Eagle at final hole proves vital for Black in Galgorm success

In Division 1 through four Stephen Black (3) was under heavy pressure from a trio of players – Philip Galloway (5), Neil Candlish (3) and Colin Steele (2) – who were only one point behind. Patrick Coleman (4) was two points behind the leader at this stage.

Coleman with two pars and a birdie picked up two points on the leader and the pair were level at this stage through the Treasury, a point ahead of Galloway and Candlish with Steele still in contention a further point down. Pars by Galloway and Candlish at the next to bogeys by Black and Coleman left all four players level with Steele (par) still two points away.

Everything now was down to the last hole. Coleman and Galloway birdied the final hole but an eagle by Black saw him home to win by one point. Coleman with a better last three finished in second place with Galloway third. Candlish (par) and Steele (eagle) who won the Gross were another point behind.

After the Niuc in Division 2 Fergus McKelvey (7) and John McCarley (7) were two points ahead of Adrian Atkinson (6) and Darryl Robinson (6). The latter pair would have been closer but for individual ‘dings’ at the fourth and third respectively. With a run of three pars McKelvey opened up a one point lead over McCarley (par, bogey, par) who was two points ahead of Atkinson (bogey, par, par) and Robinson (bogey, par, par).

McKelvey finished with another two pars to win by one point from a fast finishing Atkinson (two birdies). Robinson (par, birdie) and McCarley (bogey, par) finished together another point behind and with a better last six Robinson took third place.

In Division 3 Noel McAlynn (8) and Norman Dunbar (10) opened briskly and went into a comfortable three point advantage over Michael Montgomery (9) and David Millar (8). Michael Burton was another two points behind. Three more pars by McAlynn saw him move into a two point lead over Dunbar with Burton (two pars and a birdie) moving up to join Montgomery and Millar a further two points behind the leaders.

Dunbar closed to within one point of the leader with a bigey, par finish but McAlynn with two bogeys just held on. In a close finish for third place Montgomery (two pars), Millar (two pars) and Burton (two pars) were level and with a better last six Burton took third place.

John Fitzgerald (12) held a narrow one point lead over Raymond Steele (10) and Colin Thompson (12) through the Niuc in Division 4. They were followed by Ian Stewart (10) and Tony Dodds (13) at one and two points respectively further behind. Over the next three holes Fitzgerald increased his lead to two points ahead of Thompson and Steele and they were joined by Dodds. Stewart lost ground after a ‘ding’ on Broadmeadows and was another two points away.

Fitzgerald finished strongly with a birdie and a par for a comfortable four point win from Dodds (bogey, par) in second place. Third place went to Steele (bogey, par) a further point down. Thompson ruined his chance when he ‘dinged’ the last hole after a par at the penultimate hole and he finished a further point behind along with Stewart (two pars).

Twos were recorded by – S.Black, M.Hamilton, P.Coleman, A.McCart, P.Smith, S.Barker, M.Burton, I.Henry and A.Dan.

BACK NINE

Cyril Reid (14) and James Taylor (4) were vying for the lead through the Maple a point ahead of Willie Park (4) with Thomas McNeill (6) another two points down. Reid moved ahead over the next three holes with a birdie and two pars to lead by three points from Taylor who was two points ahead of Park. McNeill was a further point behind.

Reid needed his three point advantage as he ran into trouble over the closing two holes to finish with a ‘ding’ and a double bogey, but managed to hold on to win by one point from Taylor who finished double bogey, par. Park finished bogey, par and McNeill joined him with a birdie, bogey finish and with a better last three McNeill took third place a point behindTaylor.

Twos – C.Reid.