Gary takes honours in sweep

With the light now fading fast the numbers participating have steadily declined. The format of the competition last week was stroke as it enabled a number of players to complete their second card in the Club Handicap event.

With the recent rains the course has become even tougher and in this particular sweep only three players registered under par scores.

There were three returns of net 69 and obviously the back nine returns definitely came into play. As a result it was the net 69 of Gary McMahon that prevailed.

This ten handicapper had a bright opening with three pars and a birdie over the first four holes. Then followed a run of dropped strokes especially a triple bogey on the sixth. On the back nine there was a very positive response. It comprised six pars to go alongside bogeys on holes thirteen, fourteen and fifteen. This commanding back nine ensured him the main net prize.

Veteran Patrick McGleenon was runner-up with his effort of net 69. Playing off an eighteen handicap Paddy played reasonably well through the day and had nothing worse than a few double bogeys on his card. Birdies on holes ten and fourteen were the highlights of his winning round. Par figures on holes one, two and eighteen were his other noteworthy scores on the day.

Twelve handicapper Nicholas Campbell was third with a level par effort of net 70. He had a good mixture of scores but in the end his play came to a successful fruition.

Kieran Kearney was fourth with a similar effort of net 70. This thirteen handicapper also played quite solidly over the regulation eighteen holes. A birdie at the first and pars at holes two and eight were his best responses on the opening nine. Meanwhile on the back nine a stream of pars at holes eleven, thirteen, sixteen and eighteen brought him this degree of success.

The fifth and last net prize went to Brian Clarke also with a net 70. This eight handicapper began his round with a run of four pars. More came his way on holes six and eight. On the inward nine a birdie at the seventeenth and pars on holes ten, eleven, thirteen, fifteen and eighteen were his influential scoring holes.

The gross prize was won by Richard Budd. This eight handicapper was the third person on the day with a net 69. Richard had an outstanding opening nine which entailed eight pars and a birdie four on the ninth. However his fortunes changed on the back nine where he dropped a lot of shots to par. A par at the eleventh and a birdie on the fourteenth were his most productive efforts. Still his gross 77 on the day earned him the gross award.

Twenty-three handicapper Jim Hanratty also fashioned a net 70 on the day but was unlucky to miss out on a prize.