Yorkshire golf: Lander beats former winner Battye to win Halifax-Huddersfield match play for first time

L-r, Halifax-Huddersfield Union junior match play runner-up Ben Pullen (Saddleworth) and winner Henry
Butterworth (Hebden Bridge), Crawshaw Memorial
Trophy winner Chris Lander (Halifax Bradley Hall) and runner-up Ed Battye (Bradley Park). — L-r, Halifax-Huddersfield Union junior match play runner-up Ben Pullen (Saddleworth) and winner Henry Butterworth (Hebden Bridge), Crawshaw Memorial Trophy winner Chris Lander (Halifax Bradley Hall) and runner-up Ed Battye (Bradley Park).

Lander defeated 2012 champion Ed Battye (Bradley Park) 5&4 in Sunday’s final at Huddersfield GC to lift the JR Crawshaw Memorial Trophy.

Battye, who was also runner-up last year, took the lead on the second hole and, after being pegged back, went in front for a second time at the fifth.

However, Lander – site manager at Direct Golf’s Huddersfield Stadium store – responded with birdies at six and seven to take the lead and almost went two up at the next, where his birdie putt lipped out.

Chris Lander receives the J R Crawshaw Memorial
Trophy from Halifax-Huddersfield Union president Bryan Webb and, right, Roy Lofts (Halifax Bradley Hall). — Chris Lander receives the J R Crawshaw Memorial Trophy from Halifax-Huddersfield Union president Bryan Webb and, right, Roy Lofts (Halifax Bradley Hall).

He was two holes to the good by lunch and at one stage stretched his lead to five.

Battye managed to claw back one hole, but a five at the par-5 14th was good enough for a win for Halifax-Huddersfield Union team member Lander, which sealed his 5&4 triumph.

“I played well, pretty solid all day,” said Lander. “I did play a couple of dodgy shots, but when I made a mistake I managed to recover with the next shot.”

Lander shot 77 73 at Woodsome Hall to become one of 32 players to qualify from the union’s stroke play championship – the PS Cockroft Trophy – which was won by Graham McLean, of Meltham.

Lander got the better of McLean 5&4 in the semi-final at Ogden having beaten defending champion Brad Tupman (Huddersfield) in the last eight.

His first round opponent was Dewsbury’s Rob Speight, who was vanquished 2&1 , before he knocked out three-time champion Richard Broadley, also of Huddersfield, 4&3, both matches being played at Lander’s home course of Bradley Hall.

As well as the JR Crawshaw Memorial Trophy, which is sponsored by BM Howarth Chartered Accountants of Halifax, the junior match play championship was decided at Huddersfield.

Henry Butterworth (Hebden Bridge) moved three up after the first 18 holes against Saddleworth’s Ben Pullen and during the second round maintained his excellent form to win 6&5.