Houston lifts Leeds Cup at Moortown for his second win in the event


“I was ill at the start of the season and I did not want to travel too far, but I still wanted to keep my game sharp,” said the Chester-based Welshman.
“I played a bit on the Challenge and EuroPro tours and in the region where there are more people round about my age.
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Hide Ad“It’s certainly more fun but I’ll be going back to qualifying school at the end of the year to try to win my card. I’m 44 but I feel I’ve still got something left.
“The change in the putter rules could affect my game,” said the accomplised exponent of the long-handled putter.
“But I’m having a new one made to my own specifications.”
Houston, who won six events in the weeks before arriving at Moortown, which included the Welsh National PGA Championship, the Cheshire & North Wales Open and Mercedes-Benz International pro-am in Abu Dhabi, reclaimed professional golf’s oldest trophy by a shot from Scott Jackson after a brace of 69s for a four-under-par total.
The Disley man, the joint first round leader, held the advantage after 12 holes but a bogey at the 13th opened the door for his rival whose birdie at the 16th hoisted him the lead.
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Hide AdBut the issue was still in the balance until the final green when Houston eased a 35-foot putt from the greenside fringe stone dead before Jackson’s attempt for a birdie from half the distance curled inches wide.
Houston added: “I didn’t make a bogey although I admit I guided the ball round and rolled in a few putts. The longer I went on without dropping a shot I knew I had a chance over the last few holes.”
As Houston cradled the iconic Leeds Cup, he revealed: “I had no idea when I won it in 2012 how big it was. I only recently found out about the great names and just how important it is. To win it twice means a lot, especially at a great venue like Moortown.”
Leading scores
138 Garry Houston 69 69, £2,500
139 Scott Jackson (Disley) 68 71, £1,900
141 David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 68 73, £1,400
142 Simon Edwards (Windermere) 72 70, Jon Bevan (Rhos on Sea) 70 72, Paul Grannell (Vale Royal Abbey) 68 74, £823.33 each
143 John Wells (Snainton Golf Centre) 69 74, £500.
Other scores included:
145 Michael Ramsden (Renishaw Park) 73 72
146 Gareth Davies (Abbeydale) 74 72
147 Gary Brown (Ganton) 74 73
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Hide Ad148 Daniel Hood (Fulford) 73 75, David Padgett (Pannal) 73 75
149 Nick Ludwell (Selby) 74 75
150 Fraser Kelley (Scarborough North Cliff ) 74 76
151 Paul Carman (John Letters Academy) 73 78, David Mansell (Wakefield) 72 79
152 Andrew Herridge (Leeds Golf Centre) 73 79
153 Niall Murphy (Willow Valley) (72 81)