Tordoff wins Craven Herald 8-15 Trophy at Skipton Golf Club

Mike Tordoff convincingly won this year's Craven Herald 8-15 Trophy.

The contest between Tordoff and Rob Blakeley started with the latter taking the first hole.

However, by the third, Tordoff had the match back at all square and he then dominated proceedings, winning six of the next seven holes to be six up after the 10th.

Blakeley started to stage somewhat of a fightback, as he claimed the next few holes to reduce the deficit.

When Tordoff won the 14th the writing was on the wall though and he eventually closed out the match on the next hole to claim a five and three victory.

The Rabbits final between Richard Naylor and the Bill Simpson looked as though it would be a one-sided affair early on.

Naylor was three up after seven holes thanks to some excellent scoring in tricky conditions.

A rare loose second shot at the eighth though effectively gave Simpson the hole, and he got another one back at the next to be just one down at the turn.

With the next four holes all halved, the deadlock was broken on the 14th with Naylor taking the hole.

Simpson was not done yet and got one back at the next, using his shot on the hole to great advantage with a smart lay-up.

The pivotal hole was the 16th. With both players in trouble off the tee, it was Naylor who fashioned the best recovery to be two up with two to play.

All that good work was nearly undone on the next when his tee shot could not be found, so they went up the last with the younger player just needing a half to win the match.

Despite, Simpson's best efforts, he could only match the solid par of Naylor, giving the latter the title with a one up win.

David Grant winded back the years to win the Club Championship, beating Rob Windle in the final.

Grant, who was playing in his seventh final, having last won the trophy in 2001, while in his mid 40s, found it difficult on the early holes.

In the windy conditions, Windle gained the advantage after winning holes five and seven, with a great up and down from behind the 8th green maintaining that lead.

However, the ever-steady Grant clawed his way back, taking both the ninth and tenth holes to get back to all square.

Windle could be forgiven for thinking “what if,” as a long range birdie putt on 12 only narrowly missed the hole, but he did take advantage on the next to go one up.

The turning point of the match came at the 15th and 16th, with Grant winning both of them, the latter with a birdie two to take a one hole lead.

The contest concluded on the 17th, as Grant won both the hole and the match, proving age is no barrier in golf.

In the club’s Barrett Cup final, Andy Knowles and Rory Robinson fought out a close contest.

Knowles had the better of the early exchanges and was three up after the seventh.

Robinson would peg him back though and was only one down at the turn.

After a good par down the 13th, he found himself in the driving seat at one up.

The next hole to be won was the 16th, with Knowles taking it following a good up and down from behind the green.

He followed this up with a great four down the 17th to be playing the last at one up, but Robinson took the hole to send the match into sudden death.

Knowles was just through the back of the par five in two, when Robinson’s approach to the green missed left and resulted in a lost ball and a concession to give Knowles the title.

The Knowles Bowl final saw Stephen King against up-and-coming youngster Bobby Dixon.

King was first into his stride and was quickly three up after just four holes, but wins for Dixon on the next three had the match back at all square.

It was still this way after the 12th, then Dixon took the next three to be three up with just three to play.

King, however, made a birdie at the 16th and also won the 17th to take the match down the last.

Dixon belied his years with a steady net par down the last to halve the hole and win the contest.