Hugh sweeps to fine victory at Lurgan

Conditions underfoot were naturally soft but for the most part competitors had dry overhead playing conditions. There were a plethora of good scores as 30 golfers compiled an under par score of 37 points or better.

Overall winner on the day was Hugh O’Reilly. The 22 handicapper shot a very impressive total of 43 points. Par figures at holes one, two and eight helped him through the opening nine to be in a challenging position. He continued his good play right through the back nine. Pars at holes ten, twelve, seventeen and eighteen were prime examples of this good play. Allied with numerous net pars he duly captured the principal prize in this midweek sweep.

Single figure handicapper John O’Neill was runner-up with an enterprising return of 42 points. John made light of bogeys on holes five and seven to register six pars and a birdie at the first on the rest of the holes. He played the back nine in level par with seven pars, a bogey on the sixteenth and a birdie on the last. This gross 71 ensured this seven handicapper second spot.

Michael Purdy nabbed the third net prize with his score of 41 points. His better back nine deprived his fourball member Seamus McKavanagh of the honour. Playing off a thirteen handicap Michael put himself in the mix after nine holes with pars on holes five, seven, eight and nine. He had a heady mix of birdies, pars and no returns on the inward nine. Birdies came his way at holes ten, eleven, seventeen and eighteen. He was ably abetted by pars at holes thirteen and sixteen.

The weekly gross award went to the consistent Joe Dowey. This five handicapper succeeded with 34 gross points. On the day he managed birdies on holes four, nine and eighteen. On the debit side he pencilled in bogeys on holes two, three, five, fourteen and fifteen. Par figures on the rest of the holes guided him safely across the finishing line. The following golfers posted under par returns:

41 pts: Seamus McKavanagh, Sean McClean, Nicholas Campbell, Tom Connolly; 40 pts: Maurice Turnbull, Derek Woods; 39 pts: Terry McCrory, Hugh McCloskey, Norris Thompson.

38 pts: Gerald Catney, Damian Catney, John Healy, Brian Bassett, Andy Wilson, Barry Campbell, Hamilton Baxter, Danny McKavanagh.

37 pts: Tom Doherty, Brian Clarke, Peter Simpson, Mark O’Neill, John Richardson, Bryan Turkington, James Farrell, Peter Gordon, Kieran Kearney.