Duddy doesdouble at Prehen

In a very closely contested event Martin Duddy (18) ran out the eventual winner by virtue of a back nine tie breaker when he carded a superb 43 points. Duddy’s golf was a model of consistency with 21 on the opening holes and 22 over the closing nine.

Mr Duddy’s victory completed a remarkable and rare club double as he also landed the coveted Golfer of the Year title with a marvellous 115 points for the best ten cards of the twenty-two outing campaign.

The game of Maurice Quigg (20) bloomed on the outward holes on Sunday and he carded a marvellous 24 points. On the notoriously difficult Par 3 8th, The Crow’s Nest, Maurice had the easiest of birdies when his well struck tee-shot rolled to the lip of the cup but failed to drop! If Carlsberg made birdies they’d all be like this! Sadly the birdies dried up on the closing holes where Maurice could only card 19 points and consequently he fell just wanting on that back nine tie-break.

Jim McDaid (17) finished in third place with 41 points but he will be regaling anyone who will listen with tales of what might have been. Ugly blanks at the 8th and the 18th squandered a superb effort on the other holes. Whatever caused these small blemishes Jim will fix it and is sure to return to the winner’s circle in the near future. Hard-working competitions committee member Mike Carroll (17) shot the best of the forty pointers to take fourth place, Brian Standford (19) turned up the heat on his game finish fifth on the same score and Martin Doherty (20) found his golf ball enough times to enable him to finish on 40 points and take sixth spot. Jeremy Thatcher (16) signed for a 39 point tally that included a birdie two at the Par 3 15th, The Quarry, in a classy 22 point back nine to take seventh spot while Fred Young (8) put in his usual steady performance to finish on 39 points and lift the last of the prizes. Eddie Leonard (20) found that his 21 point total gave him the front nine and Jim McCann (11) had the best tally on the closing nine with 21 points. Gary McDaid took the non-qualifer prize with 41 points.

Next week sees the infamous and eagerly anticipated “Yellow Ball” Teams of Four.

The rules are posted in the clubhouse and times can be booked as usual on www.cityofderrygolfclub.com or ring Sam Smallwoods on 71346369.

While local teacher Ed Burton (6) was top of the class with his winning 41 points in Prehen’s Easter Hamper on Saturday. Two over after nine holes he eagled the par five 11th to go back to level par and went on to finish his round in 72 shots for an impressive victory.

Four players were bunched together on 40 points with Bob McKimm’s (19) excellent 24 points on the back nine clinching second place for him. Phillip Greer (10) was steadiness personified on the back nine only dropping one shot to par and thus securing third place on another tie break. Mr Consistency himself Ernie Heywood (1) was best low player on the day with a superb 38 points gross.

Next up at Prehen is the Horace Bayer Cup on Saturday and that is the first Order of Merit competition of the year. City of Derry Building Society is the sponsors of this year’s order of merit and points will be awarded throughout the season in the nominated competitions as per the fixtures booklet.

A novel additional feature this year will be a “golfer of the month” award for the golfer gaining the most points in three of the nominated competitions each calendar month during the season. Further details are available in the Pro-shop.

Tomorrow (Thursday) sees the start of the popular Thursday Opens which will run through until late September.