WITHINGTON Golf Club staged the regional final of the Coronation Foursomes for more than 200 ladies in the event sponsored by Peugeot and organised by the Ladies' Golf Union.

The club provided a day blessed by superb weather and a well-presented and challenging course plus great clubhouse hospitality.

The opening group set the standard for the day with Hale duo Rosie Gerrard and Michele Rea setting an impressive mark of 36 points.

The score stood the test as the nearest to it at the end of a long day was the 34 points posted by Susan Wood and Eleni Cullen of Fairhave GC, who won a card play-off from Shipley Golf Club’s Gail Fry and Anne Borus.

The winning pair were delighted to hear they have won a place in the national final against the other regional winners in September at St Andrews where they will play over the fabulous Eden course in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

LGU representative Wendy Taylor thanked the club and the players for their efforts on the day and presented the Withington lady vice captain Moyra Levey with a plaque to commemorate a very special day.

The Balfour and Houldsworth committee, who have run open competitions for well over 120 years, changed the format of the GS Lancashire Trophy a few years ago to move with the times and it has proved to be a big hit with an impressive increase in entries.

The original competition started in 1920 as a mixed foursome but now players enjoy the mixed BB Stableford format, which allows each player to play their own ball.

This year’s competition was hosted by Chorlton Golf Club, who provided a course in excellent condition with some big scores being posted as all of the 92 players from 18 golf clubs enjoyed the day.

The usual sting in the tail was provided by late finishing Swinton Park duo Jimmy O’Reilly and Fran Jewkes who posted a great score of 44 points.

It left them three clear of Davyhulme Park’s Alan Vaughan and Carol Brady who won a card play-off from Chris Darwent and Donna Macintosh from Bramall Park and Ellesmere’s Craig Dennis and Janette Sellers.

The Manchester and District Ladies Golf Association’s Bell Cup now sees eight clubs just one step away from finals day at Bramhall Golf Club, the home club of MDLGA president Chris Kelly.

The quarter-finals will be played at neutral venues with the winners going through to the morning semi-finals at Bramhall on September 2.

Mellor and Townscliffe, who have never won the trophy since it was first played for in 1909, are this year’ giant killers as they accounted for previous winners Warrington to add to the big scalps in previous rounds of Worsley, Prestbury and Macclesfield.

They now take on another recent winner in Haydock Park as they look to make the finals day.

The rest of the draw is: Stockport v Leyland; Harwood v Pleasington and Crompton and Royton v Dean Wood.