Colin 'wards' off competition

LURGAN golfers took part in a monthly medal competition on Saturday.

For the duration of this September Medal competition the weather was kind to all the 216 golfers. The stroke format provided its usual degree of difficulty but quite a number of competitors took advantage of the calm conditions and the preferred lies on the fairways to shoot some enticing scores. At the end of the day some nineteen golfers posted returns below the par of seventy.

The winner of the September Medal was Colin Ward. This eighteen handicapper produced a six under par effort of net 64 to claim the prize.

His game winning golf came over the front nine. It comprised six pars to go alongside bogeys on holes three, four and five. He played the back nine in line with his handicap thanks mainly to a collection of net pars. Whilst his only par on this side of the course came on the eleventh hole he held on to stave off his closest challengers.

William McMillan was runner-up with his score of net 65. This ten handicapper had a run of bogeys and pars over the outward nine. Holes four, six, seven and eight yielded the early pars. He played clinical golf on the back nine and covered it in a gross score of 35.

He birdied the twelfth but surrendered that advantage with a bogey on the seventeenth. Needless to say he recorded pars on the other seven holes. This impressive back nine sealed the issue in his favour.

Also with a tally of net 65 the third net prize went to Shaun Donnelly. Playing off an eleven handicap Sean played quite consistently on the respective sides of the course. The front side contained six pars to accompany bogeys on holes three, four and seven. He birdied the tenth and followed it with a trio of pars. He conceded four shots to par on the next three holes. Pars on the closing two holes consolidated his good round of golf.

Four handicapper Tom Douglas received the weekly gross prize. Tom can give the ball a solid trip and on the softer conditions it is a big advantage. His opening nine comprised seven pars and two bogeys. Holes two and seven were the bogey holes. Back to back birdies came his way on holes eleven and twelve. Alas he followed this feat with a trio of bogeys. Still pars on the remaining holes helped him to a gross 73 and thus the category honours.

The Low section winner was Charlie McConville. This twelve handicapper scooped the prize with a net 67. Charlie was over his handicap at the halfway point. Still a birdie at the first and pars on the third and seventh kept his hopes buoyant. He played some exquisite golf on the inward nine. It comprised seven pars and just two bogeys on holes twelve and seventeen. This strong finish gave him sectional honours.

With a net 67 the Middle section was captured Morris Lyness. This sixteen handicap golfer had a strong opening nine but his game was not nearly as effective on the back nine. Birdies on holes three and eight were of paramount importance. Solid pars on holes one, two, four and seventeen were his other judicial returns.

Philip Ward was the recipient of the High section award. This twenty handicapper took the honours with a similar effort of net 67. Philip played both nines under his handicap on his way to success. Over the round a selection of pars at holes one, two, six, eight, ten, eleven, fourteen and sixteen were his noteworthy scores. In fact a triple bogey on the penultimate hole proved rather costly in terms of placement.

The other returns under par were achieved by the following: Net 67: Kevin O’Loan, Andrew Campbell (20); Net 68: Gerard Marner (16), John Forrester (14), Tony Henderson (10); Net 69: Martin Stewart (7), Martin Fagan (23), Tom Creaney (11), Martin McKinstry (13), Kevin Hamill (10), Peter Gordon (13), Gary McMahon (10).