Sydney picks his captains for 2010

THE captain of Banbridge Golf Club, Sydney Pepper, has thought hard and long before announcing all his team captains for 2010.

He has come up with a few new names which is always good to see. And he has kept faith with a number of stalwarts. Here is the full list:

The Barton Shield: Banbridge were the Ulster champions last season under the captaincy of Rory Leonard. The same man will be at the helm again this year and his first round match will be against Lurgan at Rossmore.

The Belfast and District Cup: Jonathan Ward led this team to the Ulster semi-final last season where they lost to Ballyclare. Jonathan is delighted to get another chance as the captain and his team are seeded into the last 16. They will play the winner of the group involving Rockmount, Holywood, Silverwood and Ardglass.

The Senior Cup: This is the one trophy to have eluded the category one players of Banbridge Golf Club. Aidan Doran is captain once again and he will be as enthusiastic as ever. The qualifying round will be played on Sunday May 23 at Lurgan Golf Club.

The Jimmy Bruen Foursomes: Banbridge have a poor record in this competition but maybe their luck will change with the appointment of a new captain. John McDowell will be hoping for a bit of beginners’ luck. The qualifying round is at Spa on Sunday May 2.

The Junior Cup: The highlight of Hugo Downey’s golfing career was captaining the Banbridge Junior Cup team to All-Ireland glory in 2006. His dream is to do it again. He gets another chance this season and his first hurdle will be the qualifying round at Warrenpoint on Sunday May 30.

The Pierce Purcell Foursomes: Dominic Quinn was bitterly disappointed last year when his team failed to qualify. He will be looking for better luck this year as he takes his team to Downpatrick on Sunday May 9 for the qualifying round.

The Ulster Cup: Banbridge reached the fourth round of the Ulster Cup last season. This year’s captain, Alan Dale, will be pleased if his team do just as well. His first round opponents will be Burnfield House. Now that is a new name for us all.

The Irish Mixed Foursomes: This is a competition that Banbridge should excel in. Maybe the team captains, Neil Madeley and Helen Cox, will get the combinations just right this year. The qualifying round is at Ardglass on Sunday May 16.

The Ulster Fourball: Danny O’Boyle is the captain of this team and he has a large squad of players to pick from. Let’s hope he gets it right for their first round match against Foyle.

The Senior Cowdy: Banbridge are always one of the favourites in this competition and maybe this season they will win it. The captain is the vastly experienced Kieran Magennis and he knows what is required.

The Junior Cowdy: Tom Fee was asked to captain this team and he was delighted to do so. He hopes to introduce a number of new faces to the excitement of inter-club matches. The opposition in round one is Ashfield Golf Club.

The Rossmore Cup: Jim Matthews takes over the mantle of captain of the Rossmore Cup team for 2010. His predecessor, Joe Dunne, did a marvellous job and Jim, hopefully, will do just as well. His first round opponents will be near neighbours Silverwood.

The Sam Rutherford Cup: Tom Mullholland is the captain once again. He took the team to the semi-final last year and he would like to go a step further this time round. His first hurdle will be to get past Rockmount.

The Carlingford Cup: Colin Wilton is the captain and he was at Lurgan last year when Banbridge failed to qualify by one shot. The qualifying venue for this year is not yet known but Colin is determined that his team will not come up short this time.

The Jack Craig Foursomes: Banbridge finished runners-up last season. Seamus and Jacinta Rooney would like nothing better than victory this year. All will be decided at Downpatrick on Sunday August 29.

The Cowdy Seniors: Jack Bickerstaff will captain this team and the venue is Dungannon on Thursday September 16. Banbridge finished fourth last year and Jack would like to move into the top three this year.

The Cowdy Captains: This is not a team event but our club captain, Sydney Pepper, will surely enjoy a trip to Concra Wood on Thursday September 30.

The Belfast Telegraph Foursomes: Cecil Johnston will select the two pairings for this popular competition. Martin McAleenan will be hopeful that he gets the call.

The Irish Junior Foursomes: The qualifying round is at Moyola Park on Tuesday July 27. The Juvenile Captain, Timothy Hodgett, will be in attendance.

The Fred Daly: Trevor Woods, the juvenile convener, and Timothy Hodgett, the juvenile captain, will get their heads together to ensure that the best team represents Banbridge in the first round against Roe Park.

The Ronan Rafferty: This is knockout competition for juvenile teams in the Cowdy area. Conor Mulholland will captain this year’s team and his first round opposition will come from County Cavan.

The Mid-Ulster Senior Alliance: The MUSA league runs throughout the summer months and is hugely popular. Jack Bickerstaff is the captain this year. He will also take charge of the Veterans Cup where Banbridge will meet Killymoon in round one. It will be a busy year for Jack and let’s hope it’s a successful one.

That makes a grand total of 23 inter-club tournaments in the 2010 season. Sydney Pepper will have a busy year keeping track of them all. He will be a happy man if he makes it to one or two finals.

It’s sure to be a lot of fun, one way or another.