KIRKBYMOORSIDE Golf Club ladies are marching on in the Mail on Sunday National Golf Club Classic matchplay competition.

After narrowly beating high-riding neighbours Malton & Norton GC in a tense second round, the Moorsiders had an easier task when they played Hornsea at Kirkbymoorside in round three and won 3.5-1.5.

Malton & Norton were the trophy holders, having won the prestigious national competition last autumn in the finals, which are played in Spain.

But they were shocked by Kirkby in this year's comp after the tie went to an extra hole.

The match was all-square at 2.5-2.5 after the five pairings had played their rounds. Ann Farndale and captain Sue Clements won for Kirkby and Claire Dyson halved her contest.

In the sudden death play-off, Clements beat Malton's leading English amateur, Emma Brown, by birdieing the par-three first extra hole.

The Kirkby team also comprises Pauline Griffiths and Vicky Tomlinson.

The Mail on Sunday Classic, now in its 20th year, is the biggest golf club team event in the world. Each year about 25,000 golfers in almost 3,000 teams take part.

Malton & Norton's ladies, meanwhile, countered their disappointment in defeat to Kirkby by winning the East Yorkshire Winter Alliance Championship.

In the final meeting at Filey, Brown and Pat Hague kept Malton three shots ahead of Ganton, who gained second place.

Team-mates Carol Simpson and Judy Butler had previously won the meetings at Hornsea, York and Driffield in a superb season.

* THE draw and tee-off times for the York and District Lady Past Captains Association Spring Meeting have been announced.

The competition is stableford with full handicap and takes place at Selby GC next Wednesday.

Anyone unable to play must advise the club representative, who will then contact honorary secretary Dorothy Lecker.

9am S Porter (S) 14 P Clark (Y) 13 J Mackenzie (MN) 10; 9.07am E Low (F) 11 J Ashton (FP) 12 H Cushing (PH) 15; 9.14am A Tooms (E) 25 P Barber (MN) 27 A’tte Chambers (S) 25; 9.21am C Richardson (F) 28 C Knowles (E) 26 B Murray (FP) 20; 9.28am M Bray (Y) 20 E Bewick (PH) 25 M Davis (FP) 25; 9.35am J Stevens (KMS) 29 M Burdekin (S) 16 A Quickfall (F) 29; 9.42am P Griffths (KMS) 13 M Thornton (MN) 14 H Bogue (Y) 17; 9.49am J Martindale (PH) 25 A Myers (E) 28 V Crossley (FP) 24; 9.56am J Cann (FP) 32 C Allison (E) 31 D Plumpton (PH) 28.

10.03am C Dyson (KMS) 13 CGlendinning (MN) 16 E Tuer (S) 16; 10.10am J Irwin (Y) 18 A Farndale (KMS) 12 P Hague (MN) 14; 10.17am S Dunning (Y) 30 M Raw (H) 36 P Raine (FP) 25; 10.24am J Hawkins (F) 25 S Smith (E) 25 T Cahill (Y) 34; 10.31am W Allen (MN) 20 J Foster (F) 24 J Boyd (H) 22; 10.38am A Triffett (MN) 18 S Ward (E) 18 V Sinclair (KMS) 14; 10.45am J Harrison (FP) 27 GLownsbrough (MN) 21 N Blacklee (KMS) 25; 10.52am S Gardner (KMS) 20 P Ruddock (MN) 17 M Ingle (PH) 19; 10.59am D Howell (E) 32 S Candelet (F) 24 H Coombes (PH) 23.

11.06am A Chambers (S) 22 I Rogerson (MN) 26 L Moore (Y) 27; 11.13am A Maloney (MN) 18 P Myers (E) 20 S Riby (KMS) 20.

Key: (E) Easingwold, (FP) Forest Park, (F) Fulford, (H) Heworth, (KMS) Kirkbymoorside, (MN) Malton & Norton, (PH) Pike Hills, (S) Selby, (Y) York.

* SKIPPERS were to the fore when Pike Hills Golf Club welcomed their new captain Bill Hopcutt into office with the traditional drive-in competition.

Hopcutt enjoyed a social get-together for his first function as captain, and the drive-in competition followed the next day, with members from all sections of the club taking part.

In a very close finish, the captain's team lead by Hopcutt finished level with the lady captain Brenda Harryman's team, both on 493 points.

The men's division was won by S Newton on 41 points, and the ladies by A King on 38.