Fierce competition for green jacket

Apr 21 2009 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

THE ZFL Golf Order of Merit has got off to a flying start with a full field announced for the opening tournament in the Green Jacket series, the Cleveland Salver in Redcar on Sunday.

Bryan Ross, from the Heworth club, organiser for the North East amateur ranking series, said last night: “The publicity given to the event has had a dramatic effect.

“Although the series is for five handicappers and better, they have had to have a ballot because there were so many entries. Only half a dozen of the three handicappers have got in. They have got 20 golfers on the reserve list and nobody can remember anything like this since the Order of Merit was scrapped 10 years ago.

“It just goes to show there is a huge demand for top-class 36-hole scratch amateur tournaments in the North East, once you get the message across, they are back.

“If this is what happens first time out, goodness knows how big the demand is going to be once golfers start seeing the rankings tables published.

“There is going to be an elite field in all 10 tournaments and the competition is going to be red hot.”

Ross, the tournament manager of leaderboard firm Golftext, warned golfers to enter early for the Seaton Salver at Seaton Carew in Hartlepool on May 17.

“The closing date for the second tournament is May 1,” he said. “Anybody who wants to play in it should get their entry in well before then.”

To enter the Seaton Salver, ring Geoff Sowerby on 01740 644463 or visit www.yorkshireorderofmerit.org.uk and click on entry forms for Seaton Salver.

The other tournaments in the £1,500 series are at Newbiggin, Ponteland, Teesside, Newcastle United, Westerhope, Bishop Auckland, Ravensworth and Brancepeth Castle.