Conal takes overall award in the league

THE weather help up and this allowed week six of the Winter League to be completed.

Whilst the weather was dry and bitterly cold nevertheless close to 170 golfers participated in the week-long competition.

Of that number around 25 per cent managed under par returns. Over the duration of the event there were 19 twos recorded. Scoring was excellent in all three handicap groupings.

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The overall weekly winner was young Conal Patterson. This thirteen handicapper had a magnificent 36 points for the regulation fourteen holes. He had a mixed start with bogeys on holes one and three. A birdie on the fourth provided the necessary fire. With four pars as well he now entered the back sector of the course in a good frame of mind. On this part of the course he recorded an exemplary six pars. A bogey on the final hole was his only lapse. This eight under par total gave him the overall award.

In the low section some eighteen golfers produced under par returns. Christopher Creaney was a clear winner of the category with a wonderful effort of 34 points.

This young ten handicapper had a mixture of scores but still produced the goods. Whilst he birdied holes four and ten he incurred bogeys on holes five, nine, fifteen and sixteen. On the credit side he managed pars on the other eight holes. In the end he found himself three points clear of his pursuers.

The crisp striking Canice McGivern was second with his tally of 31 points. This eleven handicapper was well in contention through seven holes with a quartet of pars at holes one, three, five and nine. A par at the tenth and a double bogey on the twelfth sent out contrasting signals. However he rose to the challenge and closed his round with two pars and a birdie four on the eighteenth. This big finish secured him second spot.

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With a similar haul of 31 points Billy Hughes snatched third place. This eleven handicapper had a good opening salvo of pars at holes two, three and four. He rounded of the front seven with a par and a double bogey. On the inward seven he had healthy pars on holes ten, twelve and fifteen. A birdie at the last ensured him a spot on the winning podium.

One handicapper Paul McCabrey won the gross with his 30 gross points. Paul played on the Wednesday and this good return won both competitions.

The other useful scoring was achieved by the following:

31pts: Brian Clarke.

30pts: Anthony Gallery, Jim McKee, Barrai McConville, Timmy Cummins.

29pts: Gary McNally, Steven Mulvenna, Kevin McKavanagh, Gerard Henderson, Morris Lyness, Gerard Magee, Paul Best, Peter Cummins.

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In the middle handicap section ten players had returns of twenty nine points or better. With a five under par total of 33 points Andrew Carville claimed the top prize in the grouping.

This thirteen handicapper played well on both sectors of the course. He began his day with par figures on the opening four holes. He birdied the fifth and added another par on the eighth. Thus at the halfway point he looked like a possible winner. This sparkling form remained with him for most of the back seven. He accrued further pars on holes ten, eleven, twelve and fifteen. A triple bogey on the last hole was his only flawed hole. This tidy play put him one point clear of the pursuing field.

Courtesy of a better second nine Gary McCollum nabbed the runners-up spot. This fourteen handicapper took the honours with a score of 32 points. Over the round pars at holes one, two, four, eight and ten were the highlights of his winning round. Like a school report it could have been better. He had a double bogey on the third and a nil return on the final hole.

Student member Daniel Wright was third with a similar haul of 32 points. He had a relatively subdued front seven but he made amends with a splendid run of seven pars on the homeward trek. The other players under par in the division were as follows:

31pts: Paul McKernan, Terence King.

30pts: Eamonn McCarron.

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29pts: Gavin Smyth, Jim Hanratty Jnr, Paul Lavery, John Richardson.

Finally in the high section fourteen golfers managed returns in red figures. With his tally of 33 points Patrick McCorry topped the list.

This twenty handicapper put himself well in touch with useful pars at holes one, two, four, eight and ten. His only wayward holes were double bogeys on the third and sixteenth holes. Net pars formed the rest of his score and as a result he headed the category.

Thanks to a better last six return Kieran McCorry captured second place. This twenty one handicapper took the spoils with a very respectable 32 points. A birdie at the twelfth and pars at holes four, ten, eleven and fifteen proved the fulcrum of his winning round.

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The last net prize went to Francie McKenna with another effort of 32 points. Playing off a twenty handicap Francie’s foremost scores were par figures at holes four, twelve, sixteen and seventeen. On the other side of the coin double bogeys on holes one, eight, ten and nothing at the ninth cost him dearly.

The other attractive scores in the section were obtained by the following:

32pts: Michael Wells, Nigel Girvan, Martin Fagan.

30pts: John McComb, Derek Johnston, David O’Neill, Terence Eagers, Brian Bassett.

29pts: Gopal Santokhi, Sean McEvoy, Wilfred Elliott.