A sensational nett 62 catapulted Gary McDonald to victory in a County Armagh Golf Club stroke competition on 8 September.
A birdie at the 9th saw Gary, then playing off 14, reach the halfway juncture in a mere 38 strokes — an outward tally that was all the more impressive given that it incorporated an anomalous treble bogey on the consistently problematic 6th hole.
However, there were no such missteps on an even more accomplished back nine that featured a Sequoias birdie in the middle of McDonald's McFlurry of five pars and three bogeys.
The resultant gross 76 ensured that Gary couldn't be dislodged from the leaderboard summit in the tournament sponsored by Fairlawns Residential Home, and a two-shot handicap reduction represented the icing on his Saturday golfing cake.
Gary McDonald, winner of the Fairlawns Residential Home stroke competition, is presented with his prize by sponsor, Michael Murphy. Also pictured are County Armagh Golf Club Captain, Colm Shannon, and other prizewinners (L-R): Norman Mallon, Michael Crozier, David Leeman, John Lowe, Denis Hughes and Paul Pender.
Two shots adrift of the winner was John Lowe, who carded a nett 64. J-Lo was far from bringing up the rear as that magnificent total confirmed his occupancy in the overall runner-up berth. Lowe's gross 77 contained a hefty haul of 13 pars, and only double bogeys at the neighbouring 7th and 16th holes undermined his tilt at the top prize.
Paul Pender has quietly identified himself as one of CAGC's steadiest performers in the last few seasons and he was on-song again here. The eight-handicapper's career-best gross 74 included a birdie at the 4th and then two more at the 15th and 17th as he powered down the homeward strait. That said, this late surge towards the category 1 winning line was completed only via a concluding bogey that is probably best described as ‘gutsy' given the bush-worrying tee shot that momentarily had hearts in mouths.
As it was, that excellent nett 66 kept Paul one shot clear of category 1 runner-up David Leeman whose gross 76, which comprised 12 pars and half-a-dozen bogeys, was as tranquil as it was terrific.
What's that old saying about temporary form and permanent class? Anyway, Denis Hughes registered birdies at the 12th and 15th during a tremendous one-over-par second nine that helped him to a nett 65 and the category 2 honours. Indeed, Denis would've had a say further up the Saturday standings but for a costly quadruple bogey at the 9th.
Andy Hayward matched Hughes's nett 65 return but, unsurprisingly, was edged into second place on a back-nine break of tie. For his part though, Hayward was by no means wayward amid a straight-shooting offering of nine pars and nine bogeys.
In category 3, Norman Mallon secured a comfortable three-stroke triumph courtesy of a splendid nett 66 in which he was only four-over-par for his last 10 holes. Next to Mallon was second-placed Michael Crozier, who racked up seven pars on his way to a topsy-turvy and standard-scratch-equalling nett 69.
Meanwhile, Joe Rooney was five-under-par for a blistering eight-hole stretch from the 5th to the 12th and would ultimately put his name to a classy one-under-par scorecard that landed him the Fairlawns gross award.
Later, in the Wednesday Opens on 12 September, Noel Cassin prevailed among the senior contingent through an assured 39-point display where the highlight came in the shape of a birdie at the 3rd. On the same day, Ciaran Campbell proved unbeatable in the Open Stableford by virtue of a 40-point round that owed much to a profitable sequence during which he was level par for nine holes either side of the turn.