Sean wins President's Day prize

The entry was substantial and the weather was generally kind for most of the day. Later in the day there were a few torrential showers and this was a blow for the late starters.

Fast greens and some fiendish pin positions gave the majority of the field a lot of concern. As usual in the more significant competitions, a number of players rose above their status and produced some quite magnificent scores on the day. In fact 23 golfers returned scores of net 69 or better during the day.

In the final major club competition of the year the winner was Sean Mulvenna. This fourteen handicapper produced a stunning net 63 to win by two clear shots. He toured the front nine in only 38 strokes. A birdie two at the third and pars at holes one, four, six and nine were prime examples of his disciplined play. His back nine began with five straight pars. Although he closed his round with four net pars he was still well under his handicap. Over the season he has just been under the radar but this was a significant opportunity to exhibit his top game.

Early starter Michael McLaughlin posted a very tidy round of net 65 and this was the target to beat during the day. This twenty handicapper played both nines in under par figures and this speaks volumes about his consistent play. On the day par figures at holes one, three, seven, eight, eleven and seventeen were the highlights of this winning round.

Long time member Mervyn Shaw grabbed the third net prize with a similar return of net 65. This nine handicapper was out late in the day and encountered some of the roughest weather. His opening nine comprised seven pars to accompany bogeys on holes two and nine. A birdie at the tenth was followed by a run of four pars. At this juncture he looked a candidate for the main prize. Alas on the closing four holes he ran up three bogeys and a par. The seventeenth was his par hole. Still his fine gross 74 on the day put him third overall in the competition.

Youngish member James Horan was the gross winner. This two handicapper took the honours with a gross 70. James played both nines in a score of level par 35. During the round he birdied holes three, six, twelve and fourteen. On the other side of the coin he pencilled in bogeys on holes two, four, sixteen and seventeen. It was no great surprise that he had pars on the rest of the holes. On the day he pipped Dave Sutton on the back six and Steven Kelly on the back nine for the prestigious prize.

With a net 66 the low section prize was won by Rodger McIlwaine. This eleven handicapper’s better back nine score did the trick. A trio of pars got his round well under way. He struggled on the next six holes but a par at the sixth and a birdie on the ninth changed the mindset. A similar scoring pattern emerged on the back nine. Still a quartet of pars ten, eleven, twelve and sixteen gave him renewed energy. A birdie three on the eighteenth was final piece of the jigsaw.

After his victory in the Wednesday Sweep young Aidan Murphy seized the moment and won the middle section award. This eighteen handicapper required a net 67 to snatch the honours. Steady golf over the nines sufficed to guide him safely into the winning circle. A birdie at the tenth and pars at holes one, two, and seventeen were his keynote scores on the day.

Finally in the high section it was another feather in the cap for juvenile James Hamilton. Off his twenty-four handicap young James took the spoils with a score of net 65. James also played both nines in under par figures which was a measure of some consistent play. Over the round pars at holes one, three, five, eight, ten, eleven and seventeen were the principal components of his winning round.

There were two visitor prizes on offer and they went to Urban Monks and Stephen Hamilton respectively. The prize for being nearest the pin at the seventeenth went to Laurence McGrady. This single figure handicapper finished around five feet from the hole.

At the evening function the president entertained his guests and all the prize winners duly received their hard-earned spoils. As usual the party broke up in the early hours with all having a splendid night.