Stockport pro eyes Dunham delight

Mellor & Townscliffe duo Carl Cross and Ian Appleton believe they can tee up a trip to Tukey for the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final.

PGA Professional Cross and club captain Appleton will head to the regional qualifier at Dunham Forest on August 28 with a view of securing a place in the £25,000 grand final over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club on November 25-26.

The duo know each other well - the captain caddied for his pro at an event just last month.

And Cross admitted his playing partner, a retired police officer, is already getting excited about the potential trip later this year.

“Ian is getting really excited at the thought that we could win a trip to Turkey,” he said.

“He plays a lot now that he’s retired and his handicap is coming down quickly.

“We want to get a practice round in, but he has walked the course before as he caddied for me at Dunham in an event about a month ago.

“He was a very good caddie, I have to admit, but I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to getting out there and playing the course this time.

“We get on really well and he is someone that I’ve got to know since I joined the club a few years ago.

Cross has dedicated vast swathes of time to helping the Stockport golf club develop since first joining in 2012.

Just this summer that included building an indoor swing room to provide a place for golfers to practise over the winter months.

But he admitted he is relishing the opportunity to get out and play some competitive golf.

“My golf has been improving over the course of the year,” he admitted.

“I like to get out and play when I can, even though I do love spending my time around the club.

“I enjoy working in the pro shop, coaching and helping visitors.

“But I like to make sure I continue to find time to play, and this event is a great opportunity to do just that.”

Other players competing at Dunham Forest include: Ian Taylor and Robert Dawson (a) (Fleetwood), Tim Maxwell and Barry Dale (a) (Knutsford), Graham Neville and Ted Furmston (a) (Northenden) and Grant Hamerton and Stephen Horner (a) (Pike Fold).