McNeill holds off challengers’ fightback to win at Galgorm

At halfway in Division 1 Thomas McNeill (10) held a three point advantage over Peter Daly (5) and Michael McAuley (10).

Through thirteen and with three to play McNeill was still ahead but his lead had been reduced to two points by Daly and McAuley. McNeill finished with two pars and a bogey to win by one point.

Daly and McAuley tried hard over the closing three holes to catch McNeill when both players finished with three pars each but their efforts just failed by one point. Daly with a better back nine took second place.

Gary Moon (12) was leading in Division 2 by two points at halfway. He was followed by Terence Martin (13) who in turn was another two points ahead of Michael Montgomery (11). Moon after a ‘ding’ at twelve found himself one point behind the new leader Martin who was another two points ahead of Montgomery.

Moon with a par at the next joined Martin (bogey) two points ahead of Montgomery.

Martin edged ahead over the closing three holes and with a bogey, par, par finish won by two points from Moon (par, bogey, bogey) and an improved Montgomery (bogey, par, par). The runner-up place went to M.Montgomery with a better back six.

Division 3 was a much closer affair at halfway with only one point separating three players. Colin Black (19) was leading by one point from Gordon Allen (16) and Malachy Kyne (16) with John Caulfield (19) another two points adrift.

Through twelve Black was still in the lead by one point from Kyne who was joined by an improving Caulfield with Allen a furthrt point behind.

Kyne joined Black in the lead at the fourteenth with Allen and Caulfield only one point behind to make for an exciting closing two holes. Kyne (bogey, par) and Allen (two pars) finished together and with a better back nine Allen took first place with Kyne in second place.

In Division 4 twenty handicapper David Mudd opened briskly and by halfway had opened up a commanding four point lead from Davy King (25) and Cecil McAleese (23). King gained a point at twelve to close the gap to three points. McAleese was another two points behind King.

King gained another point at the next to close the gap to two points and McAleese ran into bogey trouble and fell another point behind.

However a birdie at the par three thirteenth brought McAleese to within one point of King who was still two points behind Mudd. Mudd parred Beechers as did King to remain two points down with one to play. McAleese fell another point behind with a bogey at Beechers. A bogey by Mudd up the Grove saw him home to win by two points from King (double bogey).

Daniel Reilly (2) won the Gross.