CRAIG Fort led the home charge in the Trafalgar Trophy at Nelson as seven members finished in the top 12 in the final Mitsushiba Northern Order fixture of the campaign.

Fort eagled the 484-yard third hole in each round of 65 and 66 and picked up nine birdies in a nine-under-par total. And he also won by nine shots from clubmate Shaun Field, despite double bogeying his last hole.

With Prestbury player Mike Bedford having already denied Longridge’s Mark Young a record third successive merit title the previous week, Manchester Hopwood’s Carl Thompson held on to third place without figuring in this event.

DETAILS: 131 Craig Fort (Nelson) 65 66; 140 Shaun Field (Nelson) 67 73; 142 Robert Beecham (Nelson) 71 71, Nick Uttley (Nelson) 70 72; 145 Mark Rabone (S&A) 76 69; 146 Ian Short (Nelson) 71 75, Lee Chenery (Lancaster) 69 77; 147 Niall Ormerod (Nelson) 74 73, Tony Flanagan (Clitheroe) 71 76; 148 Ken Sargent (Haydock Park) 75 73, Liam Jeffrey (Haigh Hall) 74 74, Dean Pickard (Nelson) 74 74.

ORDER OF MERIT FINAL LEADERS: 850pts Mike Bedford (Prestbury), Mark Young (Longridge); 530 Carl Thompson (Manchester); 510 John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot); 505 Paul McFerran (Childwall); 470 Jack Brooks (Pleasington); 410 Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall); 395 Ollie Smith (Ashton-on-Mersey); 370 Ian Kenwright (Haydock Park); 300 Matthew Cox (Royal Birkdale), Craig Fort (Nelson); 285 Mark Rabone (S&A); 270 James Wilson (Formby); 250 Zac Harrison (Preston); 245 Charles Durnian (Fairhaven).