Joint winners in RIR Cup

The RIR Cup was contested on Easter Monday as usual on it’s traditional date.

Around 75 golfers trod the fairways and by the end of the day some 14 per cent had posted under par returns in this non-qualifying competition.

The top score of the day was 41 points and two golfers managed this five under par total.

By virtue of the back nine Conor McEvoy took the honours with his effort of 41 points. This 16 handicapper registered defining birdies on holes four and 17.

A quartet of pars at holes two, nine, 10 and 13 were further examples of his good playing. On the debit side he incurred double bogeys on holes three and 14.

Nevertheless a strong showing of net par returns kept his points tally moving upwards. This was enough to keep him ahead of the chasers.

Single figure handicapper Joe Dowey also posted a very attractive score of 41 points. Off his five handicap Joe had a marvellous 16 pars on his card.

He notched a birdie two on the eighth and a double bogey six occurred at the fifteenth. However he had to settle for second place on the day.

The third and last net prize went to Johnny McEvoy with an appetising tally of 40 points.

This 14 handicapper is obviously using his new driver to great effect. His day began with a birdie and a double bogey.

After that things settled down and pars and net pars mostly followed. A run of pars at holes three, eight and nine were his front nine riposte.

On the inward side he made vital pars at holes 10, 14, 17 and 18. This tidy play secured him a place on the podium alongside the winning effort of his son.

With Joe Dowey featuring in the net awards it was Martin Drain who thus secured the gross award. This seven handicapper won with a score of 32 gross points.

Martin was steady on the opening nine with a birdie on the fifth and pars at holes one, four, six and eight. A birdie three was a lively start to the homeward nine. Thence followed a run of five consecutive pars.

He rounded off his day with a bogey, par, bogey, run. On the day this provided him with this category prize.

The following golfers also returned scores under the par: Conal Patterson with 40 points, David Lennon, Paul McConaghy and Ronan McCrory on 39 points. On 38 points there was Raymond Farrell and Brian Bradford and finally Mark Carpenter, Ben McKnight, Gary McCollum and John Richardson finished with 37 points.