ROTHERHAM RECLAIM TITLE

Rotherham wrested back the Team Championship at a baked Abbeydale on Sunday with the narrowest of victories.

A combined 16-over-par total of 300 was enough to see off defending champions Phoenix by just a single stroke, the result neatly echoing Rotherham’s last victory in the event at Worksop in 2016, when Phoenix had also been the defending champions.

Phoenix’s stout defence was led by a former Rotherham man, Matt Evans, whose newly acquired status as a father seems to be limiting only the quantity, rather than the quality of his golf. Controlling his ball as well as ever across the fast running fairways, Evans posted a two-under-par 69, but the overall steadiness of Rotherham’s young side brought them home just in front, with scores of 70 from Ben Schmidt, 73 from Charlie Daughtrey, 77 from Sam Rook and 80 from Brad Whitehouse.

Hosts Abbeydale were the only team to record four scores in the 70s, but with Union regulars Tim Brind and Jack Liversedge being their best on 75 lacked the one low score that might have brought them the trophy. Hallowes, featuring recently reinstated amateur Robert Wragg, came in fourth.

The best score of the day was from Lindrick’s Iain Melville. The young Scot single-putted each of the final six greens to post a superb 67 and deny Evans the individual honours. It was Melville’s first venture to Abbeydale, and he had received some words of wisdom from veteran Ian Clarke before play. “Ian told me just to hit the ball as far as I could where I could still see the ball,” he explained. “It was good advice. I’m just not sure how well Ian followed it himself.” Clarke posted an 88, but Lindrick avoided the relegation trap door, which took Doncaster Town Moor, Waterfront, Hickleton, Sitwell Park and Lees Hall back to the qualifying stage for 2019.

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