Yorkshire golf - club news: Mel Bedford birdies his way to Huddersfield GC triumph

The 18-handicapper tallied 43pts to win by two from runner-up Michael Hanley, who plays off 24.

Bedford had two one-pointers in his opening four holes, but offset them with interest with net birdies at holes three, five, six and eight.

He added another at the par-3 11th before birdieing both holes 12 and 13 for net eagles. He closed the round with his sixth net birdie of the day at the par-5 18th.

Hanley may look back at holes four and five - on which he scored a combined one point - as the reason he did not challenge more closely for first place.

He had begun with a net birdie at the first hole and showed his mettle by recovering quickly from the setback at the fourth and fifth holes with a net birdie at the sixth and a net eagle at the seventh.

Further net birdies were carded at holes 10, 12 and 18 plus a net eagle at the 14th.

A run of seven consecutive three-point holes on the back nine enabled Jim Wilson and Paul Dyson to get the better of Graeme Brodie and Aron Schnacke in Huddersfield's fourball better ball Open Stableford on countback.

Both Wilson (10 handicap) and Dyson (28) and the pairing of Brodie (5) and Schnacke (+2) totalled 47pts, but the former duo triumphed on countback.

Dyson added two net birdies and a net eagle to Wilson's birdie at the par-5 third as they amassed 22pts to the turn.

Then seven homeward birdies, including a two from Wilson at the par-3 17th, gave them an all-important 25 to Brodie and Schnacke's 24 on the back nine.

Brodie put a net and a gross birdie on the board by hole three and then Schnacke bagged an eagle three at the fifth and a birdie at the ninth.

Coming home he and Brodie produced a pair of birdies each and the latter a net eagle at 14, but their 24pt inward tally was not enough.

Heather Benson laid the foundations for victory in Huddersfield's ladies' March Stableford with three net birdies in four holes from the fifth.

The 17-handicapper then quickly recovered from the blow of returning no points at the ninth with a net birdie at the 10th.

She added two more net birdies - at holes 12 and 16 - to total 36 points, which left Marion Donaldson in second place, one point adrift.

Donaldson, who plays off 27, had a birdie three for a net eagle, worth four points, on the second and - after her only blob of the round, at the eighth - made a second net eagle at the ninth.

It meant she had 21pts to the turn, but although she scored on every hole on the homeward run it included too many one-pointers, allowing Benson to prevail.

Hornsea GC's Saturday March Stableford saw the Division One honours go to Rich Tucker with 38pts, on countback from Dave Rogerson. Ian Lockwood was third, four points adrift.

Jon Mitchell required 36pts to win Division Two, three ahead of Adam Fell and four better than Jon Naylor.

Will Marshall's 37pt tally proved unbeatable in Division Three, Gary Markham placing second (35) and Gordon McGlynn third (33).

Marshall then prevailed on Sunday in the individual Stableford, which incorporated the Mark Hurn Trophy.

He had to rely on a countback after he and Ashley Dexter both amassed 34pts. Kevin Bond was third on 33.

Bracken Ghyll GC's Monday Medal was won convincingly by 12-handicapper Alan Pritchard with a net 63. His 75 also proved the lowest gross score.

Doug Thompson (13) was second on 68 and Keith McLelland (18) third, on the same score.

Division 2 was won by a net 67 from 25-handicapper Jeffrey Pickering, two shots ahead of Herbie Beresford (94-25-69) and four ahead of Basil Oliver (92-21-71) and Peter Earnshaw (97-26-71).