Gary McCartney wins the IPGA Tankard

There is an added bonus for the winner of this competition. He will be invited to play with the professional in the Grand Final later in the season.

The calculated standard scratch score was nett 68 or 37 stableford points. This was equalled by Gerry McBrien (23), Dougie Stevenson (12), Ian Young (6), Damian Weir (5), Jonathan Kerr (19), John Hanna (17), Ruairi Gillen (14) and Colin Smylie (13).

Timothy Beattie (16), Joseph Thompson (20) and Stephen Orr (19) went one better with 38 points each.

John McDowell (12) and Shane Bell (8) both played extremely well for 39 points each but both went home empty-handed.

Carson Clegg (18) had 39 points and he won the prize for the best senior player.

Jonathan Shannon (5) also had 39 points and that converted to a gross 71. He won the best gross prize, beating Damian Weir by two shots.

Colin McDonald (14) was the other player with 39 points and, when countback was used, he found himself in fourth place. The newly designed sixth hole possibly cost him victory as he came off that hole with no points.

Young Matthew Mallon was a star player last season and he came very close to topping the golfer of the year points table. He’s looking good again this season and he came third in the IPGA tankard with a splendid 40 points. The only blemish on his card was a double bogey at the ravine hole (14th).

Kenny Baines (15) was runner-up, also with 40 points. Kenny is a solid hitter of the ball and this result comes as no surprise to those who play with him. He had two double bogeys on the first nine at the sixth and the eighth and that cost him. A shot less at one of those two holes and he would have won. That’s golf!

And so to the winner, Gary McCartney (13). He did not expect to win with 41 points but conditions were not all that easy. There was only one winner last season with 41 points, Colin Wilton in the First Trust sponsored tournament in October.

But, on the day, Gary’s 41 points was the best score and he deserves the top prize. And, as mentioned earlier, there is a wonderful bonus for Gary. He will be invited later in the year to play with the professional in a grand final with all the other winners from Ulster.