Low Laithes place their hands back on Winter Alliance crown

LOW LAITHES GC'S ladies section move into the summer season with an extra spring in their stride.
Low Laithes GCs successful ladies team with the Leeds & District Ladies Winter Alliance trophy.Low Laithes GCs successful ladies team with the Leeds & District Ladies Winter Alliance trophy.
Low Laithes GCs successful ladies team with the Leeds & District Ladies Winter Alliance trophy.

For they have regained the Leeds & District Ladies’ Winter Alliance crown that had slipped from their grasp the previous year after seven successive triumphs.

They looked to be up against it when they trailed leaders Wakefield GC by eight points going into the last round.

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But with Lynne Campbell and Deanna Holding leading the way by winning the final meeting at Pontefract GC, Low Laithes annexed a record 11th championship victory in the competition.

Unfortunately, captain Lindsay Brook was unable to get out on the course and assist after the 12-handicapper suffered a broken arm last month.

But her squad helped the healing process by returning the Leeds & District trophy into Low Laithes’ hands for at least another year.

“We are only a small club so we are very delighted to have won it yet again,” said Brook who, when asked to explain Low Laithes’ astonishing record in the competition, added: “I think it is just pure determination, turning out in cold, wet, windy weather and just fielding a good team each time.”

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The alliance features five matches over the winter season, at each of which the winning pair receives 10 points, the second nine and all the way down to the 10th pair who receive one point.

“Altogether we have won it 11 times, which is more than any other club in the area,” continued Brook.

“The venues are drawn – so occasionally you might get to play on your own course, but I can’t remember the last time we did – but we always finish up at Pontefract.

“It is a foursomes format and we tend to put high and low handicappers together.

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“But really it is whoever is available at the time, and we are quite happy to mix in and match.

“You can enter as many pairs as you like as long as there is enough space for people to play. Usually we have about five pairs competing even though we are quite a relatively small golf club.

“We have about 45 members and probably only 30 to 35 playing members and we are up against the big clubs in the area, for example Wakefield, who have a lot more members than us.”

Brook has been in the role of captain since last November and targeted Low Laithes laying hands on the alliance trophy once again.

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“It was like, ‘let’s get that trophy back’ and I have been trying to get everybody as upbeat as possible,” she said. “but it is not always easy in winter, especially in a winter like we have had.

“It is not the most desirable thing to be tramping around a golf course in mud et cetera.”

Her broken arm was suffered at work, and she said: “It is only six weeks since I broke my arm so it will be a while yet before I play again.”

As well as Brook, the players featured in Low Laithes’ title success were Lynne Birch, Elise Daley, Tina Hogan, Gina White, Sue Wood, Lesley Hancock, Deirdre Twomey, Jane Fawcett, Jeanette Garnett, Christine Stead, Karen Norton, Michelle Walker, Christine Atkinson, Janet Palmer, Deanna Holding, Dot Wharf, Elaine Fozard, Marilyn Chapman, Jill Ware, Lynn Campbell, Ann Hayman, Anne Charlton and Christine Finney.

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Leeds will get their defence of the Yorkshire Inter District Union league title underway at Low Laithes tomorrow when they host Teesside.

Team organiser Mick Fisher, of Garforth GC, last year led Leeds to a double as they also won the junior six-man team championship at Pike Hills GC.

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