All the news and happenings from the local golf clubs

SUPPER

The annual Winter League competition held on the Riverside course over six cold winter weeks was celebrated on Friday.

The theme this year was Abba and a great fun night was enjoyed by all. It was a colourful evening and many of the ladies dressed in the Abba theme.

Lady Captain Rosemary Millar presented the prizes to the winning teams and individuals. The winning team was “Waterloo” and second came the “Take a chance” team.

The weekly individual winners were 1 Terry McCulloch, 2 and 3 Lynne McCartney, 4Suzanne Brown, 5Diane McKay, 6 Eugena Porter. The overall individual winner was Diane McKay.

Other prizes presented on the evening were - December monthly medal winner Anne Paul, January monthly medal winner Rae Kernahan, February and March monthly medal winner Corinna O’Neill.

The Team scramble competition was won by Rosie King, Rae Kernahan and Sylvia Shaw. The winter ringer on the Riverside was won by Bernie Eastwood and the runner up was Bertha Dalzell. The winter ringer and Ina Smyth trophy played on the Strand course, handicap section A (0-24) was won by Mary Glover and section B (25-36) was won by Elaine Allen.

The best reduction and overall winner was Sheila Aicken. The Par ladder was won by Pauline Agnew and the birdie ladder was won by Jane Glenn.

Well done to all the prize winners. The prizes were presented after an excellent supper provided by Chris and his staff. The ladies were also well looked after by Delwyn and the bar staff. The evening moved on to the musical ABBA theme and a big thank you to Robert Rainey who accompanied all the teams on the piano.

It was a very successful evening, well done Lady Captain Rosemary Millar.

TEDDY TOPS AT THE ‘ROCK

Teddy McMullan used his nineteen shots to great effect at Castlerock on Saturday to take the sweep by two clear points.

Teddy started with clear intent by rolling in a putt for his birdy on the first for four points. He developed a taste for four pointers as another came with a birdie four on the third as well.

After five holes Teddy had gathered 17 points! While this standard was not kept up Teddy still registered 24 points for the nine holes and was consistent into the homeward seven as well.

His only “slip ups” came with a blank on fifteen and a one pointers on seventeen to restrict him to 12 points for the inward holes. The resulting 36 points score was two better than Colin McKeeman and Tommy Gordon who finished with 34 each.

Colin got runners up spot on countback. He hit two birdies on his way out, fours on three and five, but gave those back with a brace of blanks on eight and nine to turn with 18 points carded.

After five two pointers to start the inward journey Colin took six from the final two for 16 back and 34 overall. Tommy Gordon got the High Section prize with his 34 points.

He scored 19 out and 15 back. Ronan Higgins topped the Low Section with 32 points. He birdied both front nine par fives and picked up a three at the par four second to boot. 19 points came from this and he harvested another 13 from a level par back seven.

Roy Deans was top senior man by scoring 33 points from his 19 mark. His first dropped shot was his five on the sixth but he very few other drops on a front nine that gave him 21 points. Three one pointers and a blank over the final seven allowed just 9 points to the card but the Senior prize was Roy’s.

MORRISON CUP WIN FOR DAVY

Davy Coyle had a thoroughly good day on Saturday, winning the Morrison Cup at Bushfoot GC with a net score of 64.

He was six over par playing the ninth when he had his only blip on the first lap, a six, but this still left him two shots to the good on his 20 handicap. On the second lap Davy had two double bogies but many fewer single bogies and came out of it six over par, four more better than his handicap allowance.

The resulting net 64 turned out to be four clear of runner up Ricky Brewster on 68. Ricky had threes on three and eight but slipped to a three over seven on five to see the end of the front nine on five over par.

He was more consistent on the inward half but again slipped up with a double bogey six at the death to go to his net 68. That still warded off a challenge from James McBride who ended his round with a net 69. James bettered his 22 mark to take third place.

The Best Gross of six over par 76 was returned by Owen Crooks. Owen birdied three but had that taken back by a six at four. He recovered by knocking in his birdie four down the sixth and again gave it back to another six at the ninth.

This gave Owen a score of 38 out. Thirteen favoured him with a three but sixteen took three more shots than it should have to repeat the 38 he scored going out.

COLM TOPS IN RATHMORE LEAGUE

It took 40 points to win this week’s game in Rathmore GC’s Winter League and Colm Friel was the man that did it.

The twelve handicapper blanked two and six on his way out but dropped just three shots otherwise to end the nine with 15 points bagged.

He seemed a trifle irked by this so he dropped in three birdies, a two at eleven, a three at twelve and another three at fourteen, to get the card revived. Colm grabbed a massive 25 points from all of that, a virtually unbeatable back nine if needed for a tie break.

It wasn’t needed as three players tied on 39 points each, one behind Colm. The pick of these was Gerard Bradley with 22 points back. He had bagged 17 points out then added in a birdy four on ten.

This, coupled with steady scoring, gave him the good 22 point back nine to push David Bellingham into third spot in the tie break. David had played to his handicap of 12 on the way out for 18 points but improved on that coming back in three over par for 21.

John McIntyre was the other 39 points scorer but with a back nine of 20 he was pushed down to fourth place. His two twos would have cushioned the blow, these came at three and eleven.

Leon Stevenson was top man in the gross stakes for his round of 71. He covered the outward nine in 36, one over par, courtesy of a three at the first and a four at the fourth. Ten also gave up a birdy four as Leon ran out the inward nine in one over par 35 as well for his 71.

BETTER BALL AT RPGC

Forty-four points were scored by Matt McAlister and Geoff Rodgers at Royal Portrush on Saturday to win the Four Ball Better Ball event.

The pair birdied the second in four and the third in two before taking a break until six to add another two. Another wee break, another birdie, a three on eight. All this gave them 24 points out and the back nine is easily recorded, a bogey four on fifteen, eight pars, 20 more points for their winning 44.

Second spot went to Eddie Cassells and Sid Henry with their efoort of 42 points. Two and four were birdied in a front nine of 21 points and the pair repeated this with two more birdies and another 21 coming back.

That back nine tally was the key to easing K Crowley and Gerry McAleese into third place in the tie break. This pairing had three birdies on their way out to get to the turn with 23 points carded.

They could not find any more birdies on their way in however and ran the back nine out with 19 scored and got third prize for the 42 points.

RUSSELL WINS BY A POINT

Portstewart’s Saturday Sweep was played over sixteen holes after a winter of the fourteen holes layout and Russell Fillis scored 37 points on it to take top spot in the competition.

He opened with six for just one point and got another single point from the short sixth before reducing the long seventh to four shots and the eighth to three for birdies.

Two pars ended the first eight and Russell had 19 points bagged by then. He slipped again on a short hole, the twelfth, with just a point coming his way, but again made amends with a birdie four on thirteen to get back in the hunt.

The eleven handicapper dropped just two more shots on the run in taking 18 points from the course to end his round with 37.

One behind Russell was Danny Alexander with 36 points playing off twelve. His birdie four on seven kept the card in shape for the outward eight by getting Danny to 17 points.

A brace of birdies, a two on twelve and a four on thirteen, helped the cause and allowed him to sign for 19 points back and 36 overall. Michael Kilgore took third on 35 points.

The nineteen handicapper dropped just seven on the way out to have 19 on the card turning for home. A double dose of single pointers started the back eight and these proved crucial as he ended up two back from the winner. However third prize was his.

CASTLEROCK TOPS AT

ALLIANCE

Grainne McBride from the Killymoon Club topped the recent NWLadies Golfing Alliance with her score of 33 points over the Strand Course at Portstewart beating the field by one point.