Yorkshire golf: Simon Thomas and Graham Philpin stand tall with Bracken Ghyll GC triumph

Opponents David Anderson and Mark Vaughan played impressively on the front nine and by the 12th had moved two holes ahead in a match refereed by club captain Richard Beilby.

However, Thomas and Philpin then staged a remarkable turnaround, winning holes 13 through 16 to go two up themselves, and they secured a 2&1 victory at the next.

The competition, which started back in October and involved around 60 pairs playing 10 qualifying rounds to get into the match play stages, derives its name from its first year when it was set up on temporary tees and greens by - two tall gentlemen.

The club's rearranged January Monthly Medal saw Division One honours go to Andrew Coates (68-4-64), one shot ahead of Chris Page (80-15-65). Alan Pritchard (78-12-66) placed third.

Division Two winner was Ashley Weir (84-20-64), whose impressive score gave him a four-shot margin over Gregory Sutcliffe (91-23-68). Third was Mark Hunter (88-17-71).

President Andrew Coates scored a superb 32 on his back nine on greens made quick and difficult by last week's dry weather.

Birley Wood GC's junior team placed first in the opening round of the Inter Club Junior Team Championship at Lees Hall GC with a net score of 208, followed by the hosts on 233, then Abbeydale on 235.

Harry Emmingham had the best gross score with a 75 and Lewis Harrison the best net with a 71.

Keighley GC's Lombard Trophy Qualifier was won by Luke Roberts with an impressive 42pts.

He will partner the club's professional Andrew Rhodes and represent Keighley in the regional final to be played at Fulford GC on June 2.

A gross birdie at the difficult first hole got him off to a dream start, and another followed at the fourth, each accruing four points.

Roberts played consistently throughout and after his only blemish at the 17th he recovered well to birdie the last to win by four points from Chris Naylor.

The Bradford GC's Cathy Lambert recorded a hole in one with a five iron on the par-3 fourth at Northcliffe GC during a Bradford Evening League match, a tight tee shot played through the trees with two hidden bunkers guarding the front of the green leaving no margin for error.

The club's junior coaching programme starts on Saturday at 1pm. It will involve 12 sessions every Saturday up to and including Saturday, July 23, the only exception being Saturday, May 28th when the practice ground will be unavailable. Each session will run for one hour and there are a total of 12 places available for each session.

Email for Geoff Skelton, junior organiser, is [email protected].

Tankersley Park GC will hold a Family Fun Day on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2, as they look to recruit new members, especially juniors.

They are also introducing new 9-hole competitions as part of England Golf's initiative to get more people into the sport.

Debbie Travis, the club's marketing chair, said: "The idea behind it is to open the sport up to more people. We all have busy lives and the thought of starting a new pastime that could take up to five hours to play has put many people off in the past.

"This is the way forward. along with many other changes. Golf clubs realise that if they want to retain their members and, of course attract, the younger ones, they have to move with the times; (for instance) gone are the stuffy rules of strict dress codes."

Tankersley's men's second team have opened their season with a 5-3 win away to Sandhill GC and a 4-4 home draw with Wortley GC.

The ladies' A Team travelled to Wetherby and won 4½-2½.

Kirkbymoorside GC's 2016 competition season got under way with the first medal attracting more than 130 entries.

There was little carry following overnight rain, but that did not impede Phil Butler, who won Division One of the competition with a level-par gross 69, net 64.

Gary Thornton and Ian Brown filled second and third respectively.

Junior member Sam Morse continued to slash his handicap by winning Division Two with a net score of 64, while Division Three honours went to Neil Bowsher (net 70).

Following on from a win over neighbours Malton & Norton, the seniors section scored a 6-2 victory at Beverley.

Kirkbymoorside were among the trophy winners at the annual dinner of the Flamborough & District Rabbits' Golf Alliance, having triumphed in two of the four major competitions – the Jubilee team trophy for 12 players and the Amanda Claire better ball competition.

However, the Rabbits did not fare quite so well in Kirkbymoorside’s annual Rabbits versus Tigers event (over 16 handicap versus under 16 handicap), the Tigers coming out on top to claim bragging rights for the year. They also get to see their cuddly tiger toy reside in the trophy cabinet for 2016.

Bedale GC's Lascelles Qualifier was won by eight-handicapper Michael Kilbride with a net 69. He prevailed by two shots from Keith Davison (79- 8-71) and Jamie Wilkinson (76-5-71).

Rotherham GC have a new captain in Kevin Popplewell, who said after his drive in: "You cannot believe how relieved I was to hit the first fairway. It may not have been the longest drive, but it was straight."

The Drive-In fourball better ball competition saw Mark Warren and Lee Parnham win with 43pts, one ahead of Paul Brady and Russ Safhill, who took second from Steve Eggleston and Andy Unwin on countback.

Rotherham member Darren Whitehouse had a hole in one on the 9th hole during the medal, Division One of which was won by Daniel Savage with a brilliant net 65. He finished two ahead of Darren Whitehouse.

Division Two's winner was Richard Hallbrook with a net 65, four in front of his nearest competitor, James Stephenson Marshall.