Yorkshire golf: White Rose players on trail of Carris Trophy leaders

Hallamshire's Alex Fitzpatrick had three birdies in a row to close his outward nine at Hunstanton (Picture: Chris Stratford).

Fulford’s Charlie Thornton, Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick and Wakefield’s Dan Bradbury all shot level-par 72 as Finland’s Matias Honkala and England’s Kristian Tannum Donaldson set the pace with four-under-par 68s.

Thornton had four birdies on his back nine as he returned in three-under-par 32.

Fitzpatrick and Bradbury had identical inward and outward nines – one under followed by one over.

The former was two over going out after six holes, but then birdied three consecutive holes from the seventh while Bradbury’s inward 36 included two birdies but three bogeys.

Middlesbrough’s James Swash would have bested all three of them but for a double bogey six at his penultimate hole, which led to a one-over-par 73.

Other Yorkshire players involved are Moortown’s Tommy Gray, 77; Hallamshire’s Barclay Brown and Luke Palmowski (Hickleton), both 79; Tom North, of Howley Hall, 80; and Rotherham’s Charlie Daughtrey, 81.

Right behind the leaders are six players on 69: Boys international Toby Briggs (Dunston Hall), Conor White (Bridgnorth), Thomas Harbord (Castle Eden), Angus Flanagan (St George’s Hill), Sweden’s Oscar Teiffel, and Michael Gilbert (Chelmsford), who was runner-up in last week’s Under-16 McGregor Trophy.

Altogether 31 boys made the most of the scoring conditions in the first round of the English Under-18 boys’ open stroke play championship by either matching or beating par.