Warwick wins 18 Hole Stableford event at Galgorm

A ‘ding’ by Murdoch at 11 enabled McDyer to draw level and Warwick was trailing by five points. Murdoch also ‘dinged’ 15 and 16 and McDyer took a three point lead over Murdoch and Warwick who was moving closer to the leader.

McDyer ‘dinged’ 17 and was joined by Murdoch and Warwick in a three way tie. All three players finished level after the last but with a better back nine Warwick nosed in front for Overall victory with McDyer (better back nine) runner-up. Murdoch had the consolation of winning Division 3.

In Division 1 at the halfway mark David Hayes (12) was ahead of Willie Park (6) by one point with David Bamford (12) another point behind.

Then came Leonard Craig (11), Adrian McCart (10) and Trevor Fleming (9) another point adrift. With two holes to play Hayes was two points ahead of Craig and Park with McCart and Fleming another point away with Bamford holding on another point away.

Hayes maintained his two point advantage through 17. However he failed to score up 18 where a par would have given him overall victory. His opponents failed to take advantage of this slip. Craig finished par, bogey, one point behind and took second place with McCart (bogey, par), Bamford (two pars), Fleming (bogey, par) and Park (two bogeys) a further point behind.

In Division 2 David Murdoch (17) held a commanding four point lead from Garry Robinson (14) and Douglas Thom (13) with George Watt (14) another point behind.

Through 14 Murdoch was still four points clear. The chasing pack closed the gap on Murdoch over the next two holes when he failed to score and had his lead cut to one point by Robinson who was a point ahead of Watt and Thom.

Murdoch finished par, bogey to take first place with Watt (bogey, par), Robinson (two bogeys) and Thom (par, bogey) tying three points behind but with a better back nine Watt finished second.

In Division 3 at halfway John Paul McGeough (18) and Ralph Clarke (20) were two points ahead of Brian Heggarty (18). McGeough still held his two point advantage through 16 and finished par, double bogey to take first place. Heggarty (par, bogey) closed the gap to one point and finished second.

Clarke was also in contention for the Seniors prize along with George Reid (16) and Emil Wylie (12). At halfway Clarke held a one point advantage over Wylie with Reid trailing by another two points.

With one to play Wylie held a two point advantage when disaster struck as he ‘dinged’ the last hole.

This was to prove costly as he was joined by both Reid and Clarke and with a better back nine Reid finished in first place.

Jonathan McNeill (2) won the gross prize with 34 gross points.

PATTON GROUP JULY MEDAL

Fourteen handicapper James McKervill and eight handicapper David Murray were leading at the halfway stage in the Patton Group sponsored July Medal competition.

Two shots behind came a quartet of golfers – Michael Brown (10), Paul Sittlington (11), Philip Smyth (13) and Glenn Millar (19).

Through 14, McKervill had taken a commanding four shot lead after a run of two bogeys, two pars and a birdie. A birdie and a bogey over the next two holes enabled Sittlington to close on McKervill (par, double bogey) to within one shot.

McKervill finished with two pars to win by three shots from Brown who finished strongly with a run of pars to snatch the runner-up spot from a fading Sittlington.

In the Low Section David Murray (8) led by two shots from Paul Sittlington (11) with John Paul Henry (9) and Billy Cull (6) at one shot intervals further behind.

Murray made his effort for victory when he finished bogey, bogey, par to join Sittlington (bogey, triple bogey, par) but with a better back nine Sittlington just held on. Cull (bogey, par, par) and Henry (par, par, bogey) tried hard to catch the leading pair but fell one shot short at the finish and with a better back nine Cull took third place.

In the Middle Section Philip Smyth (13) led Mal Kyne (16) by one shot at the turn with Richard Lennox (14) and Roy Bell (13) at one shot intervals behind.

Smyth finished double bogey, bogey, bogey and was joined by an improving Lennox (par, bogey, par) and Bell (par, bogey, bogey) but they were unable to stop Kyne (par, bogey, par) from coming home one shot ahead for first place. Bell with a better back nine took second place with Richard Lennox (better back nine) third.

The High Section saw Glenn Millar (19) hold a two shot advantage over Harkness McCaughan (18) at the turn. Jack Douglas (18) was another two shots down with Bernie Frayne (19) and Seamus Laverty (18) a further two shots away.

With three holes left to play Millar led Frayne by three shots with Douglas, McCaughan and Laverty a further three, four and five shots respectively behind.

Frayne finished in second place with Laverty (bogey, par, bogey) joining McCaughan (three bogeys) and Douglas (two bogeys, double bogey) one shot behind, and with a better back nine Laverty took the third spot.

David Kernohan (-2) won the gross and the Seniors prize went to David Martin (12).