Joanne Morley Junior Challenge

Joanne Morley Junior Challenge

AFTER several weeks of awful weather that have seen many courses severely affected by wet conditions it was a pleasant surprise to have a fine if chilly day at Sale Golf Club, who were once more excellent hosts for the annual Joanne Morley Junior Golf Challenge.

The course was in good condition, considering the heavy rain in recent weeks, providing some excellent greens for some top juniors from Lancashire and Cheshire who did great credit to their clubs, parents and organisers for their impeccable display both on the course and in the clubhouse with some top scores coming on the course.

Joanne, a true British golfing legend, was on the course throughout the day seeing the players off from the first tee, watching them play around the course and being there to meet them and present the prizes as she has done now for over 20 years of great help and encouragement for the competition.

Sale officials, led by Captain Terry Crewe and Lady Captain Jenny Page, also gave fine support on and off the course to all of their visitors backed by their staff in the pro shop and in the clubhouse.

There were plenty of prizes on offer provided by the Golf Foundation, organisers WGTB Golf and various clubs across the region.

The early leader was Cheshire Junior star Harry Gittins (Congleton) with 37 points but he was overtaken by Aristo Wood (Whalley) with 40 points and Aaron Mohun (Delamere Forest) 38 before Ringway Golf Club’s rising star Ellis Courtnell lifted the bar with a terrific winning score of 43 points.

He won the coveted Joanne Morley Trophy, a round for four at Prestbury Golf Club, an assessment at the Trafford Driving Range and a special Open Golf handy bag as his reward for some excellent golf.

The top girl was another Ringway star Siobhan Grayson who has played in the competition for several years and finished with 36 points to lead in from Sale Junior Captain Jess Jordan 34 and Ella Maxwell (Knutsford) 34.

The other boys’ prize was taken by Charlie Watts (Delamere Forest) with 37 points.

The Nearest the Pin prize for boys on the third hole was won by Dan Myers (Reddish Vale) and as no girls made the green on the 17th a raffle for the prize decided by Sale Captain Terry Crewe’s lucky number was won by Imogen Marsland (Lymm)

The Ringway team (who recently won the Manchester Alliance’s Williams BMW Junior Team KO) completed an excellent hat trick with a total of 114 points from their top three scorers Ellis Courtnell, Siobhan Grayson and Tom Pughe, backed by Luca Moola and Cole Self to win the team prize.

(Pictures & Article by G Garnett)