Birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie and … yip, another birdie. That was the astonishing scoring sequence with which Adam Cromwell commenced his homeward nine on 20 July.
It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that the then two-handicapper prevailed in the day’s Milne Holiday Parks-sponsored stroke event at County Armagh Golf Club.
Adam followed up that six-on-the-spin birdie bonanza with three closing pars, a steady run that, given the circumstances, was somehow almost as impressive as the fireworks that preceded it. The composed finale meant that he dispensed with the back nine in a mere 30 strokes, which is surely among the lowest recorded in the club’s illustrious history.
Adam Cromwell, winner of the recent Club Stroke sponsored by Milne Holiday Parks of Newry, is presented with his prize by Ross Milne. Also pictured are County Armagh Golf Club Captain, Kenny Edgar, and other prizewinners (from left) Andrew Rennie and Eamon Connolly.
Cromwell the younger signed for a phenomenal four-under-par total across the piece, and the accruing nett 64 was one better than Paddy Digby, who finished second overall.
Digby turned in a sparkling display of his own, albeit one that included a relatively mundane level-par second half! A hat-trick of birdies at the 2nd, 12th and 14th helped Paddy to a superb gross 71 that left him on the cusp of a return to five-handicap status.
The runner-up’s namesake, Brian Digby, reeled off no fewer than 13 pars, and this provided the backbone of his fantastic 78-shot outing. Brian’s nett 66 kept him two clear of Joe Rooney at the top of the category 1 standings. In the latest stop on his journey to the celestial world of scratch golf, Rooney posted a marvellous gross 69 that he concluded in considerable style, namely with an eagle on the 18th.
A pair of CAGC council members fought it out for the spoils in category 2, where Andrew Rennie and Davy Baird both negotiated the 18 holes in 81 blows. Sponsorship convenor Rennie’s terrific nett 65 featured eight pars and earned him first position as well as a 16-to-14 handicap trim. Meanwhile, greens convenor Baird found the course conditions just to his liking as he avoided a double bogey during his excellent nett 67.
Finally, in category 3, a countback was required to separate Eamon Connolly and Paul Hughes after both men returned fine nett 68s. Eamon maintained his productive campaign and clinched first place by virtue of a superior inward trek, but runner-up Paul also had a welcome Quarry two to show for a satisfying Saturday on the fairways.