AN HISTORIC CLUB WITH A MAGNIFICENT GEORGIAN PARKLAND SETTING SINCE 1893

Since remarkable back-to-back competition wins on the second weekend of April, Neill Dowzell had been absent from the prizewinners' enclosure as his golfing fortunes returned to earth with the rest of us.

However, the Caledon native is back with a vengeance, emerging triumphant in the stableford competition played at County Armagh Golf Club on 21 May.

In an accomplished 77-stroke round, Dowzell racked up no fewer than 12 tidy pars, including a stunning six on the bounce to conclude proceedings and simultaneously dash the hopes of his 96 rivals on the day.

His 41-point scorecard also showed five acceptable bogeys, with a seven at the notorious 10th the only genuine blot on his highly meritorious Sunday copybook.

Although now playing off 11 as a result of his repeated tournament-winning antics, Neill is clearly an individual who knows how to get the job done and few would be surprised to see him taste further success in some of the prestigious fixtures on the horizon.


The penultimate test at County Armagh Golf Club: the 17th hole, Fairy Thorn.

With a name that rhymes and a golf game that's also very much in tune, Kevin Slevin took second place in the overall standings.

Registering two pars on each nine and avoiding significantly costly damage anywhere else, Slevin posted a terrific 41-point total to match that of Dowzell and was denied victory only on a break of tie. That is a fact unlikely to trouble Kevin unduly after a marvellous performance that also sees his handicap cut from 20 to 19.

Paul McCurry was the king of category 1 for a second Sunday on the spin with a 40-point outing that started with a double bogey, finished with a birdie and also incorporated a two at the Quarry.

Similarly, Joe Rooney was the category 1 runner-up twice in the space of just 24 hours, his gross 71 and 40 points here only one shot inferior to his splendid Saturday showing.

Symmetrical nines each containing three pars, five bogeys and a double bogey all added up to 37 points and the category 2 top spot for Ed Hughes. A point further back was the ever-consistent, 36-point Ian O'Hea, whose morning peaked with a spell of four pars in five back-nine holes.

All-Ireland Four-Ball Trophy stalwart Norman Mallon gave an indication that he's in no mood to surrender his place in that team, winning category 3 with 39 points gleaned from a round in which he parred all the par 3s except the 13th.

Three points adrift of Mallon was Kieran Grimes, who adopted the category 3 runner-up berth with a steady, handicap-equalling offering. The best gross score of the day was a 71 recorded by the irrepressible Shea Smyth.

Meanwhile, two holes-in-one at the equally picturesque and perilous 11th have lit up the club's Wednesday Open competitions recently.

After Lee Stewart's ace on 26 April, John McGleenan hit the jackpot amid a 39-point round that won him the seniors' event on 24 May. Victorious among the under-55s on the same day was Jim McKeown with a spectacular 44 points.