Majestic Dallat cards five birdies to win stableford

The weather once again had a major impact on golf at Ballycastle over the weekend with the deluge of rain that fell on Friday causing the closure of the course the following day.

The Duncarbit Cup scheduled for Saturday and Sunday had to be postponed and will now take place over the weekend of 18th and 19th August. Luckily, the course dried out sufficiently well by Sunday to allow golf to be played and a stableford competition was held with sixty-six members taking part.

Two handicapper Patrick Dallat was the winner on Sunday as he carded five birdies in an excellent two under par round which yielded a total of 40 points. Second place went to Peter McMullan, playing off twelve, who matched Patrick’s score of 40 points but couldn’t quite match his back nine total. Vincent Gallagher, playing off nine, and Eamon McIlroy, playing off twelve, finished in third and fourth places respectively after both men recorded 39 points in the competition.

Garth Beckett, playing off sixteen, took fifth place with a score of 38 points and five handicapper Owen Kennedy won the gross prize with a 74.

Ballycastle’s Ulster Fourball Trophy team were also in action on Sunday as they hosted a team from Concra Wood Golf Club, Castleblaney, in the first leg of their third round encounter. After a keenly contested match, Ballycastle hold a slender 3-2 advantage going into the away leg in a couple of week’s time.

Liam McLean, playing off fifteen, birdied the final two holes to win the Midweek Open stableford competition on the back nine from Peter Dallat after both members recorded 41 points on Wednesday.

Six handicapper Peter eagled the 5th and also added birdies at the 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th holes but Liam’s great finish meant that he had to settle for second place on this occasion.

Patrick Dallat, playing off two, and John Callan, playing off three, made nine birdies between them as they picked up the third and fourth place prizes on Wednesday with scores of 40 points apiece.

The qualification rounds for the Casement Cup match-play competition take place at Ballycastle on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July. The top sixteen stableford scores each day will earn a place in the match-play stages.

Members will have two bites at the qualification cherry – those who don’t qualify on Saturday can give it another go on Sunday if they so wish. Vouchers prizes will be awarded to the leading qualifiers on Saturday and Sunday along with the Casement Cup match-play winner, runner-up and losing semi-finalists.