Back 9 (Main Competition) Division 1
McAuley Wins in Close Finish
What a finish to Division 1 with six golfers returning with equal scores! Due to continued winter conditions competitions are still being played with reduced player handicaps.
At The Maple three players – Michael Greer (3), Steven Carmichael (3) and Stephen Logan (3) – were vying for the lead a point ahead of Steven Penney (2) and Scott Johnston (0). Aaron McAuley (3) was a further point behind. Over Beechers with three holes left to play Carmichael (par at Devils Elbow followed by a bogey) and Logan (par at Devils Elbow followed by a bogey through Beechers) were leading by a point from McAuley (two pars), Penny (two pars), Greer (par, 'ding' over Beechers) and Johnston (par, bogey). A close finish was almost assured. Carmichael returned with a par up the Grove, bogey down the Lowlands and an eagle three at Shirleys Cottage, Logan (bogey, double bogey, eagle three), Johnston (birdie, par, eagle three), Greer (two pars and an eagle three), Penny (two pars and an albatross) and McAuley (birdie, par, eagle three) all finished level on points. First place went to McAuley with a better back six,
The Gross was won by Jamie Sutherland with 22 points.
Back 9 Division 2
Approaching the Devils Elbow Rtan Wiggins (5), Victor Orr (5) aqnd Philip Magill (5) were vying for the lead a point ahead of Robert Artt (6) ('ding' at The Fort). Wiggins (birdie at Devils Elbow,and bogeys at Beechers and the Grove), Orr (two pars and a bogey) and Magill (bogey and two pars) were still level through the Grove two points ahead of Artt ('ding' at Devils Elbow followed by a bogey over Beechers and a par through the Grove). Wiggins (par at Lowlands
and an eagle three at Shirleys Cottage) and Orr (par, eagle three) came home together. First place went to Ryan Wiggins with a better back six; Magill came third a point behind (bogey at Lowlands and an eagle three at Shirleys Cottage). Artt (par, eagle three)nfinished a point behind the placings.
Front 9
At Walkers Home tee Tony Dodds (7) held a two point advantage over Don McKeown (5). Jon-Paul Kearney (9) was another point behind followed by Michael Simpson (10) ('ding; at Trout Hole) and Aidan Donnelly ('ding' at The Niuc) a further one and two points respectively behind. Dodds parred Walkers Home, bogeyed Broadmeadowa and parred The Treasury to increase his lead to three points over McKeown (par, double bogey, par), Kearney (two pars and a double bogey at The Treasury) and Simpson (par, double bogey, par). Donnelly (bogey, par, bogey) was a further two points behind. Dodds was proving hard to catch and over the closing two holes he came home with a par at the Sanctuary and a bogey at Longlands to win by two points from Simpson (two pars) in second place. A further point behind Kearney (bogey, par), McKeown (bogey, birdie) and Donnelly (par, birdie) finished trogether with third place going to Kearney with a better back six.