Golf: Baildon bid for a double on Sunday when they attempt to win the Bradford First Division championship at Hawksworth.

And they are guaranteed plenty of support after the excitement of clinching the Bradford Scratch League title at their own course last Friday night snatching it from under the noses of West Bradford, almost literally!

With West Bradford on their free date, several of their regular team members were at Baildon hoping the home side would not get the six points needed to take the title - just 12 months after winning the Division Two championship.

But it was left to Ian Martin to make it safe with a 'pressure' putt of around 15 feet on the last green which gave him a one hole win over Skipton's Richard Addyman and clinched a 6-2 victory margin.

"It felt more like a hundred feet rather that 15," admitted Martin. "But the support we have had all season has been marvellous and there must have been around a hundred people there willing the ball to go in. It has made so much difference for us this season and they are always the first people we thank at any presentations."

Martin and Chris Hargreaves have been ever presents in the Baildon team this season, while other contributions have come from Sean Wright, David Beever, Gary Wood and Matthew Roche.

"We have some good youngsters here at Baildon and I think the future is looking very bright for the club," added Martin.

Holders West Bradford are waiting on Open champion Paul Thomas before naming what should be an unchanged line-up from their success at Shipley last year.

Mark Evans, Darryl Berry and Julian Townsend are already pencilled in for the defence, but Thomas's participation depends on how far he goes in the British mid-amateur championship currently taking place at Ganton. Qualifying finishes today and he will be hoping to get into the matchplay stages which finish with the final on Sunday.

Fourteen-year-old Simon Bell made an impressive bow in the Scratch League this season, finishing unbeaten in 11 matches for Northcliffe as they secured the Division Two title by five points from Silsden.

The Beckfoot Grammar School boy made his debut on the opening day's programme, securing a half against Rawdon's Phil White, and then won six and halved four of his other games.

Simon, who shot the second lowest gross total at the Bradford boys championship at West Bradford, is clearly benefiting from the coaching he receives from Bill Ferguson - who numbers Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie among his clients - at Starbeck, Harrogate.

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