2014 county champions Cookridge Hall stormed back into Division One of the Yorkshire Team Championship at Bingley St Ives last night.
The three-man team of 24-year-old Tom Broxup (pictured), plus teenagers Bailey Hird and Nathan Ali, finished five shots ahead of Hallowes.
With the top six making it through to the main event at Ganton on July 27th, it was also a special day for Waterton Park, who finished third. The Wakefield club started the season in Division Five so yesterday was their fourth straight promotion in two months.
For Cookridge, 19-year-old Bailey produced a stunning five-under-par 66 in the afternoon of the 36-hole strokeplay event to finish second in the individual standings behind Max Berrisford. Two weeks ago the Shipley player finished top in the Division Three Championship at Knaresborough to help his club grab the final promotion spot and at Bingley he did exactly the same thing as Shipley finished sixth, just one shot clear of Rudding Park.
Tom, who was part of the Cookridge team that won the county championship at Hallamshire seven years ago, has watched Bailey and Nathan come through the club’s junior ranks and was delighted to see how his clubmate has blossomed.
He said: “Bailey is a really good player and has really taken a step up this season. It’s one thing to shoot 66s at Cookridge, but doing it away from home is another thing.
“He’s a great ball striker and if he putts well he can go low.”