Colin is inaugural winner of Bertie Gibson Memorial Trophy at Galgorm

At halfway two players – Colin Thompson (24) and Mervyn Foster (17) – were vying for the lead three points ahead of Owen Smith (5) with Malachy Bellew (7), James Taylor (9) and Ryan Addley (9) at one, two and three points respectively further behind.

A birdie at the Fort helped Foster to take over the lead from Thompson by two points through thirteen. Bellew and Taylor were another three points down with Smith who was a point ahead of Addley (‘ding’ at eleven) a further point back. Foster gained a point on Thompson at each of the next three holes to lead by five points. Bellew, Taylor, Addley and Smith were another two, three, four and five points behind respectively.

Disaster struck Foster over the closing two holes when he ran into bogey trouble and failed to score. Thompson took advantage with a bogey, par finish to win Overall by one point with Foster in the Runner-up position. Bellew (two pars) was two points behind the runner-up but won Division 1 by a point from Taylor (bogey, birdeie) in second.

In Division 2 Robert Young (13) held a slender one point advantage over George Watt (11) at halfway with David Chappell (15) a further two points behind.

Watt overtook Young at eleven and led by two points through thirteen. Chappell was a point behind Young. Young closed on Watt to within one point through the Grove with Chappell another two points behind. Watt with a bogey, par finish held on to win by a single point from Young (par, bogey). Chappell (bogey, par) was a further point behind.

After the front nine in Division 3 John McClintock (18) (‘ding’ at the Treasury) was one point ahead of Ivan Alexander (16) (‘ding’ at Broadmeadows) who in turn was a point ahead of Alan Knox (17) and Terence Martin (17).

Alexander moved into the lead but was being pressurised by McClintock, Knox and Martin who were one point behind. A mistake at Beechers when he failed to score seemingly cost McClintock his chance of winning. Through the Grove Alexander continued to lead by one point from Knox with McClintock and Martin dropping back, another two points away.

Alexander finished with two bogeys and held on to win by one poinr from Knox (two bogeys) and a late run from Martin (two pars) and with the latter taking the Seniors prize Knox finished second to Alexander.

Entering the back nine in Division 4 David Mudd (20) was not deterred by a ‘ding’ at the second and was leading Colin Black (23) (‘ding’ at the Niuc) by one point with Malachy Graham (25) another three points adrift after ‘dings’ at the Niuc and Walkers Home.

With two to play Mudd moved into a three point lead over Black with Graham closing to within one point of Black. Mudd came home double bogey, bogey to win by two points from an improved Graham (double bogey, par) in second place.