Photo finish to TB Wallace decider

This is one of the oldest and most illustrious trophies in the display cabinet. Winning the T.B. Wallace Cup is equivalent to a professional winning one of the four majors.

This year’s competition was generously sponsored by the Donnelly Motor Car Group, thanks to the kind intervention of club member, Martin McAleenan.

The battle for the top places could hardly have been closer. The calculated standard scratch score was nett 67. This was equalled by 10 players and beaten by 25 others.

The ten on nett 67 were Rory Madeley (4), Kieran Magennis (5), Callum

McCandless (7), Barry Casey (8), Cecil Johnston (9), John McDowell (10), Sydney Pepper (13), Kevin McKay (14), Dennis Davidson (14), and Mark McCullough (18).

Kieran Magennis from this group was actually the youngest ever winner of the T.B. Wallace Cup. He was only 13 years old when he won it, around 23 years ago. How many of you remember that? I do.

Back to this year. Neil Clydesdale (5), Hugo Downey (8), Garreth Moody (10), Neil Comiskey (12), Dennis Lockhart (13), Callum Barnes (13), Joseph Smith (18), Michael Brown (24) and Harry Carson (26) all broke the CSS by one shot with nett 66’s.

Andrew Quinn (6) led the group of six on nett 65. He was joined by Ian Magowan (14), Paul Simpson (16), John Poots (18), Joseph Thompson (18) and Gordon Enderson (26).

Andrew Quinn was elated to hear that he had won the best gross prize with his two over par 71. He beat Rory Madeley and Neil Clydesdale on countback. This super round justified Andrew’s selection onto the Junior Cup team.

Nigel Bryson (9), Jonathan Brush (13), Sherwin Curran (15) and Alan Herron (25) all finished on nett 64 and all in the top ten.

Robert Ervine (19) was alone in sixth place with his nett 63.

I told you it was a close finish. No less than five players finished on nett 62. They all got a prize but there could only be one winner.

Here is a nice story. Andrew Quinn, as you know, won the best gross. Well, his father Dominic, handicap 21, won the prize for best senior. How about that! Dominic could so easily have won if he could have scored less than seven at the 16th hole.

Joshua Crory (14) was fourth with his nett 62. David Thompson (19) was third, also on nett 62.

Peter Cruikshanks (17) recovered from taking an ugly eight at the second hole to finish in second place with yet another nett 62.

And the winner in this blanket finish was Gavin Greer (18). He had the best second nine of all the nett 62’s.

Gavin’s name hasn’t been among the prizewinners for quite some time. But, if you are going to win, it’s best to win big. There is no cup more important than the T.B. Wallace and Gavin is now the holder.

That puts you, Gavin, on a very elite list. When you are presented with the cup later in the year, have a look at the names engraved thereon. It’s a virtual “who’s who” of Banbridge Golf Club for the last 100 years. And you are now listed amongst them.

Brilliant!

The members would like to thank Martin McAleenan for securing the generous sponsorship. It all added up to a perfect day.