North Western Golfing Alliance played at Dunfanaghy G.C. on Saturday 4th March 2017
Par 68
s.s.s.65
Nett
1st Marty McDermott (4) Rosapenna G.C. 43 pts
2 ND David Forbes (8) Faughan Valley G.C. 41 pts
3 rd Dennis Porter (12) Strabane G.C. 40 pts
4 th Kevin Hunter (10) Faughan Valley G.C. 38 PTS B.O.T.
5 TH Stephen Harris (15) Letterkenny G.C. 38 PTS
Gross
1 st Michael McGeady (+2) sdgolfacademy.com 66
2 nd Brian McElhinney (+4) North West G.C. 67
3 rd Eamonn McGlinchey (5) Letterkenny G.C. 75
4 th Paul Duffy (6) Faughan Valley G.C. 76
5 th Ben Corry (6) Strabane G.C. 77
2’s Eamonn O’Carroll
The king is dead long live the king
Yes Brian McElhinney’s winning streak is at an end – he was finally bested at the week end when he was pushed into second spot in the Alliance competition.
This winning streak has run since 17th September and he triumphed at Ballybofey /Stranorlar ,North West ,Narin/Portnoo, Ballyliffin twice and finally Rosapenna.
The person who beat him for the gross prize was none other than Michael McGeady who has pursued him all year but that is not the full story in point of fact they did not have the best scores on the day that honour fell to Former captain of the Alliance Marty McDermott who scorched around the rain soaked course in 65 while Michael had 66 and Brian a 67.
Brian had 1 bogey and 2 birdies. So in 7 competitions Brian has dropped 8 shots and recorded 23 birdies. That’s some golf by any standard, no wonder he dominated the Irish Professional scene this year and that he will be competing on the Euro Protour when it starts shortly. Michael will shortly be a fully qualified club Professional enjoyed his day in the sun when he cemented his win with his 4th Birdie at the 17th which he needed to beat Brian.
The card of the day belonged to Marty McDermott the winner of the Nett prize. He birdied the first dropped strokes at 5and 6 birdied 9 to be level par on 33 and with 20 Points. He then had 3 successive birdies at 10,11 and 12 dropped stroke at 14 birdies 15 and 16 followed before he gave back a stroke at the 18th to the course but by then he had the prize won up as well as being only the second person this season to have a better score than Brian McElhinney who will be the Captain of the Alliance next year .Marty had a 32 for the back nine 65 in all and with 23 points for that nine a total of 43 stableford points.
In second place in Nett was David Forbes who had a magical 23 points on the back nine and who must rue a blank at the par 3 9 th otherwise he would have pushed Marty much closer .
The golfer of the year competition is over for another year ,in point of fact it finished a fortnight ago when Brian McElhinney secured the points he needed into win both the Gross and Nett competitions the first time it has been done in the long history of the Alliance which has been going since the 1940’s
The Captain’s day will be hosted by Mr Odran McGettigan in Portsalon on the 18th March 2017 to round off another year in this winter Alliance.
