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2021 champion Jack Brooks holds it together superbly as West Lancashire bares its teeth

NoM: Monday, April 4th

FORMAT: 36-hole strokeplay

It was business as usual for Jack Brooks as the Northern Order of Merit champion won the opening event in the golfnews24.co.uk-sponsored 2022 series at West Lancashire GC last night.

The England international was one of only three players to break par for 18 holes on a windy and cold day in Crosby but the The Mere golfer showed all his class to finish three clear of runner-up and first-round leader Christopher Parkinson (Penwortham). 

Scratch golfers from all over the country travelled to play in the first of 29 Northern Order of Merit events, with new addition Delamere Forest making its bow (Delamere Open) on Sunday, April 17.

The series takes in the likes of Formby, Southport & Ainsdale, Royal Birkdale and Hillside and Brooks, who finished more than 100 points clear of the rest in 2021, was delighted to see a few more putts drop after lunch and close out on level par.

“It is a great venue to start the season off at West Lancs but it was tough out there,” said the plus three handicapper last night. “But I like these conditions and I like links golf and it was good to get the win.

“I played well this morning and hit it well but just got a bit unlucky on the greens and a few putts lipped out. This afternoon I managed to keep swinging well and the putts dropped.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DEFINITIVE 2022 BRITISH AMATEUR GOLF RESULTS/FIXTURES LIST

The Bolton-based player started round two at the tenth and began with back-to-back birdies. Further birdies would follow at his eighth (the 17th) and his 14th (the fifth) on his way to one-under-par 71.

Parkinson could only back up his superb morning effort with a 77, a score matched by third-placed Joseph Murray (Penwortham), who was a shot further back.

To view all the Northern Order of Merit fixtures for 2022, click here

Crosby Challenge Plate scores (par 72)
1) Jack Brooks (The Mere) 73, 71, 144 (Level) – 25 NoM points
2) Christopher Parkinson (Penwortham) 70, 77, 147 (+3) – 20pts
3) Joseph Murray (Blundells Hill) 71, 77, 148 (+4) – 16pts
4) Robert Noon (Douglas) 75, 74, 149 (+5) – 14pts
5) Christian Johnson (Leasowe) 73, 77, 150 (+6) – 12pts
6) James Tottey (West Lancashire) 76, 75, 151 (+7) – 10pts
7) George Holland (Southport & Ainsdale) 81, 72, 153 (+9) – 8pts
8) Steven Capper (Royal Liverpool) 80, 73, 153 (+9) – 6pts
9) Thomas Winn (Morecambe) 75, 78, 153 (+9) – 4pts
10) Gary Blades (Clitheroe) 76, 78, 154 (+10) – 3pts
11) Henry Gibbs (Formby Hall) 75, 79, 154 (+10) – 2pts
12) Adam McLean (Formby Hall) 76, 79, 155 (+11) – 1pt
13) Phil Cooney (Dean Wood) 73, 82, 155 (+11) 
14) Aaron Irwin (Southport & Ainsdale) 77, 79, 156 (+12) 
15) Paul Souter (City of Newcastle) 77, 79, 156 (+12) 
16) George Hanson (Crossland Heath) 77, 79, 156 (+12)
17) Ian Kearney (West Lancashire) 77, 79, 156 (+12)
18) Adam Minnett (Ashridge) 75, 81, 156 (+12)
19) Michael McQueen (Heswall) 76, 81, 157 (+13) 
20) Charlie Bradley (Styal) 78, 80, 158 (+14) 
21) Adam Ryan (West Lancashire) 77, 81, 158 (+14)
22) Tom Hughes (Formby) 75, 83, 158 (+14)
23) Cameron Aspinall (Darwen) 83, 76, 159 (+15) 
24) Daniel Young (Warrington) 82, 77, 159 (+15) 
25) Christopher Cartwright (West Lancashire) 81, 78, 159 (+15) 
26) Charles Holland (Southport & Ainsdale) 79, 80 159 (+15) 
27) James O’Keeffe (Trentham) 77, 82, 159 (+15) 
28) Christopher Duffy (The Park) 76, 83, 159 (+15) 
29) Niall Curwen (Bramhall Park) 80, 80, 160 (+16) 
30) Jack Bottomley-Clift (Manchester) 78, 82, 160 (+16)  
31) John Carroll (Huyton & Prescott) 74, 86, 160 (+16)  
32) Daniel Balshaw (Formby Hall)) 83, 79, 162 (+18)
33) John Gillett (West Lancashire) 81, 81, 162 (+18)
34) Matthew Gresty (Childwall) 79, 83 162 (+18)
35) Harvey Talarczyk (Royal Lytham) 74, 84, 162 (+18)
36) Stewart Tinsley (Leigh) 80, 83, 163 (+19)
37) Chris Webster (Warrington) 77, 86, 163 (+19)
38) George Young (Clitheroe) 85, 79, 164 (+20)
39) John Patton (Pikefold) 84, 81, 165 (+21)  
40) Timothy Saunders (Holywell) 83, 82, 165 (+21)  
41) Jack Wallbank (Ashton & Lea) 82, 83, 165 (+21) 
42) David Jeanrenaud (Houghwood) 80, 85, 165 (+21)  
43) Graeme Booth (Formby Hall) 79, 86, 165 (+21)  
44) Stu Bennett (Enville) 83, 83, 166 (+22) 
45) Craig Jones (Huyton & Prescott) 82, 84, 166 (+22) 
46) Ben Knock (Stockport) 82, 84, 166 (+22)  
47) Christopher Carney (Morecambe) 79, 87, 166 (+22) 
48) Matthew Broadbent (Woodsome Hall) 86, 82, 168 (+24)
49) Paul Docherty (St Annes Old Links) 85, 83, 168 (+24)  
50) Matthew Kersey (Dunham Forest) 80, 88, 168 (+24)  
51) Oliver Hirst-Greenham (Morecambe) 88, 81, 169 (+25) 
52) Richard Corscadden (Vale Royal Abbey) 86, 84, 170 (+26) 
53) Thomas Ambler (Stockport) 84, 86, 170 (+26) 
54) Kiel Varley (Harwood) 80, 90, 170 (+26) 
55) Gary Jones (Mossock Hall) 85, 86, 171 (+27) 
56) Joseph Johnson (Royal Birkdale) 80, 91, 171 (+27)  
57) Mark Rabone (Southport & Ainsdale) 87, 86, 173 (+29) 
58) Sean Philip Brown (Dean Wood) 86, 91, 177 (+33) 
59) Lee Williams (Fairhaven) 91, 88, 179 (+35)  
60) James Howl-Newton (Worcester) 82, —, 82  
61) Mark Kimpton (Vicars Cross) 83, —, 83  
62) Neil Williams (St Annes Old Links) 89, —, 89
-) Nicholas Jones (West Lancashire) 86, NR, —  
-) Liam Lally (Blundells Hill) 82, NR, — 
-) Stephen Hargreaves (West Derby) 78, NR, — 
-) Graeme Jackson (Manchester) 77, NR, — 
-) John Dempsey (Turton) 77, NR, —  
-) Jason Renton (West Lancashire) 84, NR, — 
-) Joe Copperwaite (Bramshaw) 77, NR, — 
-) Stanley McGuinness (Oulton Hall) 83, NR, —  
-) Declan Buksh (Marsden) 89, NR, —