Andrew Auld returned to the number one position for Maitland’s 4.5-2.5 victory against Scone at Muswellbrook yesterday in the Hunter River District Golf Association A-grade pennant competition.

Scott Pryke will claim the number two spot next week to mark his team’s first match with their full side available.

In their round three clash, Auld finished square with his rival Nathan Waters, who won last year’s Country Championships and is ranked in the top five juniors in the state.

Bryan Gulliver played in the number two spot and beat Matthew Dawson, while number three Chris Burdekin lost his encounter.

Fourth ranked Simon Dillon won his match, finishing four shots under par.

Bobby Walker lost his match in fifth position, Adam McKenzie won and Mitchell Laney finished on square.

“Andrew coming back really strengthened the team,” Gulliver said.

“In the first two weeks we were all playing two spots higher than we should have been and that made it quite hard.”

Last year’s grand finalists lost their first round encounter with The Vintage 7-0 and their second to Muswellbrook 6-1.

Gulliver said his team had to win the rest of their matches if they wanted to make finals again this year.

Next week they head up the valley to play Singleton.

“They’ll be hard to beat on their home course,” Gulliver said.

“But hopefully we’ll have another win now that we have our full side back.”

In other matches, Kurri Kurri continued their run of victories with a 4.5-2.5 win over Stonebridge.

Coming back into the competition after a year with no team, Kurri Kurri have been the surprise package of the tournament, but it is the competition’s other form team, The Vintage, shaping up as favourites to take the title after they beat Muswellbrook 4.5-2.5.

The real test for Anthony Lucas’s Kurri Kurri outfit will be their match against The Vintage two rounds from now.

Branxton scored its second win of the competition, beating Singleton 5-2.

Next Sunday’s A-grade action will be at Singleton, with the home side to take on Maitland.

Branxton will be out to end Kurri Kurri’s run of wins, while The Vintage meet Stonebridge and Scone take on Muswellbrook.