East Riding Union took over at the top of the 2023 YIDU standings with a win over Leeds Union after a day of drama at Driffield.
In the morning foursomes, Manager Andy Lockwood was forced into shuffling his pack due to the unavailability of Hornsea top order players Steve Uzzell and Jack Maxey. Leading off the team were Jacob Hodgson, recent winner of the Oakdale Acorn, and ERUGC Amateur Champion Ryan Gray hoping to use his local knowledge to get the team off to a fast start. Despite a titanic struggle, they succumbed to Jake Wallis and Josh Bissett on the last green.
Second away were the new pairing of Aaron Brettell and Jack Northgraves, who suffered a similar fate on the 18th. The middle order provided the first points of the day as Jonnie Fisher and Charlie Milner calmly two putted for par at the last to hold on to their one hole lead. In match 4, Alex Wiggins came back into the side to partner Phil Wright. They triumphed 2&1 and the match was tied at 4-4, before Leeds secured the lead at lunch with both Toms (Benson and Brown) losing on the 17th before Luke Thornton and George Clark, who only bogeyed one hole all match, lost on the last.
Familiar foursomes frailties then and Team Manager Andy Lockwood dusted off the traditional lunchtime speech which has been used regularly over the last two seasons to urge every player to worry about their own point and get some East Riding momentum going early into the afternoon singles.
Ryan Gray answered the call and fully justified the manager's faith in putting him out first against the highly rated Jake Wallis, a member of Phil Woodcock's all-conquering Yorkshire Boys side. Ryan reached 2up through 15 and held on to win on the last. Jacob Hodgson's match was the polar opposite, as a two hole lead at the turn evaporated into a loss on the 18th.
A strong middle order however turned the tide for the home team as a succession of victories came in first from Aaron Brettell 5&3, then Jonnie Fisher with an incredible four birdies in a row to close out his match 4&2. Two more quickly followed from Jack Northgraves and Charlie Milner who triumphed 2&1 and 5&4 respectively. East Riding now led 14-10 and the finishing line was suddenly not a possibility, but a probability.
Officials and players know that Leeds are not a team to lie down and losses for Luke Thornton and Alex Wiggins and the 'Duel in the Driffield Sun' was once again dead level at 14 all.
The returning George Clark had looked odds on to secure his points at the turn when he held a three hole advantage, but three birdies on the back nine brought his Leeds opponent back to level, before a par at the last from somewhere near the 10th green took the visitors to 16-14. Tom Brown maintained his 100% singles record as he closed out his match 3&2 to bring the sides level again with only Phil Wright and Tom Benson left on the course as the gallery gathered around the final two holes.
Having been two down through 10 holes, mainly due to not finding his rhythm on the greens, Scarborough North Cliff's Benson dug deep and won four out of the next six holes to turn his match around and possibly East Riding's season. Tom's 2&1 win left Phil the luxury of knowing the tie was in the bag as he came down the last at dormie 1up. When his stunning short iron settled 12 feet away from the pin, the four point East Riding victory was assured.
The win takes East Riding top of the YIDU table, leapfrogging Leeds to open up a one point lead. Next up is an away fixture against York Union at Strensall on Sunday 6 August.
Thanks as always to starter Andy Pittaway for his long stints on the first tee and to host club Driffield for presenting the course in superb condition and looking after both sides on a busy day in the clubhouse.
All YIDU results, fixtures and standings here
Jonathan Clark
ERUGC Junior League secretary
