Richardson Trophy

The Richardson Trophy is a matchplay team event which is participated in by all six Northern Counties of England, i.e. Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria. Each County plays the other 5 counties every year in daily matches and seven players per team.

One year there are 3 home matches and the following year there will be two home matches for each County. The matches are hotly contested and winning the Trophy is the Jewel in the Crown for the winning County. To read more about the history of the Trophy, click here.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Captaining the Lancashire team through the 2022 Richardson Trophy schedule. We all experienced the highs and lows and winning and losing or halving matches and the discussions afterwards of how putts just didn’t drop etc.

Overall, we lost four of our matches but the results on paper don’t really illustrate how close some of the matches were. Indeed it would be fair to say ‘another day could easily have given us a better outcome’

However, just as important as winning is the spirit and cohesion within the team. The trip to the North East showed how much positive team spirit exists amongst the players and despite the results we cemented that team spirit again. I watched each and every player try so hard to bring home a result and am very proud of their efforts and commitment to the team.

Lancashire v Northumberland 

The golf on display from both teams was excellent and the matches finely balanced. Sharon, Sara and Susan all lost closely fought games on the 17th, and Chris (lost) and Ann (halved) on the 18th green. It was very close with the Northumberland player chipping in from off the green to claim a half against Ann. Clare and Carol both won their matches. The match was lost 4.5:2.5.

Following the match at Hexham we drove to Darlington to prepare for our match against Durham at the Darlington Golf Club, a parkland course.We received a lovely welcome from Delphine and her team.

The matches were again finely balanced with 3 games finishing on the 18th green. Sara lost a nail biting match on the 18th and Sharon and Ann halved theirs. Clare and Jeanette won their matches with the overall result being a loss to Lancashire 4:3.

 Lancashire v Cumbria 

Sharon, Clare, Jeanette and Carol all won their matches. With Ann, Sara and Min losing theirs. Min and Sara’s matches finished on the 18th green and could have gone either way. Overall we won 4:3. The matches were played in great spirits and we were really pleased to get our first win of the Richardson Trophy season.

Lancashire v Yorkshire

Hesketh was looking fantastic on a glorious sunny day as we teed up for our second home match. Unfortunately, due to injury and illness Min and Carol were not available for selection and Clare Macleod was able to get her first game for Lancashire. The trend of completing matches on the 18th continued with 5 matches going the full course. Clare Seddon won her match on the 18th and Clare Macleod and Sara halved theirs. Ann and Chris lost theirs on 18.

The standard of golf was really good and I consider us a little unlucky as some of the close matches could have gone either way. However, it was not to be and congratulations go to Yorkshire for a 5:2 victory.

Lancashire v Cheshire

We have played all our matches in glorious sunny weather but our match against Cheshire was played during the heatwave. That was tough for all players and caddies and fortunately no incidents of heatstroke experienced.

The matches were close with 4 matches finishing on the 18th green. Susan and Min won their matches, but Sharon, Clare S, Sara, and Jeanette all lost on the 18th. It’s hard for the players to lose on the last green with the final putt, but we knew the quality and depth of the Cheshire team would force us to play our very best golf if we were to gain anything from the matches. Our players rose to the challenge and played some excellent golf and matched the Cheshire team but just didn’t get the momentum on the last hole to get the win or half.