Sponsored by Howard Battersby Cutting Edge Landscapes

Pike Fold is one of the newest golfing venues in Greater Manchester and has settled into a mature, well presented and challenging course.

It has excellent hospitality in its historic Unsworth Hall clubhouse and their highly respected professional Grant Hamerton was the MDGA Captain in its recent Centenary season.

A strong field produced a string of good scores and there was an unusual win in the Nearest the Pin prize being won by Sam Jaafari (Styal) in the first group out.

The hot pace for the day was set up by early starters Josh Corrigan (Ashton-on-Mersey) and his club colleague Niall Holohan as they posted 46 points to top the Am Am section and they stayed there throughout the rest of the day.
Their nearest challenge came from Alliance Captain Alistair Holloway (Denton) and his regular partner Anthony Kenny (Prestwich) who won a cpo on 42 from John Dempsey and Gary Myerscough (Turton) to take the runners-up berth.

In the individual pro section the top spot was shared by Phil Kelly and OoM leader Josh Crumplin (Disley) three more than Jamie Howarth (Davenport) and Grant Hamerton.

The Pro am section was also very competitive with Stand GC’s dynamic duo of Mark Hancock and his stunning partner Marco Cabrelli untouchable on 47.

Just a point behind were Craig Corrigan and Phil Cooney (Houghwood) and in joint third place were Phil Kelly and Andy Angelone (Stamford) and Josh Crumplin and Chris Jackson (Tytherington) 45 with Chris Jackson taking the third place amateur prize on a card play off.

With the Alliance’s technical wizard Jim Cunliffe away on holiday in the Far East Kevin Shea stepped into his shoes to give vital and skilled assistance to his Bolton Old LInks colleague and MDGA President Ian Brooks to ensure that the competition ran like silk to provide another great day of ‘Friendship Through Golf’.

Geoff Garnett