SOUTH Bradford may be struggling in the top flight of the Scratch League but they have earned the title of top nine-hole club in the district.

Ten years on from their last success in the competition at Rawdon, the Odsal club were crowned champions in the Bradford Union Nine-Hole Team Championship at Fulneck.

They enjoyed a comfortable 17-shot winning margin over runners-up Rawdon, with Chris Benn claiming the best gross prize with a 73 on a countback from team-mate Mark Scott.

The first big individual district title is up for grabs on Sunday when the Bradford Amateur Strokeplay Championship takes place at Northcliffe.

BRADFORD UNION NINE-HOLE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (at Fulneck, best four scores to count) 1 South Bradford 298 (C Benn 73, A Busfield 74, R Manks 84, G Russell 82, M Scott 73, T Wells 78); 2 Rawdon 315 (I Broadhead 78, N Long 78, M Marston 82, D Myers 82, D Reeve 81, P White 77); 3 Fulneck 318, (J Allan 79, I Holdsworth 77, T McHale 80, E Noon 82, B Puleikis 85, R Wagner 84); 4 Clayton 322 (A Crow 83, C Foster 82, D Heppleston 79, J Sidney 78, S Smith 87, S Stevenson 86). Top gross scores: 1 C Benn (South Bradford) 73, 2 M Scott (South Bradford) 73, 3 A Busfield (South Bradford) 74, 4 R Nesbitt (Ghyll) 76, 5 I Holdsworth (Fulneck) 77, 6 P White (Rawdon) 77.

Bradford Union Junior Team Championship (stableford at West Bradford, best three scores to count): 1 Rawdon 122 – K Donahue (36) 55, E Rostron (20) 35, O Shakeshaft (23) 32, D Payne (11) 27; 2 Bingley St Ives A 113 – J Foster (16) 39, N Hahn (15) 37, J Purcell (12) 37, C Warrington (11) 30; 3 Ghyll A 100 – E Blades (13) 37, J Davies (18) 34, R Nesbitt (3) 29, M Honeyman (16) 23.