With ‘summer’ finally upon us, it is great to see so many taking to the fairways for the Wednesday and Friday open competitions and taking the honour on Wednesday 4th was cat 4. member Eugene Mc Keever [21] who, with the help of a birdie at the par three 5th [Inishowen], took the turn with 22pts only to falter with back-to-back double bogeys at 10th and 11th before consolidating the win with another par three birdie at Barnhill [16th] for a four point winning margin of 42pts. In second place was another cat 4 member Gerry Keeney [25] who, despite a ‘blank’ at Glebe [2nd] still managed 38pts. Gross was again picked up by three handicapper Simon Stephens with 34 gross pts which consisted of birdies at 3rd [Swilly] and Greenhill [8th] for a level par outward nine, having had an ugly double bogey at 9th [Crievesmith] before continuing his birdie blitz at the par five 11th [Settlement] and Stockade [18th] giving him a return of 74 gross, 34pts.
The return of the Friday outings on 6th May saw Clive Watson [16] taking top spot with 38pts consisting of birdie at 8th for a front nine of 22pts but a ‘blank’ at Cornagill [10th] and two double bogeys curtailed his winning score achieved on B.O.T. from Stephen Doherty [12], also on 38pts.
Continuing our sponsored competitions on Saturday 7th was the Hegarty’s Ford Auto Services Open which was won by the hard practicing John Doran [7] who just last week wanted to play off seventeen!
John’s scorecard had him record birdies at the par three’s 5th [Inishowen] and 8th [Greenhill] but a slip-up at Crievesmith [9th] gave him a 21pt outward nine, one over par gross 37, whilst birdies at par five’s 11th and 18th holes, intermitten with four dropped shots in five holes on back nine gave him an overall 39pts to relegate Kevin Hannigan [7] into second spot with 38pts. Kevin recorded birdies at 7th, and 11th only for a bad run saw him also drop four shots in last five holes of back nine and required a B.O.T. To pip third placed Peter Dobson [9], also on 38pts. Peter’s birdies were recorded at The Isle [7th] and the par three 13th [Hunters’ Home] while back-to-back double bogeys at Candalabra [15th] and Barnhill [16th] no doubt lost him top spot.
Sunday’s confined competition was won by the straight hitting Michael Nelis [12] whose birdie at 5th helped him to a front nine of 22pts whilst a double bogey at par three 13th had his winning score reduced to 41pts. In runner-up spot was Ulster Cup stalwart Barry Kavanagh [11] whose birdie at Inishowen [5th] was quickly followed by ‘blank’ at 7th but another birdie at Stackyard [14th] saw Barry record level par from 8th thru 14th but that double bogey at Aughaninshin [17th] had him lose out by one point, finishing with a 40pt total and also relegating Paddy Mc Cafferty [22] to third by virtue of B.O.T. Gross winner was Eamonn Mc Glinchey [6] who, following an uncharacteristic bogey at the par five Glebe [2nd], recorded level par from 1st thru 13th with the help of a birdie at 11th to finish on 74 gross and 34 gross pts.
CAT 4. Monday 2nd winner of the Cat 4 was the ever improving Victor Byrne with 18pts over eleven holes whilst Monday 9th winner, over thirteen holes, was Pat Mc Garrigle with 26pts closely followed by Frank Grieve with 25pts [B.O.T.] Following week six, the Cat 4 Golfer of the Year table looks as follows: Victor Byrne 37 pts; Aidan O Neill 31pts; Richard Spratt 25pts; Liam Rogers 18pts; Dermot Higgins 16pts; C Crawford 15pts; R McDowell 14pts; J Devenney 12pts; J Patton 12pts; J Curran 11pts.
Open competitions continue on Friday and Saturday with Wednesday 18th open sponsored by Consultas Financial Services and Saturday 21st hosting the St. Eunan’s GAA Club Classic.
Congratulations to the Pierce Purcell team who qualified to the matchplay proper and also to the club’s All-Ireland Fourball team who defeated Ballycastle GC.
Every good luck to the Eamon O’ Carroll led Ulster Cup team in their second leg tie v. Mayobridge at Barnhill on Sunday.
Congratulations also to club member Victor Byrne in winning his first round match in the Irish Open Singles Matchplay event, winning his match 2&1 against Gareth Mc Larnon of Portsalon GC.
Important reminder that the preliminary round matches of the club’s Murphy Maintenance sponsored singles matchplay have to be played by this coming Sunday, 15th, while the pairs preliminary matches have to be played by Sunday 22nd. No concessions given to any of these dates.
