A COUNTBACK was needed to decide the latest East Riding Alliance event at Scarborough.

And it was Selby's professional, Nick Ludwell and his amateur partner, Graham Greatorex who emerged victorious, having posted the stronger back nine.

Blue sky and sunshine greeted the 156 golfers at the South Cliff Golf Club, and early starters Steve Bennett (3) and Dean Thompson (5) of Bridlington Belvedere produced play as bright as the skies.

They secured two birdies in the first three holes and galloped to the turn in a six-under-par total of 30.

Not quite able to sustain this scorching pace, they came home in 33, still three under the card for a nine-under total of 63.

This was a score that for a long while looked as though it would win the day until well into the afternoon when Ludwell and Greatorex (10) also posted a 63.

And it was the Selby pair's 30 on the back nine which ensured they took the honours on the countback.

An analysis of Ludwell and Greatorex's scorecard showed that the amateur had been in particular fine form, counting 11 times on the card and utilising his shot allocation on seven holes.

With Ludwell posting five gross birdies and Greatorex two gross birdies and two nett birdies it was certainly their day, even registering six birdies in a row from holes 13 to 18 in compiling a back nine that would have seen off most challengers.

Bennett and Thompson were left to rue their dropped shot on the par five 18th taking six.

Speaking to the Mail, Ludwell was full of praise for his playing partner.

"Graham played some sparkling golf and his putter was hot," he said.

"He was frequently knocking the putts in from a distance before I had a chance to putt."

Despite Selby and Bridlington shooting low, Malton & Norton extended their lead by a further two shots in the Mail's season-long Championship Bowl, with their two counting pairs, Fraser Kelley (Ass/Pro) and Brian Jacques and Chris Halley (Scr) and Paul Harper (5) posting scores of 66 and 64 respectively for a total of 130.

With only the Pike Hill Alliance remaining Malton & Norton are on 1078 with Bridlington and Selby in joint second place on 1084.

The Mail's Championship Bowl – Leading Positions after Round 9: 1. Malton & Norton (Holders) 1078; 2= Bridlington & Selby 1084; 4= Hessle & Hornsea 1087; 6. Brough 1089; 7. Ganstead Park 1092; 8. Beverley & E.R. 1094, 9. Ganton 1095, 10= Fulford & Hainsworth 1096.