1st Thomas Clarke Nett 59
2nd Colm Shannon nett 59
3rd Jerome Leer nett 63
4th John McKinney nett 63
5th Naill McGeown 64
Visitor 1st Robbie McMinn (Loughgall) nett 65
Presentation of prizes will take place on Sat 13th Aug @ 6.30 pm
Winners in the Open Stroke competition held during Open Week at County Armagh Golf Club, Colm Shannon, Thomas Clarke and Robbie McMinn, are pictured with Club Captain Tom Calvert.
The 59-ers! Colm Shannon and Thomas Clarke both shot season best scores of 59 nett in the Open Stroke competition during Open Week at County Armagh Golf Club. They are pictured with Club Captain Tom Calvert
Double-take for season's best scores in Open Stroke
Two season best scores of nett 59 in County Armagh Golf Club's Open Week Stroke event had Competitions Convenor Davy Baird seeing double!
Thomas Clarke and Colm Shannon both returned the exceptional scores and had to be separated on countback.
14-handicapper Colm was first to sign for his superb nett 59 score and quite rightly must have been thinking his name was on that first prize. But amazingly he was to be disappointed when his son Mark broke the news of playing partner Thomas Clarke recording a nett 59 also.
Thomas, playing off an 11-handicap, was just one over par after nine holes, dropping shots at holes three and four before recovering one of those with a birdie two at the seventh hole. But after further dropping shots at ten and 11 he hit the birdie trail big time, recording over the final four holes.
Colm, in similar fashion, was just one shot over after nine holes, the perfect score blemished by a dropped shot at the first. A birdie two at the 13th hole compensated somewhat for a double bogey at the par three 11th hole, and in between dropped shots at 15 and 18 he birdied 17th for a two over par back nine. Unfortunately even his season's best to date just wasn't enough to win it.
Third prize, and on any other day a first prize winner, was claimed with a nett 63 score - that produced by Jerome Leer, a seven handicapper who dropped just two shots short of a perfect round.
Both John McKinney and Niall McGeown, fourth and fifth respectively, must surely also have fancied themselves for the big prize, with scores of nett 63 and 64. But it was a day for the big guns, Thomas and Colm deserved winners with exceptional scores.