Terry travels well on theback nine to win the day

Four players took the main nett prizes with 42 points apiece at Lurgan at the weekend, Terry Murphy having the best back 9 of the quartet.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Sep 2014, 15:00 BST
Seamus OHagan retired from his bar man duties at Lurgan Golf Club after 18 years of loyal service this week and was joined by many family and friends on his final shift.Seamus OHagan retired from his bar man duties at Lurgan Golf Club after 18 years of loyal service this week and was joined by many family and friends on his final shift.
Seamus OHagan retired from his bar man duties at Lurgan Golf Club after 18 years of loyal service this week and was joined by many family and friends on his final shift.

An no return at the 5th restricted Terry’s front 9 to 18pts but he wound back the clock on his way home for 24points and with them came the J W Patterson Trophy and his first prize of the year.

Second place went to another veteran yet to taste success this season, Billy Bateman off 11.

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Despite a double bogey at the 6th he reached the turn with 20pts and a birdie at the 12th strengthened his position even further.

A strong back 9 off just 36 shots gave him a homeward 22pts which is usually enough to claim victory in a tight finish, but on this occasion was insufficient.

Colm Nash continued the theme of prizeless veterans when he took third place off 12. He reached the turn with 22pts in the bag and when he birdied the 10th he would have been favourite to win the day. Unfortunately for him he then hit the bogey trail with no fewer than 5 over his closing holes.

Just to complete the theme and the set, club president Dan McCool took fourth off 15. Having scored 22pts going out, he opened and closed his back 9 with birdies, but the stretch between holes 13 and 17 saw 4 bogeys and a double bogey.

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This resulted in a very creditable, but ultimately disappointing, 20pts on the back 9.

Paul McCabrey with another of his sub-par rounds to lift the gross prize.

A bogey at the 4th and birdies at the 10th and 13th resulted in a round of 69 for 37 gross pts to lift the prize by four clear points.

The low section went to Laurence Mitchell with 41pts off 12. He was heading for a relatively modest front 9 when a brilliant approach shot to the 9th found the target for eagle to transform his fortunes.

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A birdie at the 14th left him 7 under his handicap but he then went double bogey, double bogey, bogey to drop out of contention for the main prizes. Paul Dickson played his best golf in a while to score 40pts off 10 just narrowly missing out on the day. Also close were Niall Hoy and Stephen Loughran with 39pts.

Michael McLaughlin continued his improving ways to lift the middle section with 40pts off 16.

Four closing nett birdies lifted him from relative mediocrity to a strong challenging position.

Three players came next on 37 pts with young Conor McEvoy finding himself between the vastly experienced pair of Gary McMahon and Michael O’Neill.

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Roy Hanna Snr returned the best of three 37pts to take the high section off 25, just edging out Michael McHugh and Derek Johnston both of whom were no doubt warming up for the winter.

Bryan Turkington played the shot of the day when he holed his tee shot at the 8th.