The most prestigious title in Bradford golf - the Amateur Championship - is under threat as the Union again faces up to a lack of entries for its competitions.

So far, only 19 players have applied to tee-off in the 36-hole Strokeplay Champion-ship at Woodhall Hills on June 27.

At least 54 are needed to form a field, and the closing date is just over a week away on Monday, June 7.

To lose the Strokeplay Championship would be a blow, but even more significant is the fact that the top 16 players in that event form the field for the Amateur Championship.

So if the Strokeplay goes it would require a hasty change in the rules to keep alive a competition that's been going since 1931, and has been won by all the top local golfers from Joe Gent to Rodney Foster and Bernard Cawthray and, in recent years Martin Foster, Martin Bell, Cec Bloice, and last year Ian Martin.

The problems of declining entries have been discussed many times by Bradford officials, but this particular crisis could lead to a major investigation into what competitive golf is wanted by players and a radical change in the programme.

Clubs also need to look at themselves. There has been a tendency for them to leave everything to a few willing workhorses on the Bradford executive, and club captains and representatives may need to ponder their role and become more active if they want their clubs to be involved in major events.

The loss of the Strokeplay Champion-ship would also cancel the launch of a new trophy presented by Bradford captain Tim Wade in memory of his father Jim - one of the most influential teachers in Bradford golf.

The plan was for the trophy to go to the player with the lowest aggregate score over the 72 holes in the Strokeplay Champ-onship and the Bradford Open.

Wade said: "It would be a tragedy if the Bradford Amateur Championship, with all its history and the great players who have won it, were lost."

Bradford Union secretary Brian Newiss said: "We have a management meeting on June 6, and this will certainly be high on the agenda.

"We are not alone with this problem - all the Yorkshire Unions say the same thing. I think maybe there's just too much competitive golf for these lads these days."

But it's not just the top players who are showing apathy. Bradford have had to merge the Nine-Hole Team and Individual Championships, and recently cancelled the Clubman's Championship - specially designed for six and seven-handicappers who find scratch events tough, but don't qualify for 8-15 competitions.

And the Sue Ryder charity event, switched only a few years ago to be near the longest day in order to accommodate the large number of people wanting to enter, has only got 14 entries this year with the closing date next Thursday. Because it is a charity event, it will go ahead anyway.

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