Golf: Red Rose in full bloom as rivals wilt

May 20 2008 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

LANCASHIRE are top of the Northern Counties League after the opening match of the season and the crushing defeat of Cumbria at Seascale.

The early season triumph by eight points was made even more valuable following the surprising defeat of defending champions Yorkshire by Northumberland. Lancashire, runners-up in 2007, are bidding to regain the title after more than 10 years.

Lancashire lost only one of the five morning foursomes. Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale) with Jonathan Hurst (Shaw Hill), John Carroll (Huyton and Prescot) with James Robinson (Southport and Ainsdale), Sam Stuart (St Annes Old Links) and Michael Hunt (Pleasington), Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park) partnered with Mark Young (Longridge) and Jack Senior (Heysham) with Paul McFerran (Childwall) all won their matches to give Lancashire a 5-1 lead.

The destruction of Cumbria continued as Baldwin, Hurst and Carroll all won, while Robinson continued his impressive form to win 8&6. Hunt, McFerran and Senior also won to give Lancashire a resounding 13½-4½ success. They now meet Cheshire at St Annes Old Links at the end of the month.

Yorkshire, beaten by three points by Northumberland, remain the team to beat in the title race. But Lancashire are top the league, ahead of Northumberland in the matches won analysis.

Cheshire trailed by one point at the interval against Durham but fought back to draw at South Moor. The Caldy partnership of Ray Hughes and Josh Sims won in the foursomes while Adam Wills (Sandiway) and James West (Shrigley Hall) battled to a draw.

Phil Bolton came in with the biggest win of the afternoon, 6&5, and with winning points collected also by David Peel (Stockport), Kevin Kean (Ashton-on-Mersey), David Hird (Leasowe), Sims and Wills and with a halved match for Andy Hardie (Wychwood Park), Cheshire won the singles by one point to halve the match 9-9.