SALE golfer Will Hobson was top boy as his club hosted the Joanne Morley Junior Challenge.

The club has proudly hosted the event for more than 20 years and it is a competition where many of the players who have taken part go on to high levels of success in the amateur and professional games.

Morley began her golf at Sale and went on to a stellar career winning numerous championships at international level including the Curtis Cup and then enjoyed great success in the professional game playing for 10 years on the LPGA as well as the LET, being a member of the winning Solheim Cup team and she was also vice captain of the Solheim Cup for four years that included a memorable win for Europe against the USA in Ireland.

She has never forgotten her golfing roots and has been a staunch supporter of the Joanne Morley Junior Challenge, linking with WGTB Golf Competitions, as well as junior golfers in the region.

Sale did her proud by providing a course in superb condition with the pins in challenging positions on the green for more than 40 entrants – boys and girls under 16 at the start of 2018 from across the region.

Defending champion Adam Carr (Sale) led out the players and set an early pace with a solid round of 35 points which was overtaken by Ella Maxwell (Knutsford) with 36.

Also posting 35 points were Oliver Johnson (Delamere Forest), Daniel Myers (Reddish Vale), Freddie Fairhurst (Lymm) and Henry Brogan (Delamere Forest).

Just a point behind were Cole Self (Ringway), Sam McLeod (Styal), Nathan Renhorn (Vicars Cross), Ellis Courtnell (Sale) and Dan Beck (Styal), before a late flurry saw the leaderboard change.

In with 38 points were Aaron Lavelle (Ringway) and Hobson (Sale) but the eventual winner with a fine haul of points was Styal 11-handicapper Charlie Hayton to become the proud winner of the trophy, with Hobson top boy.

Maxwell was the top girl ahead of Sophie Mullarkey (Lymm), on 33, and Imogen Marsland (Lymm), on 32.

Brogan had the best gross score of 73 that included an eagle two on the seventh hole and also claiming balls for twos were Jack Muir (Styal) and Will Lord (Ringway)

Nearest-the-pin prizes went to Jack Malpass (Crewe) and Mullarkey, then it was all eyes on the top team scores with Styal’s trio of Hayton (40), Beck (34) and McLeod (34) racking up 108 points to finish one clear of Sale’s Hobson (38), Carr (35) and Courtnell (34).