6 Sept 2010

Jason Kilfedder produced his best round of the year to win Saturday’s competition with an excellent nett 63. Twenty handicapper Kilfedder didn’t cover himself in glory at the start of his round as he opened up with a pair of sixes. But four consecutive pars from the third got him back on track as he covered the front nine in nett 33. He finished of his round with a birdie as he cruised round the back nine in nett 30 shots.

Mark Howe shot the best gross score of the day – a level par 71 to claim the runner up spot. Howe was in sparkling form as he reeled of eight straight pars and a birdie on nine to stand on the tenth tee one under par. He dropped his first shot of the day on the unlucky thirteenth and another on sixteen but similar to Kilfedder he finished with a birdie up the last for a nett 65

With golfer of the year points on offer, John O’Neill showed his intent and picked up five points for his third place finish.  Eleven handicapper O’Neill went round each nine in three over par for a nett 66, beating Niall McFarland and Jim O’Kane on a countback. Six handicapper McFarland produced another solid display as he went round the Castlecoole course in one over par. O’Kane rediscovered some of the some that has eluded him over the summer but will nevertheless rue his untidy finish dropping three shots over the last four holes.

O’Hare Cup

Pat McCaffreys O’Hare cup team just fell short of the mark when they lost in the final to Strabane on Sunday. With a mountain to climb after a 14.5 to 1.5 trouncing in the first leg at Strabane the Enniskillen men were left in no doubt as to what was required for the home leg. After the front nine at Enniskillen a major upset was still on the cards with all four home teams either all square or up in their matches. But an experienced Strabane side knew what they had to do and after they picked up a few more points on the back nine it was curtains for Enniskillen.

Golfer Of The Year

Glen Mowat still heads the way but with two qualifying competitions to be played this month there are still a handful of golfers who can grab the title. John O’Neill forced himself back into the frame when he collected five points on Saturday. Scott Hamilton needs a copy of strong finishes and outsider Pete Lutton still has a mathematical chance of the title

31 August 2010

Junior Captains Day

The culmination of the junior golf season in the form of Alanna Williamson’s junior Captains day took place last Thursday. With the course in superb order and in perfect golfing conditions, it was Matthew McBurnie who held his nerve and some beat stiff competition to lift the top prize. Thirteen year old Matthew scored 43 points to beat one of the favourites, six handicapper Glen Mowat by one. Big hitting Ashley Irwin finished third with 38 points and last years “11 and over” winner Ryan McGovern was fourth. Niall McFarland lifted the gross with a round of 77. Matthew McBurnie also got nearest the pin on the sixth and Niall McFarland won the battle of the big guns with the longest drive down the nineth. After a ropey second nine, Harry Thompson had the consolation of the front nine prize with 19 points while with a similar score Chris Maguire took the back nine.

Sean Maguire finished top of the pile in the “11 and over” section, narrowly beating Jordan Coulter. Kane Howe finished third one point ahead of Michael Keys.

In another closely contested section, Philem Johnston did the business in the “10 and under”. Ronan Beattie was runner up and Dara Gaskin came third beating Rhys Beresford on a countback. Philem crowned an excellent round of golf with the prize for the nearest the pin on the 11^th and James McKenna hit the longest drive up the 18^th.

Carl Sangwine proved he is a force to be reckoned with by winning the beginners prize. Ethan Huey was close behind in second spot and Mel Gaskin finished third beating Holly Redman by a point.

In her speech, the Junior Captain, Alanna thanked the many sponsors on the day, Liam, Audrey and Sharon and all those who assisted on the day, Rodney and the groundstaff for the condition of the course, Daryll and staff for their patience on junior competition days. On behalf of all the juniors Alana thanked junior convenor Stephen Gault for all his diligent work and development of the junior section.

Team Classic.

After a week’s competition, it was the ladies team of Marina Brownlee, Helena Tisdall, Barbara Thompson and Anne Reihill who surprised many in the men’s section and won the top prize in the Classic. Their score of 90 points was two better than the runners up. The ladies got off to a slow start with only 29 points on the front nine. But in the rumble format were three scores counted at each hole over the closing stretch of the last six holes they amassed an incredible 48 points which included a “ten pointer” on the sixteenth.

David McKechnie, Willie McBrien, George Elliott and Martin McGovern were runners up. They notched up 32 points around the front nine and 55 on the back nine with 43 points over the closing stretch.

With 87 points Andrew Davidson, Des Keogh, Liam Williamson and Dan McGovern finished third. Similar to the ladies team they struggled round the top nine but repaired a lot of the damage with 44 points over the last six holes.

Fourth spot, beaten on the better second nine were Clive Booth, Sean Maxwell, Stephen Smyth and Gerry Tierney and also beaten on the better second nine into fifth place were Ken Bownes, Raymond Brownlee, Mark Armstrong and Walter McFarland.

Another team to shoot 87 points Allan Foster, Frank Bannon, Stephen Quinn and John Elliott finished sixth. The 18^th hole proved to be their downfall as none of the four could muster a par.

With the best front nine of the week, 34 points, Tommy Duffy, Hugh Wylie, Ronnie Little and Brian Doran finished seventh. Duffy and company were well on target for the win after twelve holes but a number of costly four and five pointers on the home stretch gave them a reality check and an 86 point total.

Mercer Watch Final

For the first time in the long history of the competition, the final will be contested between two ladies. After disposing of Glen Mowat on the 16^th, Paula O’Hara will now play Marina Brownlee.

24 August 2010

George Elliott grabbed the last “major” if 2010 when he won Tommy Armstrong’s President Prize on Saturday. One of the early starters, Elliott took full advantage of the excellent morning conditions as he romped round the front nine in three over par for 21 points. Keeping a six of his card, eleven handicapper Elliott notched up seven pars and two bogies around the back nine before he signed for 42 points.

Another early starter Rodney Howe, claimed second spot. Howe had a steady twenty points on the outward nine. After a bogey on ten, nine handicapper Howe reeled off eight consecutive pars to finish with 41 points. Gerry Murphy claimed the final rostrum place with 40 points. Murphy’s 22 points on the back nine proved good enough to beat Paul Sheridan and Charlie Wilson on the better second nine.

In the battle of the big guns, after a ropey bogey, par, double bogey start, Mark Howe buckled down and held par over the next 15 holes to win the gross prize with a round of 74. Charlie Wilson took the front nine with 22 points and Dermott Gates got the back nine with 21 points. Colin Greaves beat a raft of golfing talent to win the past Presidents prize with 37 points and Glen Mowat went one better to win the juniors prize with 38 points. At the experienced end of the scale, Bert McDowell took the Presidents prize to the “Eggs” while Margaret Morrison won the Presidents prize to the “Legs”.

Doreen Cathcart followed up her recent success in the Lakeland Open winning the Presidents prize to the ladies. Doreen’s 36 points was two better than second placed Mags McCaffrey.

Daryll Robinson launched a monster down the ninth to win the longest drive and Kevin Slowey stitched his tee shot on the 178 yard 14^th to take nearest the pin.

Jims Paper & Paints

Pete Lutton continued his run of good form with an emphatic win in the Jims Paper & Paints Open Stableford. Lutton got off to a dire start only managing to scrape up a mere four points over the first three holes. At a point were many would have gone through the motions for a point one back, Lutton settled down and racked up 15 points over the rest of the outward nine to stand on the tenth tee with 19 points in the bag. The 22 handicapper then proceeded to add another “handicap questioning” 25 points around the inward nine for a winning total of 44 points.

David Truesdale took the runner up prize for the second time in two weeks. Unlike Lutton, Truesdale did all his good work on the front nine were he went round in one under gross for 24 points. He dropped his first shot of the day on the tenth hole with another two bogies on 15 and 16 for a back nine score of 19 points.

With 41 points, Aaron Brimstone finished third beating Roy Cuthbertson and Andy Browne on a countback. Brimstone had 21 points on the front nine and 20 on the back nine. Scoring was reflected in the excellent conditions with Daryll Robinson, Brendan O’Neill and Eugene Donohoe all scoring 40 points.

Five handicapper Daryll Robinson picked up another gross prize with a round of one over par 72. Going out in one over and coming home in level par, Robinson avoided the big numbers and kept a six off his card.

Andy Browne took the front nine prize with 23 points and John Craig claimed the back nine with a similar score. Ian Lyttle got nearest the pin and Daryll Robinson won the battle of the big hitters with the longest drive.

Treat-ment Room Mixed Scramble

With a nett 62.5, the Treat-ment Room mixed scramble on 15^th August was won by Vera McBrien, Eugene Donohoe and David Truesdale. The trio dropped one shot on the par four 15^th and recorded four birdies on three par threes and the par four 17^th hole. In second place and beaten by a mere 0.1 were Martina McCaffrey, Jim O’Kane and Ken Bownes with a 62.6.

Moira Parfitt, James Lawn and habitual mixed winner Raymond Brownlee finished third with 63.7.

“Eggs” & “Legs”

With another excellent turnout playing for the Lady Captains prize to the “Eggs” on 4^th August, Michael Lavin found himself in familiar territory when his 22 points proved to be good enough to win the overall. Pat Concannon won the low section with 20 points, three better than Ray Parfitt’s 17 points. In the high section John Patterson came out on top with 20 points with Pat Monaghan second on 16 points.

The following week 48 “Eggs” and “Legs” played a mixed scramble. Sixteen teams vied for the top spot and after inspection of the cards it was Josephine Condon, Ray Millar and Michael Lavin who were declared the winners. By the narrowest of margins they nudged Ina Robinson, George Millar and John Patterson into second place.

Margaret Morrison won the Presidents prize to the “Legs” with 21 points, two ahead of Kate O’Kane. Linda McDowell finished third with a level twos 18 points.

In the Presidents prize to the “Eggs”, Bert McDowell beat 32 competitors to take the honours with 20 points. Michael Lavin beat Tommy Duffy on a countback to win the low section will Tommy Armstrong beat his brother Cecil to win the low section with 19 points.

Mercer Watch

Pete Lutton met his match in the form of Marina Brownlee as he tumbled out of the Mercer Watch in the semi final stages. Marina is the first competitor to reach a singles club matchplay final this year having previously disposed of Damien Ralph and Dermot Gates. Glen Mowat or Paula O’Hara will play Marina in the final.

Archdale Cup

The greensomes final in the Archdale Cup will see Roy Cuthbertson & Mags McCaffrey take on Bill Robinson & Margaret Morrison.

GT Cup

After four months of intense competition the GT Cup club singles matchplay has been whittled down to the final four – Patsy McCaffrey will take on Geroge Elliott. In the bottom half of the draw Martin Trainor will play Dan McGovern.

Fletcher Fourball

On close scrutiny of the remaining line up in the Fletcher Fourball it would appear that the cream really has risen to the top! In the first semi final Andrew Davidson & Des Keogh will play either Ian Thompson & Scott Hamilton or Pat & Thomas McCaffrey who still have three holes to play in their match. In second semi-final, Hugh Wylie & Brendan O’Neill will have to see off Dermot Sheridan & Brian Doran if they want to get their names on the trophy again.

9 August 2010

August Monthly Medal

Glen Mowat consolidated his position at the top of the 2010 Golfer Of The Year leader board and won the low section when he recorded the lowest score of the day in the August Monthly Medal. Without recording a higher score than a five on any hole, six handicapper Mowat played steady golf as he notched up 14 pars and 4 bogies on his way to a nett 69. David Truesdale was runner up with a nett 70. Tuesdale, the epitome of consistency went out in 40 shots and came home one better in 39 shots.

Ken Bownes proved he is still capable of producing the goods when he took the honours in the intermediate section. Bownes hustled his way round the top nine in 43 shots going two better on the back nine for a nett 70 to beat Paddy Duffin on the better second nine. After 17 holes, Duffin looks as though he had the win in the bag but a sloppy double bogey seven up the 18^th proved costly.

In the high section, Terry Stevenson produced another handicap saving nett 69 to win his first medal of the season, beating Tom Palmer on the better second nine. Similar to Duffin in the intermediate section, Palmer too appeared to have the win in the bag until the home stretch were he dropped seven shots over the last four holes.

Juniors – July Competition Results.

Under the governance of junior convenor Stephen Gault, the juniors’ competition season got up and running on Monday 5^th July. John Reihill won the under tens section with 22 points. Ronan Beattie was runner up with 16 points. Niall Conway won the over tens with 22 points and Chris Maguire was second with 20 points. In the full handicap senior section off the competition tees over 18 holes, Harry Thompson beat Alan Irvine on the better second nine with 38 points.

It was a case of déjà vu on Friday 9 July for John Reihill when he repeated his win in the under tens with 20 points. Ronan Beattie was runner up with 11 points. In the over tens Ronan McCaffrey won with 22 points and Timmy Boyd finished second with 20 points. John Elliott won the senior section with 38 points. Niall McFarland was runner up with 34 points.

Rhys Beresford cruised to victory in the under tens with 13 points on Friday 16 July. With 20 points Jordan Coulter won the over tens beating Chris Maguire on a countback. Ashley Irwin won the seniors with 39 points beating Niall McFarland on the better second nine.

Philem Johnston recorded his first 2010 competition win on Monday 19 July with 23 points, beating John Reihill by three points. Timmy Boyd won the over tens with an impressive 27 points while Kane Howe finished runner up with an equally impressive 26 points. Ashley Irwin won the seniors with 38 points. Matthew McBurnie was second with 30 points.

Friday 23 July and Philem Johnston did it again with another win in the under tens. Philems 18 points was two better than Ronan Beattie. Kane Howe went one better than Monday and won the over tens with 22 points. Matthew Thompson was second with 17 points. Niall McFarland took the seniors with 38 points, three better than Glen Mowat.

On a superb run of form, Philem Johnston made it three in a row by winning the under tens on Monday 26 July. Philems 23 points was five better than Rhys Beresford. Jordan Coulter won the over tens with a record breaking 30 points with Timmy Boyd runner up on 24 points. Jason McBurnie did the business in the seniors with 36 points beating twin brother Matthew McBurnie on the better second nine.

2 August 2010

Boxmore Two Person Scramble

For the second year running, conditioned golfers Stephen Wood and Pete Lutton

won the Boxmore scramble. Wood and Lutton did’nt get off to the best of starts as they dropped an early shot on the tricky third green. They responded quickly with a birdie on index one and another birdie on the eighth for a one under gross around the front nine. Birdies on eleven and twelve consolidated their round as the romped round the back nine in 34 shots for a winning total of nett 59.5.

Two shots behind in the runner up position were High Wylie and Demot Sheridan. Wylie and Sheridan played each nine in one under par for a nett 61.5. They had four birdies with dropped shots on the third and last holes.

Father and son combination Dan and Charlie McGovern took the final rostrum place. After a birdie on the opening hole they dropped a couple of shots on the fourth and fifth holes. They made amends with birdies on the eighth and thirteenth to post a nett 62.25.

In the ladies section, Rosemary Wylie went one better than Hugh when along with Anne Reihill they won the ladies prize with a nett 69.25. In the ladies runner up spot and only a quarter of a shot behind them were Mags McCaffrey and Marina Brownlee. Barbara Thompson and Hazel Hogg finished third with a nett 71.

Tom Sheridan Memorial

After the previous day’s runner up spot in the four ball better ball, Scott Hamilton went one better with a superb win the Tom Sheridan memorial. Hamilton got off to a slow start as he frittered five shots over the opening five holes before he got his round going with a birdie two on six. The sixteen handicapper finished the first nine strongly to rack up 20 points standing on the tenth tee. After a bogey on the tenth hole, Hamilton finished his round with eight consecutive pars for a winning total of 45 points. Ken Coulter took the runner up spot with 44 points. In a similar vein to Hamilton, after a slow start and 18 points on the front nine, Coulter did all his good work around the back nine where his seven pars and two bogies gave him 26 points.

With 21 points on each nine, Liam Williamson finished third, beating Damien Ralph on the better second nine. Ronnie Little rediscovered some of his old form to win the front nine with 22 points and with a similar score Eugene Donohoe got the back nine prize. Andrew Davidson won the gross.

In the ladies section, Rita McKechnie scored a personal best 42 points, beating the ladies runner up Geraldine Miller by nine points.

GT Cup singles matchplay

The line up for the quarter finals has now been decided. In the top half of the draw George Elliott plays Joe Davis and Niall McFarland will have to see off Pat McCaffrey if he wants to make it to the semi finals. In the lower half of the draw John Elliott plays the Captains day winner Martin Trainer and Dan McGovern plays Glen Mowat.

Fletcher Golf fourball matchplay

The first pairing to reach the semi final stages, Des Keogh and Andrew Davidson put down an early marker when they disposed of John O’Neill and Willie McBrien. Keogh and Davidson will play either Pat & Thomas McCaffrey or Scott Hamilton & Ian Thompson.  

Dermott Sheridan and Brian Doran will have their work cut out to beat the pairing of Robert Kennedy & Ray Parfitt, while the last quarter final looks too close to call with Jim O’Kane & a resurgent Colin Greaves coming up against the formidable combination of Hugh Wylie and Brendan O’Neill.

“Legs”

Dympna Slowey claimed another “Legs” win on the 22^nd July when her 18 points proved to be enough to beat Martina McCaffrey on a countback. Vera Cosgrove finished third with 17 points.

Lakeland Open winner Doreen Cathcart had a comfortable “Legs” win a week later with an impressive 23 points. Rosemary Wylie took the runner up spot with 20 points.

“Eggs”

Twenty five “Eggs” took to the Enniskillen fairways last Wednesday to contest the Gabriel Hazzard trophy. With a number of difficult pin positions on offer it was Seamus O’Connell who got his name on the trophy with 20 points. O’Connell finished two ahead of Tom Palmer. In the high section Gerry Murphy won on a countback from Ivan Bleakley with 17 points. Similarily, nn the low section Seamus Magee also won on a countback from Michael Lawton with 15 points.

19 July 2010

Bank Holiday Stableford

Rodney Howe stepped out of the limelight and recaptured some of his old form to win the bank holiday stableford. After a familiar start to his round he found himself three over par after four holes. But he followed a solid par up the long fifth with a birdie two on six. Another three pars over the final stretch of the first nine gave him 21 points standing on the tenth tee. Nine handicapper Howe picked up another shot on the field with a birdie three on the tricky tenth and finished the nine with a steady six pars and two bogies for his best round this year and a winning 42 point total.

Lurking a point behind Howe was the Daryll Robnson. Six handicapper Robinson went out in level par and came home in one over par. Yet again he came unstuck on the par four thirteenth where he ran up a shank induced double bogey. But true to from Robinson finished strongly and recorded level par for the last five holes.  Ken Bownes finished third with 40 points. The innocuous fourteen handicapper played consistent golf as he notched up twenty points on each nine. Similar to Robinson, Bownes finished strongly and did just enough to beat fourth placed Rodney Connor on the better second nine.

Four ball better ball

The formidable pairing of Pete Lutton and George Elliott romped to an easy win in the four ball better ball. Playing with ¾ handicap allowances, Lutton and Elliot dove- tailed to golfing perfection as they racked up 25 points around the front nine. They maintained their focus around the back nine as they added another 24 points for a total of 49 points. 

Five points behind in a distant runner up spot was the pairing of Scott Hamilton and Steve Allister. Hamilton and Allister made hard work of the opening stretch and after a Hamilton four putt on six a rostrum finish looked highly unlikely. However, both golfers got into their stride and played the remaining 12 holes in one under, to sign for a 44 point total. Their back nine of 24 points was good enough to nudge Jim O’Kane and Colin Greaves into third place.  Fresh from the previous nights success in the mixed scramble, eighteen handicapper Greaves was in super form scoring an eyebrow raising hat trick of  birdies on the 4^th, 13^th and 17^th. O’Kane and Greaves scored 22 points on each nine.

Treat-ment Room Mixed Scramble.

On another evening of excellent scrambling, Rosemary Wylie, Raymond Brownlee & Colin Greaves took the honours in the Treat-ment Room mixed scramble with a superb nett 57. The trio went round the Enniskillen course in six under par, gross 65. They dropped one shot on the long 15^th but made amends with seven birdies.

By virtue of a better back nine, the runner up spot went to Marina Brownlee, Moira Parfitt & Hugh Wylie with their nett 59.  After a steady first eight holes they notched up six consecutive birdies from the nineth. They lost some momentum after bogies on 15 and 16 but their back nine was  still good enough to push Clive Booth, Ken Bownes & Rita McKechnie into third place.  Bill Robinson, Thomas McCaffrey & Doreen Cathcart took the front nine with a nett 28.5, while with the same score the back nine went Pat McCaffrey, Cecil Armstrong and Irene Bownes.

Mercer Watch

In the Mercer watch matchplay, Marina Brownlee has reached the semi final stages. Marina disposed of Dermot Gates and Walter McFarland in the earlier rounds and will next play either Pete Lutton or Chris Noble. In the other semi final Sally Redman or Paula O’Hare will play Liam Williamson or Glen Mowat.

Graham Suit

With five matches yet to be played, Stephen Smyth, Benny Hunter and Chris Noble are the first three golfers to make it to the quarter final stages of the Graham suit matchplay.

Archdale Cup

The semi final line ups have now been decided. Kate O’Kane and Raymond Brownlee will play Roy Cutherbertson and Mags McCaffrey. In the other semi final Margaret Morrison and Bill Robinson will play Moira Parfitt and Clive Booth.

“Legs”

Kate O’Kane won the 1^st July outing with 19 points, beating Sandra Robinson by one. Martina McCaffrey was third, also with the same score as Sandra. A week later, Clare McRory’s 21 points was enough to win, beating Irene Bownes on a count back. A point behind Irene was Hazel Hogg. Last weeks “Legs” outing saw habitual ladies winner Doreen Cathcart do the business with 21 points. Two points behind Doreen and for the second week in a row, the runner up place went to Irene Bownes.

5 July 2010

Randall & Crawford P.C. Open

Joe Davis mastered Sunday’s blustery conditions to win the Randall & Crawford P.C. Open. Davis got off to a flier with 19 points around the exposed opening seven holes. After a double bogey on the eighth he immediately made amends with a birdie three on nine to leave him on the tenth tee with 24 points. Davis held his composure around the back nine to accumulate another 19 points for a winning 43 points total.

George Elliott claimed the runner up spot with 42 points. After a bogey ding start, twelve handicapper Elliott got his round up and running with a brace of twos on the third and sixth holes. With 21 points at the turn he double bogied the tenth but finished strongly with seven pars and a bogey. Five points behind Elliott in third place was Killymoon golfer Uel Henry. Thanks to a sterling 21 points on the back nine, Henry beat Harry Wood and John Elliott on a countback.

In the gross category, six handicapper Niall McFarland notched up three dings on the front nine as he stumbled to 14 points. But a level par back nine gave his card some credibility as he collected his first gross prize this year.

July Monthly Medal

Allan Foster got another ten golfer of the year points when he shot the best round of the day on Saturday to win the July Monthly Medal. Fosters nett 64 gave him a comfortable win in the high section, beating Jay Kilfedder by four shots.

The 2009 Golfer of the Year, Des Keogh had a steady nett 68 to win the intermediate section. It was very much a case of “what could have been” as Keogh recorded no less than three doubles bogies. However, he does have the consolation of two twos. Keogh beat Stephen Smyth and Alan Irvine by a shot.

In the low section it was Andrew Davidson who took the honours. Davidson played some stunning golf as he raced round the front nine in a miserly 33 shots. A birdie on eleven got him to four under par but he came unstuck on twelve and dropped three shots in and out of the tricky “corner”. He dropped another three over the next four holes but birdied the last for a one over par 72, nett 66. Davy Walker was runner up in the low section with a nett 67.

28 June 2010

June Medal

Terry Stevenson removed himself from the zone of golfing mediocrity and fired a nett 63 to win the high section of the June monthly medal. The industrious 19 handicapper put down an early marker with a birdie on the opening hole. A succession of pars and bogeys over the next ten holes should have made winning a formality but five dropped shots through 12 and 13 gave Stevenson a reality check. However Stevenson buckled down to the task in hand and finished with a handicap questioning five straight pars to record his first 2010 win. Runner up in the high section was Chris Maguire with a nett 65.

Jim O’Kane picked up were he left off last week and did the business in the  intermediate section with a nett 67. Thirteen handicapper O’Kane went round each nine in 40 blows, beating Trevor Lucy by a shot.

Big hitting John Elliott won the low section with a nett 68. Nine handicapper Elliott was three over gross on each nine as he cruised round in 77 shots. Brendan O’Neill put in another sterling effort coming second and just loosing out to Elliott on the better second nine

Treat-ment Room Mixed Scramble

On an evening of low scores when nett 59s’ failed to feature the seasoned threesome of Pat McCaffrey, Bill Robinson and Clare McCrory took the honours in the Treat-ment Room mixed scramble. After a slow start they got their round up and running with three consecutive birdies from the par three 6^th hole. Another three birdies on twelve, sixteen and seventeen proved to be just enough to ensure their gross 67, nett 58 was just enough to win on the better second nine from Cecil Armstrong, Patricia Durien and John Elliott.

After the disappointment of not winning with a nett 59, Joe Davis, Moira Parfitt and Ken Bownes had the consolation of a front nine prize with their nett 29.5.  Sean Maxwell, Ronnie Lucy and Vera McBrien  won the back nine with a nett 29.

Eggs

With 22 points, Tommy Duffy won the low section on 2^nd June, beating Tom Palmer by a point. With a similar score to Duffy, Pat Monaghan came out on top in the low section, also a point ahead of Billy Crooke.

The following week eighteen Eggs travelled to Fintona Golf Club. Benny Hunter proved he can produce the goods home and away as he shot the best score on the day. Hunters 19 points took the low section with Pat McCaffrey runner up with level twos’ 18 points. Brendan Drugan surprised himself winning the high section with 14 points on a countback from Pat Monaghan.

On the 16^th June the Eggs came out in droves to play for the Captains prize to the Eggs. They all raised their game and scoring was reflected in the superb conditions. Bertie Graham held his nerve down the home stretch and after a countback he was declared the winner on 22 points. Christie Shannon was runner-up, Ray Parfitt produced some of the old magic to take third with 21 points and Pat McCaffrey was fourth.

Last Wednesday, Michael Lawton beat 30 Eggs to win the Peter Cosgrove Competition with 20 points. As with previous weeks, things went down to the wire with Lawton winning on a countback from Ray Millar. Millar had the consolation of another category win in the high section, three ahead of club President Tommy Armstrong. Seamus Magee did the business in the low section with 20 points with Davy Phair second on 19 points.

Legs

Kate O’Kane recorded another Legs win on the 10th June with 19 points, beating Sally Redman on a countback. Jennie Scholes finished third with 18 points.

A week later Kathleen Lavin pipped Kate O’Kane again on a countback to the top spot with an excellent 22 points. Jennie Scholes went two points better than the previous week but couldn’t improve on third place.

On the 24^th June and without a hole in one, Lovel Sloan recorded 22 points to win by three from Audrey King. Martina McCaffrey was third with 18 points.

Lawson & Phair Cups

Having won both Lawson and Phair Cups on a number of occasions, Enniskillen Golf Club will not add to their tally this year. In the space of two days they were over turned twice by Dungannon Golf Club. On Friday evening Ian Thompson’s Lawson cup side travelled to Dungannon with a 9-7 advantage after the home leg. Things were pretty tight after the front nine but Dungannon got into their stride on the back nine and when they won the first three matches it was was over.

Paul Sheridan’s Phair Cup team gave Dungannon a closer run on Sunday. Needing 4.5 points at home to progress to the semi final things looked  positive after the first nine with all four pairings up on the tenth tee. With all matches going to the eighteenth hole it was Dungannon who came out on top with three half matches and only the one defeat.  

21 June 2010

David McKechnie’s Captains Day

Playing in perfect golfing conditions on an immaculately presented course, Martin Trainor went one step better than a few years ago and won David McKechnie’s Captains day on Saturday. Where many golfers had their aspirations dashed early on, Trainor made light work of the opening five holes and came off the front nine two under his handicap. The sixteen handicapper stepped it up a notch around the back nine and finished with three straight pars for a nett 66 to beat Brian Doran on a countback. Similar to Trainor, Doran played solid golf around the front nine and came off the “hill” two under handicap. He started the front nine with a succession of pars and bogeys until he clocked up an uncharacteristic double bogey six on the fifteenth hole. This left Doran with a lot to do and even his birdie par par finish wasn’t enough for him to add to his “major” haul. The consistent Michael Lavin claimed the final podium place with a nett 67. Lavin was well in the mix until the twelfth hole where he recorded a costly triple bogey seven which left him too much to recover from over the final third. Lavin beat John O’Neill and Robin Black on the better second nine. O’Neill will rue an untidy bogey up the last hole which ultimately would deny him his first Enniskillen Golf Club major.

In the battle of the big guns, the gross prize went to Stephen Craig who had four birdies in his erractic round of five over par 76. Robin Black won the front nine with a nett 31 and John Elliott got the back nine also with a nett 31. After a disappointing front nine, Elliott made light work of the slick greens as he cruised round the back nine in level par 35 shots.

A revitalised Jim O’Kane came back form a poor start and won the past Captains category with a nett 69. O’Kane was one of the many competitors who ran up big numbers early on in their rounds when he threw in three consecutive sixes from the second hole.

Mags McCaffrey beat Jill Hamilton and Margaret Morrison by a point to win the Captains prize to the ladies. In the same competition Lovel Sloan holed out on the par three eleventh to record her first hole in one.

Bertie Graham’s 23 points took the Captains prize to the “Eggs” and Kathleen Lavin’s 22 points proved to be good enough to win the Captains prize to the “Legs”.

Gareth McMorris got “nearest the pin” when he almost holed his tee shot on the par three sixth and Tom Foran from Blacklion won the longest drive with a 315 yard monster down the twelfth.

14 June 2010

Wags

Paul Sheridan aced the 153 yard par three sixth hole on his way to his maiden “Wags” win on Saturday. Sheridan made hard work of the opening five holes as he notched up a disappointing eight points before he holed a nine iron on six. This proved to be the catalyst he needed to get his round up and running. A rake of pars and two birdies followed to give Sheridan a 42 point total, with 24 of them on the back nine. Runner up to Sheridan was Damien Ralph also with 42 points. Ralph had 20 points on the front nine and 22 on the back nine. Four handicapper Chris Noble beat Michael Lavin on the last six holes and finished third with another 42 points. Noble played a bogey free round of golf recording 16 pars and two birdies. Michael Lavin took the front nine with 22 points while Patricia Durien went one better to take the back nine with 23 points. The ladies prize saw Deidre McSorley do the business with 42 points. In the junior “Wags” Harry Thompson and Mathew McBurnie were neck and neck after the first nine. But Thompson pulled out all the stops around the back nine and racked up an excellent 18 points for a 33 point winning total to push McBurnie into second spot.

NCBI Holmpatrick Cup Four BBB

The formidable pairing of seasoned golfers Hugh Wylie and Dermot Sheridan won the NCBI Holmpatrick Cup Four ball better ball. A brace of birdies on six and seven helped them amass 24 points on the front nine. The duo dove tailed well around the back nine to notch up 23 points for a winning total of 47 points, two better than the runners up Stephen Gault and Glen Mowat. The category one golfers were in sparkling form as they ran up four birdies around the outward nine for an excellent 24 points. Birdies proved a bit more elusive on the home run as they got stuck in a rut of pars from the tenth to the sixteenth. But consistent to current form Gault pulled out the stops over the last two holes and finished with back to back birdies.

31 May 2010

Brady Insurance Open Stableford

Paddy Duffin shot a personal best 44 points for a superb win in the Brady Insurance Open Stableford on Saturday. Thirteen handicapper Duffin had back to back birdies on nine and ten as he stormed round the Castlecoole course in an excellent five over par gross, racking up a consistent 22 points on each nine. On a day of low scores John Craig was runner up with 42 points. Craig went out in 19 points and came home with 23 points. Craig’s excellent back nine proved crucial as it nudged Dermot Gates into third spot. Gates had 20 points on the front nine and 22 points on the back nine. In fourth place was the in-form Aaron Brimstone who also had 42 points. Brimstone has the consolation of the front nine prize with 23 points. George Elliott won the back nine as he played a miserly 36 shots for the same points score as Brimstone.

In the gross category, Daryll Robinson did the business again as he cruised round in 73 shots. Robinson kept a six of his card as he went out in 39 shots and came home in 34 shots.

Bill Robinson defied a tricky pin placement on the third hole and got nearest the hole when he knocked his tee shot to within eight feet. Rodney Connor did the business on the longest drive when he smashed one well down the twelfth.

Graham Suit Matchplay Qualifiers.

Aaron Brimstone finished top qualifier on day one with an excellent nett 63, two ahead of runner-up Steven Craig. Stephen Smyth was third with a nett 66, beating Jim O’Kane on the better second nine.

Day two qualifying saw Benny Hunter take the honours with a nett 66. Stephen Gault also had a nett 66 with Hugh Wylie and Davy Walker both on nett 68.

On day three Shaun Tisdall went one better than Brimstone and produced a superb nett 62 to win by five shots. Jim O’Kane secured his place in the matchplay stages with a nett 67 while Martin Trainor, Nicky Wilson, Eddie McCaffrey, Terry Stevenson and Stephen Smyth all shot nett 69s.

On the fourth and final day of qualifying, Davy Walker’s nett 67 was enough to win the daily prize and get him in the mix for the matchplay. Aaron Brimstone was second with a nett 69 with Benny Hunter and Nicky Wilson both on nett 70.

Lawson Cup

Ian Thompson’s Lawson Cup team overcame Fintona in the first round to set up an encounter with Dungannon in the quarter finals. In the first leg at Fintona there was little between the teams after the first nine. But the Enniskillen side dug deep on the back nine and came away with a 10: 6 win. At home a week later Dermot Gates & Aaron Brimstone got three early points on the board. When John O’Neill rolled in a putt on 16 for Hugh Wylie and him to win their game, that proved to be enough to give the Enniskillen side the match.

Junior Cup

Under the captaincy of Rodney Howe, the Enniskillen Junior Cup team qualified in fourth place for the interclub matchplay stages. Mark Howe, Andrew Davidson, Niall McFarland and Glen Mowat all recorded solid rounds while Enniskillen’s model man Steven Craig produced one of the best rounds of the day when he went round the Castlehume course in three over par 73.

Enniskillen will now play Cavan in the first round at Castlehume.

Eggs

Twenty-seven “Eggs” took to the fairways on 19^th May to contest the Tom McLaughlin Cup. Bert McDowell produced one of his best rounds in years to lift the trophy with 23 points. Dave Randall got runner-up with 21 points and Benny Hunter took third place also with 21 points.

A week later George Verner, Bert McDowell and Pat Monaghan had a convincing win in the three man scramble with a nett 25. Two shots back with a nett 27 were Peter Cosgrove, Bert Graham and John Henry.

17 May 2010

May Monthly Medal

In superb golfing conditions, Colin Greaves recorded the best score of the day to win the high section in the May Monthly Medal with a nett 66. Eighteen handicapper Greaves put in a sterling effort around the top nine to stand on the tenth tee four under handicap. As his round progressed things got better and better and when he left the 15^th green he found himself in unfamiliar territory at seven under handicap. However, some erratic play over the last three holes resulted in a 6,6,6 finish and ensured that Greaves wouldn’t record the best Club score of the year to date. Three behind Greaves in the runner up spot in the high section was Terry Stevenson with a handicap saving nett 69.

Showing a welcome return to form, Jim O’Kane won the intermediate section with a nett 67. Like many golfers on the day, O’Kane came unstuck on the tricky 10^th green but finished strongly over the last six holes to beat Scott Hamilton by two shots. Hamilton had a raft of pars but triple bogies on seven and twelve quashed any realistic chance he had of the intermediate section win.

In the low section, Robert Scholes demonstrated how to win after a ropey start. Scholes opened up with a pair of double bogies. But he repaired the damage with six pars and a bogey to stand on the tenth tee five over. The eleven handicapper capitalised on his good work and around the back nine he notched up another seven pars and two bogies for a nett 67. Kevin Slowey was runner up with a nett 68. Slowey went out in level par gross and came home in a disappointing four over but has the consolation of a brace of twos on the third and eleventh holes.

PGA Tankard

Chris Noble bagged his maiden win of 2010 when he lifted the PGA Tankard. His winning score was just enough to win by a point and see off three other competitors. Four handicapper Noble started with an uncharacteristic double bogey six at the opening hole. He quickly made amends with a birdie on the next hole and came off the 9^th with 19 points. Eight pars and a bogey amounted to a similar score on the back nine ensuring his 38 points would beat James Lawn by a point. Lawn’s 20 points around the back nine, which included a costly seven up the last hole, beat Gareth McMorris and Daryll Robinson on the better second nine.

Treat-ment Room mixed Rumble

Conditioned year round golfer Raymond Brownlee steered his team to the narrowest of wins in Fridays Treat-ment Room mixed rumble. Accompanied by Anne Reihill and habitual mixed golf winner John Elliott, the three person team had 72 points. Runners ups were Doreen Cathcart, Sandra Robinson and Clive Booth with 71 points. With 68 points third place went to Rita McKechnie, Charlie McGovern and Pat McCaffrey.

“Eggs”

Ivan Ryan registered the best “Eggs” score on the 28^th April when his 20 points took the high section beating Ivan Bleakley on a countback. Benny Hunter was the runaway winner in the low section with 19 points, three better than G Millar. The first May outing on the 5^th saw Tom Palmer do the business with 20 points in the low section. Palmer beat Bert McDowell by a point. In the high section, Stuart McIfactrick recorded another win with 19 points. Christie Shannon was second with 18 points.

When twenty-seven “Eggs” cruised round the Blacklion fairways on 12^th May it was Bert Graham who took the honours with 21 points. “Eggs” captain Teddy Elliott claimed another runner up spot with 19 points. On a day when the high handicappers struggled, Christie Shannon’s 16 points was enough to win the high section with accomplished left hander Robin Black second on 15 points.

Diary Dates

The first of four Graham Suit qualifying days is on Wednesday 19 May. Other qualifying dates are Saturday 22, Sunday 23 and Wednesday 26 May. Best two cards to count with best 12 nett and 4 gross scores going through to matchplay stages.

10 May 2010

Monaghan Brothers Open

After the disappointment of an early exit from both the single and fourball club matchplays, Stephen Wood bounced back and won the Monaghan Brothers Open. Wood defied a number of tricky pin placements and shot 21 points around the front nine. The only blemish on his card was an untidy 6,4,6 finish but he had done enough good work over the first 15 holes to ensure his 41 points would be adequate for a comfortable win. Two behind Wood was James Lawn with 39 points. Sixteen handicapper Lawn had 19 points on the way out and came home with 20 points. Visiting golfer Thomas Craig finished third also with 39 points, beating Roy Cuthbertson and Dan McGovern on the better second nine. Craig will rue a double bogey seven up the last hole which in all likelihood cost him the win. Ken Bownes proved he is still a force to be reckoned with when he won the front nine with 21 points. After shooting 14 points on the front nine, Liam Williamson took the back nine with 22 points. The longest drive went to Irene Bownes and George Elliott got nearest the pin. Daryll Robinson claimed the gross prize with an erratic 31 gross points. Consistent to form, Robinson had a woeful start but made amends when he played the last twelve holes in one under par.

Mercer Watch Qualifying

After four days of qualifying it was Killyhevlin Open winner Stephen Quinn who finished top qualifier for the matchplay stages of the Mercer Watch. Quinn’s two round total of nett 129 was three better than “golfer of the year” favourite Glen Mowat. Third and fourth with 134 were Gary Smyth and Pete Lutton. Walter McFarland and David Walker finished on 135, one ahead of Damien Ralph. Dermot Gates and Stephen Wood shot 137 while Liam Williamson secured the final nett qualifying spot with a handicap saving 138. The two gross qualifying places were taken by Chris Noble with four over 148 and Stephen Gault on 153.

Darren Clarke Trophy

On a day of mediocre scoring it was Liam Williamson who took the honours in the Darren Clarke Trophy with 38 points. Fourteen handicapper Williamson had 20 points around the front nine which included back to back double bogies on four and five. He had 18 points around the back nine. Glen Mowat was second with 37 points. Six handicapper Mowat also had 20 points on the front nine but an uncharacteristic double bogey six on the straightforward twelfth hole left him too much to do over the final third of the course.

Bob Chamber Cup

Jim McCourt picked up his first trophy of the year when he won the Bob Chambers Cup. Eighteen handicapper McCourt notched up seven pars and two bogies as he fired a personal best 25 points around the top nine. Some indifferent putting around the bottom nine brought McCourt back to reality but he still managed to add another 17 points for a winning score total of 42 points.

Two points behind McCourt was runner up John O’Neill. O’Neill showed the sort of stuff he was made of as he finished strongly around the back to nine beat Liam Williamson, John Elliott and Sean Maxwell by a point.

“Legs”

Eighteen “Legs” took to fairways on 22^nd April. Scoring reflected the superb golfing conditions as Ina Robinson’s 22 points was enough to beat Audrey King on a count back. In third place with 20 points was Kate O’Kane.

In similar conditions a week later Moira Parfitt won with 21 points. Moira beat Kate O’Kane by a point. Sally Redman finished third with 19 points.

The first May outing saw Kate’Kane have her third consecutive podium finish when won with 18 points. Clare McRory was runner up with 17 points beating Irene Bownes on a countback. Irene scored the only two of the day when she roled in a tricky left to right putt on the eleventh.

“Eggs”

Michael Lawton won the first “Eggs” outing of the decade on the 4^th April when he won the low section with 22 points. Michael Lavin was runner up with 19 points. Ray Millar won the high section with a tidy 18 points, beating Stuart McIlfatrick on a count back.

The following week’s winners of the scramble were Ivan Bleakley, Jim Schofield and the in-form Ray Millar. The runners up were George Verner, Michael Lavin and Jim Lucy

On the 21^st April, Christie Shannon pulled out all the stops to win the high section with 19 points, beating Stuart McIlfatrick by a point. On a day of competitive scoring it was “Eggs” Captain Teddy Elliott who won the low section. Elliott’s 18 points was one better than second placed Pat Concannon.

GT Cup Matchplay

With most of the first round matches played in the GT Cup its curtains for a number of in-form players – Stephen Wood lost to Jim Lucy, David Humphries went down to Gerry Tierney and Ken Coulter saw off Damien Ralph. Club Captain David McKecknie overturned the odds went he beat the consistent James Lawn and Ian Lyttle got the better of Jude Morris.

Fletcher Fourball Matchplay

With most of the first round matches played, in the clash of the golfing titans, Rodney Howe and Terry Stevenson overcame the formidable duo of Pete Lutton and Stephen Wood. The two Davids, McKechnie and Truesdale beat Robert Robinson and Ronnie Little. The two Pauls, Sheridan and McDonough fell short of the mark when they went down to Dan McGovern and Liam Williamson.

Golfer of The Year 2010

After eight qualifying competitions, Glen Mowat is still out in front for the accolade of Golfer Of The Year with 26 points. His nearest contenders are John O’Neill (19) and Stephen Quinn (15).