Northern Counties Boys League Champions with win v Durham
Our final match of the season was against Durham Boys at Horsforth Golf Club, and it was a match we needed to win to become Champions of the Northern Counties League again. Durham had a good side out and both teams were expecting a tough match which could have gone either way!
The weather started cool and overcast, then the sun cam out for a brief period before we had to suspend play in the afternoon for about half an hour due to thunderstorms in the area.
We were missing our Captain, Jonty Butcher who has now settled into his college in the States, but he was watching the scoring as the day progressed.
Ollie and Albie were first out in the foursomes and were hit with three 3’s in the first three holes to be 3Down and sadly could not pull it back losing 5&4. Oscar and Josh both played well and there was no more than one in it throughout the game finishing with a tie. Zac and Archie had an evenly matched game for the front nine and then got it going winning the tenth and a good birdie on seventeen sealed the game 2&1. Harry and Ewan were back together and played some great golf to win convincingly 4&2. In our final game of Dan and George, a last-minute replacement for Will Bracha who had picked up a bug which sadly ruled him out was evenly matched in the front nine, then they took control winning 4&2.
Lunch score: Yorkshire 3.5 – Durham 1.5.
Ollie was ready for it in the afternoon after his poor showing in the morning and got off to a great start against Roan Smith winning the first, fourth and eighth to turn in 3Up. He then proceeded to win the tenth with birdie to go 4Up where it remained until the end winning 4&2, a terrific performance! Albie was also ready to prove himself following the defeat in the morning and kept his own for the front nine going out 1Down but turned it around with a good par on eleven and two birdies on thirteen and fourteen to go 2Up. A poor tee shot to fifteen into right greenside bunker left him with a tricky shot which he played well but missed the putt and with Evan on the green and two putts returned the game to 1Up for Albie. Evan played the par 5 sixteen well and with a birdie took the game back to tied. Both players hit trees on the left of seventeen, but fortunately for them had shots on and Albie just short and Evan on the green where he two putted to win the hole to go 1Up and where it remained with both parring the last. Still Albie performed extremely well against a good player in Evan. Oscar was never up in his game until the very last hole where he birdied to win 1Up. Josh was never down in his game from the start winning 4&3. Zac played some great golf and had a tough game where it was pretty much tied for most of the round until the fourteenth where Finlay had two birdies to go 2Up and thus it remained. Archie didn’t take control of his game until the back nine where he went 2Up and where it remained to win. Harry took control of his game on the ninth going 2Up with some sparkling golf from both players and winning 3&2. Ewan played good golf and again, like Harry was 2Up after nine and proceeded to win 4&2. Dan had a fight on in his game and having been tied after sixteen he lost the seventeenth to a par going 1Down where it finished on the last. Our last-minute stand in of George played a great game and he was 1Up for most of the game and finishing with a birdie sealed 2Up victory.
Final Score: Yorkshire 10.5 – Durham 4.5
This was a tremendous performance by Team Yorkshire, a team of players who have played most of the year and proved they can win! I am delighted for the boys who today showed true grit and determination with great team spirit to knuckle down and beat a good side in Durham to win the League Championship. I am so proud of all the boys, not only todays but all those who have contributed to this win during the season, you are all winners. Some of these players are young and have proved themselves today so all bodes well for Team Yorkshire going forward. I must thank Craig Fricker, our coach for his assistance and valuable contribution during the matches.
I must thank Durham who conducted themselves in the true spirit of the game and with some light-hearted moments making it an enjoyable days golf!
Also, thanks to the members and staff of Horsforth Golf Club for looking after our needs on the day, everything went to plan, the course was in great condition, and the food was good.
We, Team Yorkshire are looking forward to 2026.
Philip Woodcock
