Major win for golf fanatic Declan

There was a huge entry list, well in excess of 200 players. The calculated standard scratch was nett 67 or 38 stableford points.

This was equalled by Colin Dodds (14), Hugo Downey (6), Dominic Quinn (20), Robert Patterson (25), Stanley Dickson (19), Mervyn Waddell (17), John J Lennon (11), Carson Clegg (18), Ronnie Halliday (10), Kieran McGreevey (19), Hugh Dunne (13) and Dominic McCarthy (17).

Eight players broke the CSS by one shot and one of them won the best gross prize.

Gerry McBrien (21) led this group and he was joined by Gareth Matthews (16), Sherwin Curran (16), Christopher Boyce (12), Seamus Rooney (5), Winston Peden (15), Stephen Orr (18) and P.J. Johnston (13). They all had 39 points.

The best gross winner, as I’m sure you have guessed, was Seamus Rooney. He dropped only two shots to par as he went round in an excellent 71 shots. Seven players scored 40 points and one of them won the prize for the best senior player. Paul Wylie (12) led this elite group and he was followed by Jim Lennon (21), Brendan Meade (16), Steven Wilton (15), Cecil Wilson (22), Trevor Mulholland (11) and John Crothers (12).

Did you spot the best senior? It was Brendan Meade and you could not have found a more popular winner.

We are left with the top six players in the competition. Colin Kennedy (13), who does a wonderful job every Saturday morning getting all the players off the first tee on time, was sixth with 41 points. John Doran (13) was fifth, also with 41 points.

There were no prizes for Colin or John, just the satisfaction of shooting a good score and breaking the CSS by three shots.

Cecil Johnston (8), who celebrated a major birthday last week, was fourth with 41 points. Cecil works very hard at his game and he is clearly the best senior player in the club.

Ian Livingstone (12) has made a welcome return to the game and he obviously hasn’t lost any of his skills. He was a very talented juvenile player and the sound basics he learnt then have stayed with him. He was third with 41 points.

And it’s always good to see a new face among the prizewinners. Make a note of the name Brian Boyd. Here we have a better than average 14 handicapper and second place in the City Electrical Factors competition may just be the start of something big for Brian. He also finished with 41 points.

And so to the winner that world-renowned golfer, Declan Barry. Here we have a real golf fanatic, a man who has tried out more golf clubs than Imelda Marcos has tried shoes.

His handicap drifted up to 10 recently and that certainly didn’t please him.

After shooting 42 points to win this competition, Declan is back again in single figures and he is delighted.

Declan lives and breathes the game of golf and it is always great to see someone like that winning.

Great stuff, Declan! Now go and treat yourself to a new set of clubs.