AT one time the Leeds Open title was highly sought after, big name internationals, including Ryder Cup men, and amateur internationals claimed the title, while Leeds legend Hedley Muscroft's staggering 13 victories between 1958 and 1983 will never be matched.
Compared to those halcyon days, the tournament has met with decline at times, indeed it has been scrapped on four occasions in the last 13 years – including last season.
Poor support, notably by professionals, has been the main cause, but the cham
pionship is back, re-emerging at Headingley on Monday with a field of 45 and sponsorship from brewers John Smith's.
The top local professionals who meet the qualifying criteria again miss the event though 16 from the paid ranks start in the 36-hole test.
Among them are twins Stephen and Mark Pullan, entered from Sand Moor where they had glittering amateur careers but are rarely seen in events nowadays.
Grant Jackson, another former leading amateur who left the ranks to seek his fortune on tour, is entered from Garforth.
Likewise, the amateur entry could be stronger – Simon Coumbe, Pontefract's plus-three handicapper, and 18-year-old county champion Richard Law, from Low Laithes, are the only county squad players entered.
They are joined by Scarcroft's Steve Cain, off plus-two and a mainstay of the Leeds Union side.
Amateurs have won the last two Leeds Opens – Garforth's Ashley Smith winning at Horsforth in 2006, and Danny Denison prevailing the year before on his home course at Howley Hall.
Denison has recovered after his horrendous car accident in Austria last year and he is set to return to competitive play when the Yorkshire Open also makes a comeback from the golfing wilderness next month.
Law, meanwhile, is in Yorkshire's side for the final Northern Counties League match of a dismal season that has seen the White Rose wilt.
Failure against Cheshire at Prenton will take the home side above Yorkshire at the foot of the table. A much-changed Yorkshire line-up sees the return of Darryl Berry, a move which I advocated last month.
After four years as a professional he has been re-instated and the former county champion has been putting together some outstanding scores.
He comes into a side in which five players make their debuts and as many again are elevated from the boys' team.
"Darryl was a fantastic player for Yorkshire and importantly is keen to play for Yorkshire again," said county captain Andy King.
"Other changes are necessary due to clashing events.
"A good number of our squad are playing in this week's Westwood Trophy, a 72-hole event at Rotherham, and the Cheshire match offers a good chance to some young players prior to close season coaching squads being selected."
While Lancashire have dominated at full and boys levels this year, Yorkshire Under-16s beat their Roses rivals 14-4 at Wetherby this week.
Yorkshire: D Appleyard (South Leeds), J Jones (Cleveland), R Law (Low Laithes), D Gavins (Wheatley), D Berry (West Bradford), J Firth (Baildon), W Shucksmith (Alwoodley), T Hesketh (Oakdale), M Brown (Pike Hills), L Maguire (Howley Hall), L Bramall (Hillsborough), L Cooper (Headingley).
Elsewhere, Howley Hall pushed runaway winners Hallowes the closest in the Yorkshire Team championship at Middlesbrough.
Two brilliant rounds of 67 by teenage county player James Maw took the Sheffield club nine shots clear to celebrate their first title win since 1970 and a place in the two-day English Champion Club Tournament at The Wiltshire, Wootton Bassett this weekend.
Last season's Yorkshire champions Moortown battled to hold on to top- flight status while Moor Allerton were relegated.
RESULTS: 567 – Hallowes (A Hodkinson 74 78, S Campbell 72 68, J Maw 67 67, J Smedley 71 70). 567 – Howley Hall: G Johnson 70 74, L Morrisroe 74 70, J Appleyard 74 75, L Maguire 70 69. 578 – Saltburn: D Smith 71 74, J Jones 69 74, N Emmerson 70 74, A Birkbeck 73 73. 579 – Wike Ridge: R Roper 69 70, J Murphy 74 76, W Shucksmith 76 73, D Wright 70 71.Huddersfield: R Broadley 71 74, B Johnson 79 74, B Tupman 72 71, N Williams 76 71. 588 – Garforth: J Ellis 77 74, A Smith 73 72, M Lawson 74 74, A King 72 72. 589 – Fulford. 589 – Moortown: S East 73 74, N McCarthy 71 75, N Sweet 71 75, A Jones 73 77. 590 – Oakdale: C Wilding 74 76, C Henderson 78 77, T Hesketh 73 73, W Crick 66 73. 595 - Baildon. 601 - West End, Wath.
Relegated: 605 – Pike Hills. 607 – Ilkley. 608 – Rotherham. 611 – Northcliffe. 612 – Moor Allerton: J Walker 75 67, M Copeland 75 81, M Newman 84 75, A Webster 77 78. 621 – Beverley & ER.
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