A double bogey at the relatively straightforward 12th hole looked in danger of killing the momentum of a hitherto productive morning for Martin Carson on 28 July.
As it transpired, however, it simply kick-started a fabulous finishing stretch that delivered Carson to glory in the July Medal sponsored by Alexander Mills.
A birdie on Rokeby Green lit a recovery flame that was maintained through consecutive pars at the 14th and 15th and then an unflustered 5, 5, 5 climax. When put alongside the nap-hand of pars already posted at the 4th, 6th, 7th, 10th and 11th, that enabled Martin to sign for a peerless nett 65 that deservedly gained him both the monthly silverware and a new handicap of 16.
Placed second in the Sunday standings was Conor McGuigan, who was pipped to the top honours by Carson only on a break of tie — as one might reasonably have expected given the winner’s late heroics.
McGuigan’s gross 78 was an admirable affair nonetheless, particularly the outward half that featured a birdie on the 6th and just 35 blows. This laudable overall runner-up showing also landed Conor a 13-to-12 handicap snip.
Elsewhere, the upper echelons of category 1 witnessed a familial fight between Jamie and Kris Calvert, with the former outmanoeuvring the latter by a single shot. In the latest of the Calvert brother’s regular appearances in the CAGC prizewinners’ enclosure this summer, Jamie notched a classy hat-trick of back-nine birdies during a nett 66, and Kris’s adept gross 76 was gratifyingly devoid of a double bogey throughout.
The category 2 leaderboard was headed by the alliterative Andrew Allen. This AA’s battery never looked like running out of charge, as the now 15-hadicapper surged to a powerful nett 68 return. Andrew’s closest challenger in this division was Gary Baird, who, on his way to a creditable nett 69, began each nine in fine fettle with pars from the 1st to 4th and, a couple of hours after that, a birdie up at the 10th.
Meanwhile, CP McNabb Trophy holder, Ryan Runnette, proved unbeatable in category 3. Indeed, having racked up half a dozen pars in an excellent first 15 holes, Ryan would have claimed another tournament title but for a particularly problematic conclusion. Runnette’s nett 69 was one better than category 3 runner-up, Gerry Doyle, whose handicap-levelling nett 70 also limped over the line somewhat following valuable pars at the 15th and 16th.
Finally, Joe Rooney registered the lowest gross total of the July Medal by a full five strokes. Joe’s exquisite two-under-par round both began and ended with back-to-back birdies.
