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Youngster Johnson's in impressive shape
Gareth Johnson, a 16-year-old talent from Howley Hall, was in superb form at Pannal where he upstaged the best in the county to head Tuesday's first round of the Yorkshire Amateur.
Leeds Union chiefs hope he is in a similar vein of form for their toughest Inter-Union League test of the season against Sheffield at Horsforth.
A member of last season's successful Leeds junior side, he made his first team debut against Bradford in the final league match of the season, winning his foursomes and sharing his singles.
Leeds are bidding to bounce back from a sorry defeat by York, but it's a tough task they face on Sunday.
Champions Sheffield scored a crushing win over Bradford last time out and will present a stern test, even though Leeds have Simon Coumbe and Ashley Smith back.
Bradford meet Teesside at Baildon, Harrogate host Halifax-Huddersfield at Starbeck and East Riding receive York at Cottingham.
Leeds: David Appleyard (South Leeds), Simon Coumbe (Pontefract), Richard Law (Low Laithes), Andy Wiltshire (Pontefract), Alex Webster (Moor Allerton), Ashley Smith (Garforth), James Skirrow (Temple Newsam), Darren Calvo (Waterton Park), Gareth Johnson (Howley Hall), Darren Walton (Wakefield), Luke Maguire (Howley Hall), Andy King (Garforth).
Johnson was the stand-out player at Pannal on Tuesday in firing a four under par 68, a mark matched only by Fulford's Jamie Miller who has reverted to amateur status following a brief dalliance with the professional game.
He grabbed five birdies while dropping a lone shot, at the tricky 215-yard par three 15th.
The top 32 advance to the match-play stage following yesterday's second qualifying round.
Leading first round scores: 68 – G Johnson (Howley Hall), J Miller (Fulford). 69 – N Sweet (Moortown), S Young (Rotherham), A Jones (Moortown), T Hesketh (Oakdale). 70 – J Maw (Hallowes), M Lawson (Garforth). 71 – A King (Garforth), D Woodhead (Hessle), G Evans (Northcliffe), M Bennison (Knaresborough), M Killen (Cottingham), B Downing (Hallamshire), C Dyson (Woodsome Hall), R Law (Low Laithes), J Sloan (Brough), R Earnshaw (Fulford). 72 – M Streets (Wetherby), S Clarkson (Brough), S Haywood (Rotherham), S East (Moortown), L Cooper (Moortown), C Mufaya (Pontefract), G Fulwood (Wath), D Appleyard (South Leeds), T Goodair (Woodsome Hall), A Denton (Bondhay), M Cavill (Bondhay), J Bassitt (Ripon City). 73 – R Chilton (Pike Hills), J Harrison (Rotherham), M Wright (Silkstone), A Shaw (Huddersfield), A Simpson (Selby), E Burdett (Malton & Norton), C Howe (Hollins Hall), D Rowley (Shipley), M Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire), R Andrew (Normanton), D Moon (Rotherham), C Wilding (Oakdale).
Meanwhile, county squad member Will Shucksmith's second round 69 in the Leeds Union Scratch Team championship at Garforth proved crucial as it enabled Wike Ridge to retain the title by one stroke ahead of the host club.
Garforth's four-man team led the way after the first round, Moortown being their closest challengers three shots back while Wike Ridge languished in eighth place, 10 strokes off the pace.
Jim Murphy led a big Wike Ridge fightback, adding a 73 to an opening 77 after Dean Wright had posted another solid 74.
Shucksmith then improved his first round 78 by nine strokes and anchor man Roger Roper went 10 shots better than his opening return.
Pontefract's Andy Wiltshire claimed the individual honours with rounds of 72 73.
The leading seven clubs qualify for the championship next year. Others must pre-qualify.
Leading scores:595 – Wike Ridge: D Wright 74 74, J Murphy 77 73, W Shucksmith 78 69, R Roper 80 70. 596 – Garforth: J Ellis 79 73, A Smith 75 73, M Lawson 73 73, A King 72 78. 600 – Moortown: J Allison 74 76, L Cooper 77 73, A Jones 77 74, N Sweet 72 75. 609 – Wakefield: D Walton 74 73, C Whittaker 79 79, N Kinghorn 76 76, A Stringer 75 77. 614 – Scarcroft: S Cain 71 75, D Moran 77 80, M Fearby 85 76, T Cole 72 78; Selby: C Livesey 76 80, K Smith 76 78, R Wardle 73 76, S Jackson 79 76; Low Laithes: R Law 72 82, P Timlin 81 77, R Edson 82 75, S Hartley 69 76. 622 – Waterton Park: D Calvo 72 83, C Nichol 71 75, A Collinson 80 77, M West 84 80. 623 – Howley Hall: C Watt 82 80, P Monaghan 79 82, G Johnson 78 75, L Maguire 69 78. 627 – Pontefract: A Wiltshire 72 73, J Shaw 92 75, C Mufaya 86 80, S Coumbe 76 74. 630 – Barnsley: P Birkett 77 75, A Shenton 73 74, M Rowe 83 75, S Butcher 87 86. 633 – Horsforth: S Lax 77 80, R Emsley 81 78, D Vine 78 79, M Thorpe 83 77. 634 – Temple Newsam: D McBride 77 79, S Winstanley 83 81, N Banks 88 79, T Banks 74 80.
642 – Headingley: M Roberts 77 79, A Arnold 80 75, J Hall 83 79, A Holmes 80 79. 644 – Normanton: R Andrew 75 71, C Hughes 79 77, A Staneff 84 80, L Styles 92 86.
Ends
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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