Yorkshire golf: Doncaster GC pair win Foursomes Finals as snake fails to put bite on Leeds GC runners-up

DONCASTER GC pairing Terry Ann Whiteley and Sue Harbon were only the fifth pair out among 81 couples who competed in the Yorkshire Ladies’ County Golf Association’s Foursomes Finals at Tankersley Park.
Doncaster GC's Terry Ann Whiteley and Sue HarbonDoncaster GC's Terry Ann Whiteley and Sue Harbon
Doncaster GC's Terry Ann Whiteley and Sue Harbon

But the superb mark they set of 84 gross for a net 63.5 tally proved unbeatable.

“It was a wonderful day,” said Whiteley.

“We set out to enjoy ourselves. I have played here many times before and everything just went right for us.”

Some of the prize winners at Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Associations Foursomes Finals at Tankersley Park.Some of the prize winners at Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Associations Foursomes Finals at Tankersley Park.
Some of the prize winners at Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Associations Foursomes Finals at Tankersley Park.
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Second place, with a gross 87 net 68, went to Leeds GC’s Jo Eastwood and Gwen Lowe, which included them playing three off the tee rather than risk a second confrontation with a snake.

Eastwood and Lowe were on the seventh fairway when a snake slithered in front of them.

Lowe was emboldened to take a photograph of the snake, which was later identified as an adder, but when their tee shot at the next found long grass on the edge of the fairway they decided discretion was the better part of valour - and declared the ball lost.

Fortunately the self-imposed reload did not affect their overall position as they took runner-up spot on countback from Wath GC’s Fairuz Mitchell and Karen Dent (gross 82 net 68).

The snake encountered by Leeds GCs Jo Eastwood and Gwen Lowe at Tankersley Park.The snake encountered by Leeds GCs Jo Eastwood and Gwen Lowe at Tankersley Park.
The snake encountered by Leeds GCs Jo Eastwood and Gwen Lowe at Tankersley Park.
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Fourth were Karen Hughes and Julie Wortley-Froggett (Wike Ridge), carding a gross 84 net 69.5, and fifth were Sitwell Park’s Margaret Oxley and June Binney (gross 96 net 69.5).

YLCGA captain Jean Waring said: “These ladies had won their place in the final by competing firstly in club competitions and then in the area competition.

“The sun shone on the morning competitors and the course was in super condition.

“The land has a fascinating past with many uses over the last centuries. It has been an oak forest, a civil war battlefield, a baronial deer park, a coal and ironstone mining area and even a battle tank testing ground before being transformed into a beautifully manicured golf course.”

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While the runners-up had their drama with an adder, Cleckheaton’s Helen Jaques suffered her own clash with nature when she was stung by a wasp just before heading to the first tee.

One of the players in her group - who had recently spent a few days in hospital due to a sting she received - fortunately had some anti-histamine to administer to the sting.

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