GOLF: North West member Eugene Dunbar back to defend Spanish Tour title

The Michael Doherty Spanish Golf Tour is now in its 39th year and gets underway next Monday in Majorca.

A total of 32 players, representing golf clubs from throughout the North-West and further afield, will contest the prestigious Travellers’ Trophy in Majorca starting on Monday May 9th.

Being one of the longest-running amateur golf tours in Europe, the tour is again being organised by the City of Derry Golf Club Past Captain Andy Meenagh.

Players this year are again drawn from a wide range of clubs, most noticeably from City of Derry, North West and Greencastle.

Other players are drawn from, Dunfanaghy, Newtownstewart, Ballynahinch and Portadown and two are travelling from the Joondalup Club in Australia. Willie Barrett, a long-standing tour party member will be travelling again as the non-playing official.

No less than nine past winners of this coveted tournament trophy are travelling this year, with last year’s winner Eugene Dunbar (North West club) seeking to defend his title in what should prove to be a very contested tournament.

The draw for the team event took place recently in the Prehen clubhouse.

The very even spread of players will again make the team event a particularly close call and among the fancied team sides, those let by Ballynahinch’s Brian McClure, City of Derry’s Tommy McBride and Greencastle’s Paul O’Doherty look good on paper.

As has become practice on this tour, the eight teams selected will play together in their respective teams on the first day before breaking up into the open format of the tournament over the following three days.

The post-tour dinner and presentation of prizes, takes place one week after the tour on Saturday May 21st, will take place at the City of Derry Golf Club.

Prizes will this year be for the top five individuals over the four days, the top two individuals each day and for the top two teams over the four days.

Other special prizes will also be presented, including the Norman Bruce Trophy for the best 16+ handicapper over the four days who fails to pick up any other individual prize and for the Bill Canning Bowl for the best score on day four.