McCarry emerges victorious in Meeting of Rivers event at Galgorm

Through thirteen McGillian still held a two point advantage over Black who was joined by McCarry. Disaster at the Devils Elbow and Beechers where McGillian only registered one point were his downfall as he saw his hopes for Overall victory disappear. With two to play Black after a birdie up the Grove was one point ahead of McCarry (par) and a promising finish was in place between the pair. Black finished with two bogeys and McCarry joined Black with a bogey, par finish and with a better back nine McCarry was the Overall winner with Black runner-up.

In Division 1 at the turn Joel McNeilly (8) was one point ahead of Daniel Reilly (4) with Michael Alexander (6) and Neville Neill (7) a further point behind. McNeilly had a poor run over the next four holes with a par and three bogeys and found himself four points behind the new leader Riley who had two birdies and two pars to take a two point lead over Alexander who had a birdie and three pars. Neill with four pars was another point behind followed by McNeilly. Reilly and Alexander failed to score at the Devils Elbow and with two to play Riley was one point ahead of Alexander. McNeilly with three pars had closed to within one point of the leader and Neill who failed to score at Beechers was another two points down. McNeilly continued his par run and finished with two pars to win by one point from Reilly (bogey, par) with M.Alexander (double bogey, par) third another point behind. Neill (bogey, par) was another point down.

There was a close finish to Division 2 where only one point separated the first four golfers. Adrian Atkinson (12) was a point ahead of Robert Young (13) and Trevor Todd (15) at halfway with Kevin McCavera (11) another point behind. Through the Devils Elbow, Atkinson, Young and McCavera were level with Todd two points behind and with two left to play the scores remained thw same with a very exciting finish ahead. Atkinson wobbled at the Lowlands with a double bogey but hit back at the last with a birdie. Young (birdie, par) and McCavera (bogey, par finished level with Atkinson. McCavera with a better back nine took first place with Young second (better back nine) and Atkinson third. Todd (bogey, par) finished within a point of the first three.

Paul McNeilly (16) and Trevor Fletcher (19) held a two point advantage over David McAleese (17) after the front nine in Division 3. Ian Rainey was another point behind. McAleese joined Fletcher through thirteen followed by Rainey a point behind. McNeilly was a further two points away after a ‘ding’ at the Fort. Up the Grove and McAleese with two pars and a stumble at Beechers was a point clear of Fletcher and Rainey followed by McNeilly two further points away. McAleese with a solid bogey, par finish came home to win by two points from McNeilly (two pars) and Fletcher (two bogeys) and with a better back nine McNeilly took second place with Fletcher third.

Entering the back nine in Division 4 Austin McGillian (20) held a commanding three point advantage from Alan Featherstone (21) with Barry Mott (25) and Raymond Lynn (22) another point behind. Colin Thompson (24) and Ian Stewart (22) were two and three points respectively further behind. Through fourteen Lynn moved up into a challenging position one point behind McGillian who ‘dinged’ the fourteenth. Four points further behind came Featherstone (‘dings’ at ten and fourteen), Mott (‘ding’ at fourteen) and Thompson (‘ding’ at ten). Stewart was another point away.

With one to play McGillian was three points ahead of Lynn (‘ding’ at sixteen) and Thompson. Mott was a further point behind followed by Featherstone and Stewart. A bogey finish by McGillian was sufficient to see him home to win by three points from Lynn (bogey) and Mott (par) who finished together and with a better back six Mott took second place with Lynn third.

Michael Reid (-2) won the Gross and David Caves (22) the Seniors.

NI OPEN CORPORATE QUALIFIER

In the N.I.Open Corporate Qualifier played at Galgorm Castle Golf Club David Bamford (10) and Michael Reid (-2) were a point ahead of Patrick Coleman (9) after the front nine in Division 1.

Through thirteen Bamford was a point ahead of Reid and Coleman and with one to play Bamford had a two point cushion over the other two golfers. Bamford bogeyed the last but held on towin by one point from Coleman (par) and Reid (birdie) who finished together and with a better back nine Coleman finished second with Reid third.

In Division 2 Colin Gray (13), Leonard Craig (13) and Michael Nesbitt (13) were a point behind the leader Gary Boyd (12) at halfway. James McAuley (13) and Graham Simms (15) were three points behind Boyd. Through thirteen Boyd had increased his lead to three points over Gray and Nesbitt with Craig and Simms in close attendance a further point behind. McAuley was down by another point at this stage. With two to play Boyd was still ahead by two points from Gray followed a point away by Craig who was two points ahead of M.Nesbitt, Simms (‘ding’ on fourteen) and McAuley. Although ‘dinging’ the Lowlands, a par at the last saw Boyd safely home to win by one point from Gray (two bogeys).

Craig (double bogey, bogey), Nesbitt (par, bogey), McAuley (bogey, par) and Simms (two bogeys) all finished together and with a better back six McAuley finished in third place.

Turning for home in Division 3 Geoffrey Marshall (18) held a narrow one point lead over Nicholas Read (18) and Paul McNeilly (16) followed by Aidan Donnelly (18) another point behind. There was nothing to separate them through fourteen and after two birdies Marshall shot into a four point lead over Donnelly and Read with two holes to play. McNeilly was a further two points behind. A two bogey finish saw Marshall home to win by three points from Donnelly (bogey, par) with Read (bogey, double bogey) another two points away in third place.

Brian McFall (27), George Irwin (28) and Colin Black (24) were vying for the lead entering the inward half in Division 4 a point ahead of Russell McBride (22). Through thirteen McFall was two points clear of Black with Irwin and McBride another two points away. Approaching the seventeenth tee McFall went into a three point lead from Black (‘ding’ at the Grove) and McBride. Irwin was close up another point behind.McFall finished double bogey, par for a comfrortable win by three points from McBride (bogey, par) in second. Third place a further point behind went to Irwin (better back three) after finishing along with B lack (triple bogey, par).

Steven Penney (1) won the Gross and Malachy Kyne (20) (BB9) the Seniors.