Wednesday 6th July saw the annual Speer’s Drapery sponsored Open at Barnhill and wearing the winner’s hat home was Chris Duffy [6].
Despite early bogeys at Hall Door [1st] and Hacketts Best [6th], retrieved a shot at the par three 8th [Greenhill] for a recorded 20pts at the turn only for a second relapse at 11th [Settlement] and Stackyard [14th] before a fighting finish of three consecutive birdies at 16th, 17th and 18th gave him a one under par back nine 22pts.,, a level par gross round and a winning 42pts.
Photo caption: Sponsor Cathal Sheridan, second left, C&M Embroidery, presenting prizewinners Tommy Daly, Lee Walsh and PJ Nee with their prizes at the recent prizegiving at Letterkenny Golf Club. Also pictured, centre, is vice-captain Colin Morrow.
Runner-up was junior member of the month so far, Shane Blaney [15] who, despite a ‘blank’ at 1st, managed 18pts on front nine and with the help of a birdie at 10th, recorded 22pts on back nine to pip third placed Gordon Dickinson [27] on B.O.T. In fourth place on 39pts was Hugo Daly.
Saturday 9th July Open was sponsored by DMG Motors, Donegal, and, despite the first heavy rainfall in a matter of weeks, driving home happy was Peter Muldoon [11] who answered his double bogey at Swilly [3rd] with a birdie at par five 7th [The Isle] for an outward 20pts and despite another double bogey at 10th, birdie at par three 13th [Hunters Home] gave him a 39pt total to relegate Simon Stephens [3] to runner-up.
[adrotate group=”53″]With birdies at Glebe [2nd], back-to-back birdies at 7th and 8th and another birdie at 11th, an uncharacteristic double bogey at 14th was eliminated by a magnificent eagle at 18th where a driver and 8 iron to the green were enough to produce a two over par gross score of 37pts.
In third place was Liam Mac Suibhne [13] with 35pts and gross was won by Kieran Sweeney [6] on 30 gross pts., where birdies at 2nd, 4th and 14th helped eliminate a triple bogey at 6th.
Sunday 10th confined competition, again played in torrential rainfall, produced a weekly ‘double’ for Chris Duffy [5] who showed a calibre of golf for all seasons with a winning 41pts. With birdies recorded at 2nd and 7th, Chris’ card saw him two under par thru twelve holes before bogeys at the par threes 13th and 16th returned him to level par. In runner-up spot was Michael Collum [8] with 39pts pipping Jack Patton [4] on B.O.T.
Prizewinners from the J.J.Reid sponsored Open held recently at Letterkenny Golf Club include [l-r] PJ Nee, [comps]John Coghlan, Captain Ivan Fuery, Eamonn Mc Glinchey, Hugh Mc Clafferty and Ciaran Clerkin.
The highlight of any club is the Captain’s Prize and on Monday last it was the turn of the junior members to play for Captain’s Prize to Juniors and taking the honour this year was Philip Cassidy [11] one of the club’s best prodigies over the past three years!
Despite a triple bogey at 1st, Phillip never gave up and birdies at 2nd and 14th had him well ahead of the field before disaster struck at 17th with another triple bogey but nines of 18pts and 20pts respectively gave him a one point margin over runner-up Eoghan Harkin [16] on 37pts. Congratulations to all juniors who played in heavy rain showers throughout the day.
Congratulations to the club ‘seniors’ who progressed to the next round of that competition at the expense of near neighbours Rosapenna GC at Barnhill on Friday last. Needing three matches from the first leg following their 2&1/2 ‘halve’ match away at Rosapenna, Kevin Kiely’s senior squad knew that the three matches required was not going to be easy and even though the home team had an early match in the bag following the second pairing of Eamonn Davis & Shay Henry winning on 16th for a 3&2 home result, it was tenderhooks all the way as match one and three lost out on 17th to the away side.
All eyes were on team number four, the pairing of John Doran and Eamonn Mc Glinchey as they approached 18th one down. With golfing ability honed from many years of matchplay golf, both players played to positions of putting for birdies and it was John, putting first from twenty feet below the hole, who sunk the winning putt for a 1/2 match.
With 1&1/2 matches won from the home team and one match coming in, it was Ciaran Williamson and Hugh Mc Clafferty, the Rosapenna native, who shouldered the hopes of Letterkenny advancing any further and, being one up playing 18th, it was Hugh whose shoulders proved broad enough as he holed out from ten foot to win the hole 2up and square the match at 2&1/2 to 2&1/2 and holes level. So, down 18th for a play-off, with the last match continuing!
Four good drives off first tee saw three players hitting second shots short from one hundred and seventy yards but, it was Hugh Mc Clafferty again, from one hundred and fifty yards, who sailed his seven iron to twelve foot and, when the question was asked of him, the quizmaster of Barnhill duly answered with a birdie to win the tie-hole and the match.
[adrotate group=”76″]Commiserations to the club’s Chris Nee led All-Ireland 4Ball team who just failed in their effort to achieve that 1&1/2 match required to advance further when two of the team’s pairings were each defeated on 17th & 18th greens in their away fixture at Enniskillin GC following their gallant 4 matches to 1 victory at home.
Captain’s week continues on Friday with the Pre-Captain’s Mixed [Scotch] Foursomes for which the entry sheet is now up on noticeboard outside men’s locker room.
A reminder that entries for the Captain’s Day competition must be in by 8pm tonight Thursday for drawn partners within the chosen hour booked. All members are able to play on the day as there will also be a non-qualifiers prize for those who have not played their required minimum of four club competitions.
Competitions continue with the DNG Boyce Gallagher and Gallagher-McCahey Financial Services Open on Wednesday 20th while the long awaited North West Breast Cancer Care Unit Open, sponsored by the Silver Tassie Hotel, will take place on Friday 22nd July.
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