All the news and happenings from the local golf clubs

Sixteen handicap Willie McIlroy won Bushfoot Golf Club’s Festival 71 Cup on Saturday with a net 60, the best of a flurry of super scores.

He had a poor start, double bogeying the opening par four, and then letting another shot slip away at the second. Willie got clear of those blips after that to get nine holes played with only four shots dropped, four better than his handicap would suggest.

His bogies on ten and eleven were to be the last he would have in his round as Willie rattled off seven straight pars to cover the back nine in 37 for a gross total of 76. This netted down to 60, ten under par, and all of them were needed as Uel Kirkpatrick was hot on Willie’s heels.

Uel, playing off thirteen, had the same start as Willie, double bogey, bogey, and responded in the same way by getting to nine four over par. He hit two birdie threes coming back, at twelve and seventeen, for a level par back nine to be round in 74 less his thirteen handicap got him to net 61 and second place.

In third spot with his net 63 was six handicapper Mervyn Greer. He balanced an opening hole bogey with a birdie three on the fourth hole before going under par for a time with a good two on the seventh.

Nine brought him another bogey to bring Mervyn back to level par for the nine. Another birdy three on the fourteenth was Mervyn’s only variation from par for the back nine and that gave him his gross of one under par 69 and a net 63 to confirm his third place finish.

Ryan McGee claimed the Best Gross for the day with his level par round of 70. He opened his account with a birdie three at hole one but gave this back at the second. No more shots were gained or lost to get Ryan to the turn in level par 35.

Ten took a bogey from Ryan, as did the long fifteenth but his race was not over as the six handicapper pulled two birdy threes from the two closing holes for another level par 35 and his gross of 70.

TROLAN GOLF CLASSIC DRIVES £174,000 FOR BIG BUS

The annual Trolan Golf Classic in aid of Action Cancer took place on July 3 at Portstewart Golf Club.

The event, now in its ninth year, is organised by Patsy and Mary Trolan, former owners of the SuperValu store in Ballymoney, along with other family members, and with support from SuperValu.

Since it started in 2007, the golf day, along with fundraising at the Ballymoney store when it belonged to the Trolans, has raised over £166,000 for Action Cancer and this year’s Golf Classic brought in £7,200 – with additional donations since the event bringing the total to over £174,000.

Funds from the Trolan Golf Classics go towards Action Cancer’s Big Bus screening and health promotion mobile unit, which delivers early detection and cancer prevention services into the heart of local communities. SuperValu and its independent retailers are the main sponsors of the Big Bus and have raised more than £1million for the unit since it was launched in 2006.

Patsy Trolan said; “My family and I are very proud that the Golf Classic has raised a significant amount of money for the Action Cancer Big Bus, enabling the charity to deliver life-saving services in local communities.

“Without the support of the golfers, Portstewart Golf Club, sponsors and local businesses this would not have been possible. So, we would like to thank everyone who supported the event this year, and in previous years.

“As usual we had a great day’s golf, made all the better by knowing that the funds raised will make a difference to so many local people.”

VICTORY CUP FOR ANDREW AT RPGC

Andrew Mulholland showed he had the mental and physical stamina required for a 36 hole win in the Victory Cup at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Saturday.

This is stroke play over the Valley and Dunluce links with the lowest aggregate to win. Andrew had a brace of gross 69s to his name for a total of 138 which netted down to 132 to give him a five shot winning margin.

On the Valley Links Andrew hit two birdies on his way out, a four at four and a three on five, to help him to the turn in level par 35. He reduced the thirteenth to four and the short fifteenth to two coming back and with fewer dropped shots added just 34 to his total for his first 69.

Over the Dunluce Links Andrew improved his sub par scores by birdying the first and seventh in threes but added in an eagle three on the long second. This gave him a two under par tally at the halfway stage but the birdies had not stopped there.

On the par five tenth Andrew needed just four shots and slipped in a two on eleven as well. The final bird arrived on sixteen with another three to get him home in 35 shots for his Dunluce 69 and a gross aggregate of 138, net 132.

JJ McElderry took second spot with his two round total of net 137. John J picked up one birdy going out on the Valley leg, a two at the short third, but got three more on the back nine.

His four on thirteen was followed up with two closing birds on the par four seventeenth and the short eighteenth for a back nine of 33. Back on the Dunluce course things were tougher for John J with a double bogey six on the fourth outweighing his earlier birdy two to see him out in three over par 39.

The back nine was going well until sixteen took a triple bogey from John and he had to be content with 42 for an 81. His gross aggregate was 151 and netted to 137 for second spot.

John Turner took the best Gross with his return of 142, 70 over the Valley and 72 for the Dunluce leg. He started his day with a double bogey six on the first at the Valley and finished it with a double bogey six on the eighteenth on the Dunluce course.

In between John birdied two par fives and two par fours of the Valley card and got a two on eleven and a three on thirteen on the Dunluce card for two level par rounds.

Best Net on the Valley went to Pierce Clements for his 65 and to Patrick Nicol on the Dunluce Links for his net 71.

CAPTAIN WINS AT BUSHFOOT GC

Bushfoot’s Lady Captain Jenny Wilson had a very busy time last week with her Captain’s Day but she recovered well and claimed a win in the NI Chest Heart & Stroke Competition on Tuesday.

Jenny hit a net 65 to win by a shot from Mary McAlister with her nett 66. Paula Grant’s nett 68 got her the third place prize while four ladies carded a two; Margaret Rogan, Sandy Neill, Aileen Reid and Elaine McConnell, not to be outdone, got a brace of them.

VISITOR’S CUP TAYLOR MADE FOR JOHN

Five handicap John Taylor hit a two under par round of 70 to win the Visitor’s Cup at Portstewart GC on Saturday.

That score, in match play against the course, put John seven up at the end to win the cup by one hole. His bogey four on the short third put John one down but he won the fourth and fifth to get back on top. His birdie three on nine meant John was turning for home two up on the course.

That good front nine paled in comparison to the back nine as John got to grips with his game, birdying both par fives for wins and slipping in a two on the fifteenth. With no shots dropped at all for the last nine that gave john five wins to take him to seven up at the end.

The man to fall foul of that great score was Patsy Trolan with a six up card to his name. Patsy was standing in for yours truly and no doubt raised his game to match my standards.

He also had just had a long day on Thursday with his very successful annual Action Cancer Day but he seemed to be well recovered if his scoring is anything to go by.

After a slow start, two down after four Patsy hit form to win four of the five remaining holes to turn for home two up. Four pars gave Patsy another four wins before a brief blip where two holes were given back. Two wins to finish the round left Patsy on six up and ensured second place for him.

Seamus Harkin topped the Low Section on two up. Playing off eleven Seamus went one down after three but picked up two holes, eight and nine, to be one up after nine. Two wins and two losses started the back nine followed by a few halves.

His win on sixteen got Seamus to one up for the back nine and two up overall. Christopher Love took the High Section on three up playing off fourteen. He was all square after five before winning three on the trot including a two on six and a birdie four on seven.

Further birdies on the par four eleventh and the par five fourteenth balanced up his occasional slips on the back nine and got him back on three up for his prize.

Winner of the best gross was Ansley Stewart with a round of three over par 75. His only departure from par on the outward nine came with a bogey five on eight.

His two birdies early in the back nine, three on eleven and two on twelve, were eaten up by a seven at thirteen before Ansley dropped just one more on his way in for a back nine of 38.

Berryman on course for title

Kieran Berryman doesn’t look like letting go of his Golfer of the Year title at Roe Park. At the halfway point he sits at the top of the leader board on 109 points with Andy Young his closest challenger on 60 points.