Pannal’s Jeremy Halliday and Peter Jones out in front at Yorkshire Challenge

Winners of the final day of competition at Moortown two years ago, Halliday and Jones laid the foundations for their 44pts at Lindrick by amassing 24 on the outward nine. They had six birdies in all to the turn, two of them gross, with three-hole bursts starting at the second and seventh.

They cooled slightly coming home due to one-pointers at the 10th, 16th and 18th although they still carded three birdies plus a net eagle from Jones at the par-five 14th.

One point adrift of them are Royal Jersey’s Chris Huelin and David Oliver, best duo on the day at Moortown with 43pts. They, too, began the trip back to the clubhouse with 24pts having accrued four birdies and a net hole-in-one when Oliver birdied the eighth.

Their only one pointer of the day came at the 11th, but their response was to birdie the next two holes.

Top billing at Ganton on a back-nine countback went to Neil Murray (Doncaster Town Moor) and John Waller (Renishaw Park) on a total of 42. Their only one-point hole, at the third, was sandwiched between two of their seven birdies, four of which came in a back nine of 22.

Six other pairs are alongside them on 42 in the overall standings including Ben Yates (Brocton Hall) and Nick Lloyd (Beau Desert), runners-up on the day at Ganton.

Aaron Leathley and John Kennedy, of Consett, began with 38pts at Lindrick as they go up against 207 other pairings in the hope of retaining their Yorkshire Challenge crown.