NOT even a late substitution could prevent Shipley from becoming the first winners of a national competition.

They scored 81 points on the Blue Course at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire to lift England Golf's Club Team Championship by two points.

The final was played as part of the governing body's inaugural Golf Week, which celebrated the grass-roots game with a five-day festival of team and handicap events.

The winning Shipley team was former Yorkshire cricketer Neil Hartley and his wife Penny, together with Charles and Sharon Howroyd.

“I can’t tell you what a wonderful honour it is to win this, for the club and for the members,” said Charles. “It was very much a team effort and we slotted in very well.”

He and Sharon stepped in to replace Liz and Mark Waddington, who had helped Shipley through the regional qualifier at Fulford, but were unable to play in the final.

Sharon went on to provide one of the highlights of the round when she birdied the third for four points.

Shipley Golf Club has around 120 lady members and a very active mixed section, with around 90 players turning out for the regular events, which include five mixed competitions in both the summer and winter.

Shipley decided to nominate the winners of their Bank Holiday Mixed event in May, won by Neil and Penny and Liz and Mark, to go forward to the qualifying for the Club Team Championship.

Charles and Sharon were natural substitutes for Liz and Mark in the final as they had won another club mixed event.

Neil added: “As a club we seem to have embraced mixed golf over the last few years and it’s been great for England Golf to give us the opportunity to go to Fulford and to come here to Frilford Heath and this marvellous three-course set-up.”

Much of the final was played in a downpour but the players dealt with it cheerfully.

“Before we started we knew it would be a long round and that we mustn’t get frustrated,” said Neil.

The runners-up were Waterton Park from Wakefield, who beat Leicestershire’s Hinckley on countback after both had scored 79 points.

Club Team Championship final – Leading positions: 1 Shipley 81, 2 Waterton Park 79, 3 Hinckley 79, 4 Royal Cromer 78, 5 Harborne 77, 6 Pyrford 76, 7 Chart Hills 76, 8 Elsham 74, 9 Melton Mowbray 73, 10 North Warwickshire 73. Other positions included: 19 Willow Valley (Page & Page, Greenwood & Greenwood) 69, 22 Whitby.

* Shipley's Mike Brown finished 56th with 18 points in the Fuller's London Pride Gold Medal event at Frilford Heath, 19 points behind winner Adam Morris (Filey).