It has often been said that there's no substitute for experience, but juvenile member Joe Rooney went some way to disproving that theory on the weekend of 15-16 April.
In clinching victory in County Armagh Golf Club's Easter Stableford competition, Joe posted a phenomenal three-under-par gross 67 to leave more world-weary rivals trailing in his youthful wake.
A breakneck start saw Rooney birdie three of the first four holes before dropped shots at the 5th and 9th somewhat stalled him in his front-nine tracks. However, an inevitable return to the birdie trail at the 10th and 12th and a serene homeward stroll of six closing pars ensured that Joe would sign for 44 points and finish the day as the happiest of Easter bunnies.
While the career of Joe's footballing namesake Wayne appears to be in irreversible decline, this five-handicapper is very much on an upward trajectory. Indeed, Joe followed up this Easter triumph with a fine performance at the Leinster Boys Championship at Headfort Golf Club in County Meath.
Stephen Catterall was runner-up for a second event in a row, losing out to Rooney by only a single point. Stephen's 43-point haul included birdies at the 5th, 12th and 14th, with a double bogey at the Lakes the only significant blot on an otherwise exemplary copybook. Having featured among the prizes so frequently already this season, Catterall is rumoured to have just exchanged his car for a Securicor lorry.
Recording 13 pars and birdies at the 12th and 17th on his way to 42 points and top spot in category 1 was Brian Loney. Paul Pender earned his Spurs with an excellent 41 points, but Loney's terrific gross 71 meant that Pender, much liked his beloved Tottenham Hotspur look like doing in their title race with Chelsea, was forced to play second fiddle.
In category 2, Oisin Gill's admirable 40-point total was bettered only by Brendan Lynch, who maintained his All-Ireland Four-Ball Trophy form to secure first position here. Lynch's impressive 42-point scorecard boasted nine pars, and only a treble bogey at the final hole halted a charge to the summit of the overall leader board.
Two men who might want to consider a Stephen Catterall-style change of vehicle are Christopher Lester and Ciaran McCreesh. This prolific prizewinning pair appeared yet again at the top of the category 3 rankings, where Lester's 42 points pushed McCreesh, who racked up 40, into second place.
With the white markers set to return from their hibernation for the April Medal on Saturday 22 April, any continuation of the blistering scoring of recent weeks will see the players involved met with the same prizes and plaudits but also Handicap Convenor Brian McGuigan's ruthless scythe.