Competition season gets underway at Galgorm Castle

Playing conditions were anything but pleasant with golfers having to contend with a strong gale force wind and intermittent showers as well as playing off the white tees. At halfway Team B consisting of John Rainey, Richard Lennox, Rodney Lennox and Philip Galloway were two points ahead of Team D (Jamie Surgeoner, Ian Manson, James Campbell and Aidan Donnelly) and Team E (Patrick Coleman, Trevor Fleming, Derrick McClelland and Gordon Allen). Another two points behind came Team A (Lyle Foster, Keith Barkley, Robert Barkley and Stephen Mailey) and Team C (Colin Black, Trevor Fletcher, Steve Henry and Kori Gamble). Through thirteen the positions had changed somewhat. Team B (Rainey, Ri.Lennox, Ro.Lennox and Galloway) were still leading but by only one point from an improving Team A (Foster, K.Barkley, R.Barkley and Mailey) with R.Barkley weighing in with three pars and a bogey, and Foster three pars and K.Barkley a par and a birdie). Team C (Black, Fletcher, Henry and Gamble) were another point behind with Team D Surgeoner, Manson, Campbell and Donnelly) and Team E (Coleman, Fleming, McClelland and Allen) at two and three points further behind. Birdies at Beechers by Foster and K.Barkley enabled Team A to take a one point lead over Team B after they recorded a par and a bogey – a lead which they held with two holes to play. Team C and an improving Team D with the help of a Donnelly par and a birdie at thirteen and fourteen respectively were another point down with Team E losing ground, a further five points behind. A bogey, par at the Lowlands and two pars at the eighteenth saw Foster, Keith Barkley, Robert Barkley and Mailey finish two points clear of Rainey, Richard Lennox, Rodney Lennox and P Galloway who finished with two bogeys and two pars in second place. Third place went to Black, Fletcher, Henry and Gamble who finished with two bogeys and a par, double bogey a further point behind. Surgeoner, Manson, Campbell and Donnelly finished in fourth place another point away after a double bogey, bogey at seventeen and two bogeys at the last. An improved par, bogey and a birdie, par finish enabled Coleman, Fleming, McClelland ans Allen to close the gap to within one point of the placings – alas a little late. Twos were recorded by – J.Millar, M.Alexander, P.Reid, D.Stirling, A.Young, G.Marcus, T.McNeill, J.Taylor, P.Sittlington, J.Mairs and D.Keys.