Hough wins final battle to beat his pal North

Pontefract’s Tom Hough and Howley Hall’s Tom North have enjoyed a fruitful summer as team-mates in the Leeds 
Union’s junior side.
Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).
Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).

The pair were part of a squad which enjoyed victory not only in the Yorkshire Inter District Union Junior League but also in the county’s six-man junior team championship.

However, they became rivals for the day at Low Laithes where they contested the junior individual title – one of five finals held at the course.

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It was Hough who emerged triumphant, lifting the title with a 2&1 victory after a struggle which see-sawed over the front nine, only one hole being halved.

Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).
Pontefracts Tom Hough watches a shot carefully on his way to a 2&1 victory over Howley Halls Tom North in the Leeds & District Unions junior individial final at Low Laithes (Picture: Chris Stratford).

Hough struck the first blow when North’s opening tee shot into trees saw him unable to match his opponent’s par.

The second saw roles reversed as North squared matters with a par and the third – a 390-yard par-4 – was the only outward hole to be shared.

North slipped behind again when he dropped a shot at the 162-yard par-3 fourth hole, but made immediate amends with a birdie three to win the next.

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It was Hough’s turn next to birdie, his perfectly-weighted effort lingering on the edge of the cup before dropping in for a three. But he gave back the shot – and his lead – at the next, the seventh, when he bogeyed and North led for the first time after a confident putt from 10ft earned him a birdie 2 on eight.

The pattern which had been broken only by the third hole continued as North pulled his tee shot into trees, made five and the match was all square.

The 10th hole was shared in par-4s, but North began to find his approach play and putting, normally so sound, going a little awry. Hough, by contrast, made birdies at holes 11 and 13, sandwiching a half at the 12th, and he had a two-hole advantage.

North gave immediate notice that he was not going down without a fight by birdying the 14th to halve the deficit, and hole 15 was shared in par.

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Hough hit a tree with his drive on the 16th and needed three shots to make the green but North failed to get down in two from the edge of the putting surface and the hole was halved with bogey fives.

When Hough parred 17 it left North needing to birdie to prolong the match and his putt just slid by, making Hough the champion.

The Junior Team final was a similarly tight affair between Cookridge Hall and defending champions Horsforth.

Jeehvan Singh’s 5&4 defeat of James Hawes was negated by Stan Weatherhead’s two-up win over Nathan Ali leaving Adel Watt and Harry Hudson to decide the outcome.

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Horsforth’s Hudson won the 18th to take the match into sudden-death but after a half at the 19th his drive at the 20th found a pond and Watt’s victory enabled Cookridge to take the title.

Former Leeds United footballer Lee Sharpe and Scarcroft team-mate Steve Cain lost 3&2 in the foursomes final to Pontefract’s Darren Walton and Andy Wiltshire.

Howley Hall beat Mid Yorkshire 5-1 to win the scratch final, Steve Redhead, Scott Hartley and Yorkshire player Ben Hutchinson making up the victorious team.

Scarcroft beat Waterton Park 4-2 in the net final through the efforts of David Oxley, Steve Shaw and Lee Shaw.

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