Denison finding it tough to make the grade among elite

The Challenge Tour graduate from Leeds, who turned 27 this week, has missed the first four cuts of his maiden season among the continent’s elite.

He has failed to qualify for the weekend on both assignments in Africa and continued that trend in Qatar and Dubai.

A winner on the Challenge Tour last year, he has managed just two rounds in the 60s from the eight he has played on the top circuit.

That statistic lengthened yesterday on the opening day of the Avantha Masters in New Delhi, India, when Denison registered three birdies and four bogeys in a one-over par 73.

He sits seven shots off the lead, held by Scotland’s Peter Whiteford and Spaniard Alejandro Canizares.

A strong round today could transform his fortunes but as the European Tour moves towards the end of its second month, Denison has yet to earn any money and does not even have a ranking on the Race to Dubai order of merit.

He is joined on one-over par by Hull’s Richard Finch, who was second at the Avantha Masters two years ago.

Whitehead, 31, from Kirkcaldy was only one under at the turn but started the back nine with four successive birdies and made another from 10 feet on the 358-yard 17th.

Canizares, whose father Jose Maria kept the Ryder Cup in European hands at The Belfry in 1989, also made a late run, collecting five of his seven birdies on the outward half after turning in 34.

They lead by a stroke from Italian Federico Colombo, but former Open champion John Daly – fourth in Qatar two weeks ago – finished the day second-last following a seven-over-par 79.

That contained two penalty drops away from the trees in a triple-bogey eight at the 14th and then a ball in the water en route to a closing bogey six.

Sue Johnson (Huddersfield) has been voted into office as joint president of the recently-formed English Golf Union.

Johnson, a past chairman of the England Ladies’ Golf Association and the Ladies Golf Union, will operate in tandem with male representative Paul Baxter (Woodhall Spa) for the new organisation for the coming year.

Johnson said: “This is history in the making and we are privileged to be a part of it. Through our roles we can help to bring men and women golfers together as members of one, united and successful organisation.

“So, I shall attend some men’s events and Paul will be at a number of women’s events.

“The merger which created England Golf was for the good of all amateur golfers, and it is now up to us to make it work.”

Johnson was LGU president from 2001-03 and has also been captain and president of Yorkshire.