
The competition began on Tuesday in ideal playing conditions and William Shucksmith of the Alwoodley Golf Club led the field with a score of 69 from S Calvert 70, of the Richmond Golf Club. The second rounds on Wednesday were affected by the strong winds which developed through the day. Shucksmith returned a 76 to win the Alvin Trophy with a two round total of 145 from A Hodkin of the Wheatley Golf Club with a score of 146.
The Match Play rounds were played on Thursday and Friday, the weather deteriorated on Thursday afternoon and the matches were played in heavy rain but the course remained playable. The finalists were decided on Friday afternoon when Nigel Sweet from Moortown GC won on the last hole against Steve Brennan and Richard Law won on the sixteenth against Jamie Firth from Baildon GC.
The final on Saturday was all square after nine holes but Richard Law then won four consecutive holes, with three birdies and a par, he increased his lead to 6 up at lunch. Richard won on the tenth hole in the afternoon to win the 2008 Yorkshire Amateur Championship. Jun 10
Seniors' Championship at Hull Golf Club.
The Championship this year was played in bright sunshine on both days. The course was well presented but with some difficult pin positions tested the players, the CSS on day one was 73 against a par of 70 and 71 on day two. The winner was M.J Kelley of The Ganton Golf Club with two rounds of 73 for a winning total of 146 and a five shot margin over J.D Oxley, R Shimwell and R Howarth.
May 31
Northern Counties fixture. Yorkshire v Durham at The Oaks Golf Club.
Yorkshire had a convincing win in the bright sunshine at The Oaks. The Foursomes finished four and a half points to one and a half points at lunch. The afternoon singles after nine holes were in Yorkshires favour, but the matches needed to be won. Only two matches went to the last hole, S Brennan playing at number twelve finally clinched his match on the eighteenth green to give Yorkshire a fifteen points to three victory and Andy King the Captain his first victory.
y 19
Stephen Uzzell.
Winner of the Brabazon Trophy

Congratulations to Stephen Uzzell of the Hornsea Golf Club on winning the Brabazon Trophy at Trevose Golf Club in Devon. The competition was reduced to three rounds, round one on Friday, Saturday was washed out and two rounds on Sunday. His rounds of 66, 64 and 67 gave him a winning margin of four shots with a total of 197. Adam Best of the Cleveland Golf club finished thirteenth with a total of 209. .

May 11
County Members extra event to be played at Oakdale on 28 August 2008.
The Spring Meeting no 1 at Oakdale Golf Club, Harrogate was cancelled last week due to bad weather. It has been agreed with Oakdale Golf Club to hold a County Members extra day on 28 August. May 10
Northern Counties
Yorkshires start to the season at Morpeth against Northumberland started well with a 4 games to 2 lead in the Morning Foursomes but the Northumberland Team struck back in the afternoon with a resounding victory in the singles, winning eight and a half points to Yorkshires three and a half, giving Northumberland a match winning score of ten and a half points to seven and a half points.
April 19

Congratulations to Yorkshire Player Danny Willett from the Rotherham Golf Club on winning the Australian Amateur, his final round of 70 gave him a one shot victory on 6 under par. He is now the holder of five titles, The Yorkshire Amateur, The South of England, The English, Spanish and Australian Amateur Championships. Steve Uzzell from Hornsea finished at 7 over par just outside the top 30.

April 5
Yorkshire v Lincolnshire at Holme Hall Golf Club.
A cold wind greeted the players on the first tee but the conditions were better than had been forecast. Yorkshire edged the Foursomes three and a half points to two and a half and as the last match left the eighteenth green a sudden downpour had players and spectators rushing for cover and lunch.
The afternoon singles were shared at six points each but a recovery from four down to win on the eighteenth by Steve Brennan clinched the game for Yorkshire. Sam Hayward had his first hole in one on the fourth hole, had a convincing win and County Colours were presented by Mr Neil Hardman the Yorkshire President to both Sam and Nigel Sweet.
March 29
Yorkshire played Derbyshire in their first practice match of 2008 at the Yorkshire Presidents home club Kirkbymoorside yesterday.
The morning foursomes started in bright sunlight but by lunchtime the weather had turned and heavy rain and wind affected the afternoon singles.
Yorkshire had a one point advantage a lunch, three and a half points to two and a half after the Foursomes, but won nine and halved two of the twelve singles to win thirteen and a half points to four and a half points.
March 26
Yorkshire Boys played their first match of the season against Derbyshire Boys at Hickleton Golf Club.
Yorkshire had a comfortable lead of three points at lunch and played well in the singles to win the match fifteen points to three.
February 27.
Annual AGM at Pannal Golf Club.
The morning seminar was well attended and presentations were made by Paul Jordan-Worrall on the Golf Rule Changes in the 2008-2011 Rule Book, John Shaw (Selby) on the Role of the Standard Scratch and Handicapping Committee and a review of the Golf Course Rating System and Dennis Trickett on Local Rules and Course Set-up for Competitive Play.
The new Chief Executive of the English Golf Union John Petrie was also a guest speaker and he outlined how he saw his role at the EGU.
At the AGM in the afternoon W. Neil C. Hardman (Kirkbymoorside G.C.) was elected President and G.A. Hickey (Harrogate G.C.) was elected as President Elect.
In the absence of Barrie Corscadden the accounts were presented by Chris Licence. The Honorary Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and County Members Secretary were re-elected without opposition.
Mr P.A.A.Finnegan, Mr C.D.Johnson and Mr P Jordan-Worrall were elected to the executive for a four year term, MrJ.E.Grimbleby for a three year term and Mr G.E.Reed for a two year term.
The membership present voted in favour of increasing the Life Membership Subscription to the County Members Association from £30 to £40. The new President thanked the retiring President John Shaw for his commitment to duty during his year of office, to which John Shaw responded and wished the new president all the best in the coming season.
Mr Cameron Dawson of the Keighley Golf Club proposed a vote of thanks to the Honorary Treasurer, Secretaries and Auditor and to the retiring members of the executive Mr S Larard, Mr M Smith and Mr J Wittam. Mr J Wittam responded. January 2008
The Under 16 Boys fixtures against Wales and the North East at the end of March and early April have had to be cancelled. When alternative dates have been agreed the fixture list will be updated. Yorkshire Captain 2008
Andrew King, Garforth Golf Club

Andrew (Andy) has over thirty years experience playing golf with many successes along the way. He still plays competitive golf and maintains a scratch handicap at his home club Garforth. Born and raised in Leeds, Andy has more than 100 playing appearances for the Leeds Golf Union and has acted as the Union Team Captain for the last ten years. Andy won individual honours at Union and Inter Union level including two League Championships and five Team Championships as Captain. At Yorkshire County level Andy played under Captains Ces Bloice and Iain MacKenzie and was a member of the 2004 Northern Counties League Championship Team. His claim to fame is to have played in every round of the Yorkshire Amateur Championship, including the final against Graham Clarke in 2003. He was leading qualifier in the Championship and won the Alvin Trophy in 2004 as well as winning the Leeds Mixed, Leeds, Yorkshire and Central England Foursomes and the Yorkshire Mid Amateur Championship in 2005 and joint winner in 2007. Andy lives with his partner Jo and two year old daughter Georgie in Barwick in Elmet, Leeds. He is a Chartered Surveyor working for ASDA Stores Ltd, based in Leeds and during the past 20 years has developed new ASDA Superstores in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.