Lovely-jubbly for Gerry as he gets his second win

The greens were softer and more receptive and there was sure to be a glut of good scores.

A total of 194 golfers played in the Tel-Jub sponsored competition. Twelve managed to equal the calculated standard scratch score of nett 67 or 38 stableford points and a further 22 broke the CSS.

The top player on the day was none other than Gerry McBrien (24 now 21) with a superb score of 45 points.

Back in April, Gerry won the Thursday Open with 46 points, the equivalent of a nett 59. He has now shown that this was not a flash in the pan.

On Saturday, Gerry was the epitome of steadiness and patience. Over the 18 holes, he had only one double bogey. That was at the 16th hole. The remaining holes were pars or bogies. Gerry was delighted and rightly so.

Mel Hylands (11) was bitterly disappointed the day before when his Rossmore Cup team lost by two holes against Tandragee. He was fully recovered by Saturday as he shot a gross 72 to take second place with 44 points.

Paul Magennis (5) was back to his best form as he won the low section with 43 points. Ryan Simpson (9) was the runner-up with a marvellous 42 points.

Young Ruari O’Neill (16) won the middle section with the third best score of the day, 43 points. He played the last four holes in two under par gross. Not too many players can do that.

Malcolm Hanna (13) was second in the middle section with 43 points.

Aaron Buchanan (18) won the high section with 43 points. A double bogey at the first and another at the 17th cost him the winner’s spot.

Robert Canning (18) was runner-up with 39 points.

Declan Barry (9) won the prize for best senior with 40 points. How many of you knew that Declan was a senior? I certainly didn’t know it. It seems no time since Declan was at school.

Josh Lockhart (5) won the best gross with an excellent two under par 67. Josh had six birdies on his card and the came in three pairs at the second and third, the eighth and ninth and the 16th and 17th. If he could have avoided the four bogeys, it would have been a new course record. That will happen one of these days.

You have to feel sorry for anyone who shoots 40 points or better and misses out on a prize. In the Tel-Jub, Paul Mark had 43 points. Callum Barnes, Kevin McKay and John Gallagher had 41 points. James Wilson, Brian Grimes, John Bell and Alan McVey all had 40 points.

At the end of the day, the happiest man in town was Gerry McBrien, the winner of the Tel-Jub sponsored competition. This coming Saturday, his wife Denise has her Ladies Captains Day. We all hope she has a memorable day. Then Gerry and Denise can both celebrate.