Kerry McCluskey wins the TB Wallace

This year it was played for on Saturday May 29. David Prentice Motors generously sponsored the event, thanks to the kind auspices of Martin McAleenan. There was a very large entry on what was a near perfect day for golf.

The calculated standard scratch score was nett 67 or 38 stableford points. No less than 31 players broke the CSS.

Colin Wilton (5), Roland Harwood (12), Colin Dodds (14), Bertie Shaw (20), Shane Bell (7), Tom Fee (11) and Rory Madeley (5) all finished with 39 points.

Colm McGreevey (21), Paul Magennis (4), Declan Barry (9), Malcolm Hanna (12), Dominic Quinn (19), Philip Mallon (7) and Martin McAleenan (10) all played well for 40 points.

Paul Magennis had to shoot a level par round in order to get 40 points and he was delighted to win the best gross prize.

Mark Carson (14), Neville Kerr (9), John Smyth (20), Timothy Hodgett (8), Jeffrey Brown (12), Victor McNeill (19), Peter Hillen (11), Seamus Rooney (5) and Jim Ledlie (23) all ended up with 41 points.

There are one or two senior players in this group but the one who walked off with the senior’s prize was the jovial John Smyth. He was delighted and so was everyone else. John is one of the longest serving members in the club and to see him win a prize on TB Wallace day was enough to bring a tear to your eye.

Peter Weir (15), Cameron Morton (12) and young Dane Ward (14) played exceptionally well for 42 points each. That’s a nett 63 and there were five others in front of them!

Alan McVey (7) was in fifth place with 43 points.

Jim Lennon (20), a key member of the Junior Cowdy team, was fourth with 43 points. This, for Jim, was a career best round and it could be the catalyst for something really big.

Kenny Jones, a former golfer of the year, was third with 45 points. He was the leader for most of the day but got pipped in the closing stages.

Young Callum McAleenan (15) was second with a brilliant 46 points or nett 59. There seems to be a large number of very talented juveniles in the club at the moment and that augurs well for the future. Meantime, watch out for Callum!

That brings us to the winner of the TB Wallace Cup. It was not altogether a surprise winner as this individual has been showing excellent form for quite a while.

Kerry McCluskey (11) is the man of the moment and this is a major achievement for a very likeable young man. He too had 46 points.

His name will now be engraved on the cup alongside a virtual ‘who’s who?’ of Banbridge Golf Club. That is an honour, Kerry, that doesn’t come to many people. So, appreciate it and enjoy the accolades.