Visitors take Bank Holiday Openhonours

ON Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, an Open competition was held at Lurgan Golf Club.

Sixty five golfers competed in the male competition while the ladies had four entries.

Softish conditions and a long playing course ensured good scoring was at a premium.

Two Dungannon visitors scooped the top two prizes in the competition. The main prize went to Ciaran McGirr with his total of 38 points. The eight handicapper had a steady opening nine with a birdie on the first and pars at holes five, eight and nine. Birdies on holes ten and eleven put him in great shape on the back nine. Par figures followed on holes twelve, thirteen and fourteen. He recorded his final par on the seventeenth and this sufficed to nose him ahead of his fellow eight handicapper.

Alastair Fleming was second with his tally of 38 points. He played methodically on both nines with six pars and three bogeys on both of them. Holes two, three and seven were the front nine bogeys. Meanwhile on the back nine the offending holes were eleven, fourteen and sixteen.

Local golfer John Horan grabbed third place with his score of 37 points. This seven handicapper was quickly off the mark with pars at the opening two holes and a birdie on the fourth. He closed the front nine with a quartet of pars. His back nine comprised seven pars to go alongside bogeys on holes ten and sixteen. His better scoring on the last six holes edged Raymond Farrell into fourth spot. This fourteen handicapper managed five pars on the outward nine. Holes three, five, seven, eight and nine were his early successes. He pressed ahead to accrue further pars on holes ten, twelve, fourteen and seventeen to achieve this victory.

A gross tally of 32 points provided Joe Dowey with the gross award. This six handicapper had mix of scores from a triple bogey on the third to a birdie on the seventh. Par figures came his way on the rest of the holes except six, fifteen and seventeen where he notched bogeys.

Patrick Muldoon and Eoin Murphy were also under the par with scores of 37 points.

Young Annabel Wilson won the female prize with a similar return of 37 points.