Joy as Rockmount team progress to the semi finals

The match on Tuesday was in doubt after heavy rain; but started in dry conditions. Team Captain Ronnie Cole stuck with the team that had served him well previously.

Out first were Frank Ward and Danny Montgomery, they worked hard to build up a two hole lead after five which they held until the sixteenth when they were pegged back to all square, the seventeenth hole was shared. At the long par five eighteenth Danny played a great third to the heart of the green which Galgorm could not match and after a poor bunker shot the Rockmount pair had two putts to win the first match which they took to win by one hole.

Sam Milligan and Ed McDonald were out second in an very tight match the result rested on the last hole, this time Galgorm prevailed and won the match to level the team scores.

Ryan Wilson and Henry Moore went out third and won three of the first four holes, they increased this lead to four holes until the Galgorm pair rallied temporarily, Ryan and Henry thwarted the comeback to win on the fifteenth four and three.

The final two matches included four Rockmount Past Captains, Peter O’Hara playing with Frank Wallace and team Captain Ronnie Cole playing with Robert Patterson. A win from either of these pairs would secure Rockmount a place in the semi-finals. Peter and Frank were two up on the sixteenth tee needing to win one of the last three holes as were Ronnie and Robert. Peter and Frank shared the sixteenth as did Ronnie and Robert. Both pairs were dormy two (two up with two to play). Peter and Frank lost the seventeenth and to add to the tension Ronnie and Robert did likewise. Should Galgorm win the last hole in each of the matches those matches would go back to the first hole until a team won. Peter and Frank held their nerve and closed out their match with Ronnie and Robert in a very good position to do likewise after three good shots put them close to the pin and Galgorm having no option but to concede defeat. Rockmount will go on to meet Mannon Castle or Tandragee in the semi-final at a neutral venue to be decided by the GUI.

The gent’s stableford competition on Saturday July 6 attracted a large field encouraged by the apparent start of ‘summer’. Warren Green (21) was first with 42 points beating Martin McConville (20) into second place Martin scored 40 points. The low section (0 -11) was won by Darren Majury (11) with 39 points, the mid-section (12 – 17) was won by John Monteverde (17) who also scored 39 points and the high section (18 – 28) was won by Jim Fletcher (27) who scored 37 points. Best gross on the day was from Colin McClenaghan (2) who had a level par gross score of 72 for the second week in a row. Colin had one birdie on the front nine at the sixth and one bogey on his card at the eighteenth.

On Sunday July 7 the Ulster Four-ball team travelled to Castlehume Golf Club for the first leg of their match against Castlehume vying for a place in the quarter-finals. Brendan Houston’s team produced a strong performance and secured a narrow three – two lead which they will take into the home leg. On the same day the Fred Daly plate team travelled to Bangor Golf club to play Bangor. Bangor proved to be stronger on the day and the Rockmount team will have to overturn a six – one defeat to progress to the next round.