Banbridge begin team season with two first leg wins

The first inter-club match of the season was played last Saturday.

Merton McDowell took his Ulster Fourball team to Down Royal for the first leg of their first round match.

Sean McGreevey and Dermot Magee were first out and they got an excellent half match. Gavin Greer and Gerry Blevins played really well and they won five and three.

Will Dickson and Robert Haire battled bravely but lost by three and one. Victor McNeill and John Convery combined perfectly and ran out three and two winners.

Finally, team captain Merton McDowell and Aidan Lavery got a very valuable half match.

The score, after the first leg is Banbridge 3-2 Down Royal 2.

The second leg will be played next Sunday over the Banbridge links. Merton’s team are strong favourites to progress into round two.

BRENDAN’S ULSTER CUP TEAM LEAD 5-2 AFTER THE HOME LEG

The Banbridge Ulster Cup team captained by Brendan Meade played the first leg of their first round match against Carrickfergus last Sunday.

Banbridge were at home and Brendan was hoping for a 6-1 win or, at least, a 5-2 victory. He knew it wouldn’t be easy as Carrickfergus were quarter-finalists last season and they have ambitions to go even further this time.

This is what happened:

Roy Sipson, a terrier of a player, won six and five. Peter Hillen, two down after just four holes, recovered brilliantly to win five and three.

Neil Comiskey played really well but still lost two and one. That can happen. Brian Mulholland, considered by many as a banker, had a great tussle. The Carrickfergus man won with a birdie at the 18th hole.

John Gallagher was in top form and he won two and one. Alan Caughey, steadiness personified, also won two and one.

Cathal O’Neill, in the crucial final game, held on superbly to win two and one.

So the score after the first leg is Banbridge 5-2 Carrickfergus.

The match is very finely balanced and it could still go either way. Banbridge are 13 holes up and that could be crucial. The second leg at Carrick is sure to be exciting.

THE PIGS OUTING TO GREENORE

The PIGS society from Banbridge Golf Club went to Greenore last Thursday for their first outing of the year.

It was very foggy early on and it made the game rather tricky, to say the least.

It didn’t faze Joe Glass who manoeuvred his way round this beautiful course for a winning score of 45 points.

Kenny Arlow was runner-up with 40 points and the great John Poots was third with 39 points. According to reports, everyone enjoyed the day out.