Captain Tom urges support for cup final teams
Captain Tom Calvert is calling on players and members alike to get behind the club's Sam Rutherford and Senior Cowdy cup teams as they begin battle in their respective competition finals this week.
Paul Kelly's Sam Rutherford team take on defending champions Tandragee Golf Club on 18 and 25 September.
These two teams surprisingly met in the final last year with Tandragee emerging as convincing winners, but the County Armagh outfit are determined to reverse this this time around. An impressive semi-final performance against Cloverhill Golf Club will certainly have boosted confidence in the team who will play their first leg away from home.
"It's a superb achievement to reach the final of the Sam Rutherford for a second successive year and it would be just brilliant if we could win it," said club Captain Tom Calvert.
"The home leg on Sunday 25the will obviously be the big decider and it would be nice to see a good crowd of supporters on the course cheering Paul's team on," he added.
On the same day John White's Senior Cowdy team launch their final campaign away to Lurgan Golf Club, and two weeks later they bring their opponents to County Armagh where again a huge crowd will be enouraged to get behind the home team.
"We can all be the 'extra man' for both these teams by turning out in numbers to support them," said club captain Tom. "Two trophies in two weeks would be a magnificent achievement and a fitting end to an excellent competitive season."
County Armagh Golf Club will enjoy a thrilling climax to the competition season when their top golfers contest the final of the prestigious Senior Cowdy Cup competition.
The team, captained by John White, take on Lurgan Golf Club in the showpiece contest to be played out at each of their respective courses over the next two weeks.
The County Armagh team travel to Lurgan this Sunday (Sept 25) in the first leg, with the second leg scheduled for Sunday 9 October on the city course when the coveted trophy will be presented.
“I expect it to be a tough battle, but am cautiously optimistic of a good result,” declared the County Armagh team captain.
“Lurgan have a young team some of whom won the Ulster section of the Junior Cup and were narrowly beaten in the All-Ireland finals at Castlerock. But I have an excellent mix of talented youth and experienced players in my own team who I am confident can win this competition,” he added.
Having defeated contenders Slieve Russell GC, Downpatrick GC and, in the semi-final, competition favourites, Tandragee GC, County Armagh have certainly earned their place in the final.
A 37-27 points victory over Tandragee was undoubtedly the highlight of their cup run and especially considering it was tied 16 points each at the half-way stage.
“We lost the top matches on a windy night at Tandragee,” explained captain John. “But our young players thankfully came through at the back of the field to level the score in that first leg.
“Early in the second leg it also looked very bleak for us when we had secured only 3.5 points out of eight after nine holes. But crucial matches went our way in the end. Conor McGurgan finished with a birdie at the 17th hole to win 2 &1 against Tandragee’s No.1 Paul Topley. Neil Cromwell, although two down with four to play, took his match win on the 18th hole. And Jarlath McReynolds, John Maguire, Stewart Stevenson and Philip Russell all recorded good wins for us to secure the home leg 21-11.”
Looking to the final, John, who played in the County Armagh Senior Cowdy Cup winning teams of 1977, 1980 and 1988, modestly insists he is cautiously optimistic.
“If we can get off to a good start, although it’s away from home, it’ll be down to the performance on our own course and it would be very nice to win it in front of our home crowd,” he declared.
Whatever the outcome, supporters for both the away leg this Sunday and especially the home leg on Sunday 9 October, can expect to enjoy an exciting finale to the golfing season.
1st Dermont Haughey 63 nett
2nd Gerard Kelly 64 nett
3rd Johnnie Brown 69 nett
4th Benjamin Jennett 69 nett
5th Keith Stewart 70 nett
6th David Baird 70 nett
Gross Jonathan Hewitt 75
Prizes will be added to the players account in the Professional's Shop.
Dermot strokes a win on championship day
Dermot Haughey was wishing he had qualified for the Club Championship after returning his season's best score to win the alternative Club Stroke competition.
A nett 63 secured Dermot the win in the competition open to players who failed to qualify for the two-day championship event. And in the most trying of windy conditions, it was a score he would have delighted in carrying forward to the second round.
He was however, still delighted to pick up the win, secured with seven and six shots over front and back nines respectively and including a birdie two at the 13th hole.
Gerard Kelly's nett 64, with a four over back nine, secured second prize, and nine-handicapper Johnny Brown's nett 68 with a birdie three at the 14th hole won him fourth.
Ben Jennett enjoyed a steady round for a nett 69 to take fith prize. Keith Stewart's horrendous nine at the eighth hole cost him dearly although he still picked up sixth prize with a nett 70, a score which he shared with Competitions Convenor Davy Baird who had an even more horrendous eleven shots at the same par five eighth hole.
Nett Winners
1. Gary Lappin 41
2. R McIlvenna 41
3. Mark Robinson 41
4. Kevin Boyd 42
5. Winston Gordon 43
6. Oisin Toner 43
7. Andy McCrea 44
8. Donal McAneney
Gross Winners
1. Neil Cromwell 53
2. Paddy Digby 53
3. Kenny Edgar 54
4. Paul Doyle 56
5. Jerome Leer 56
6. Tom Calvert 56
Gary Lappin is presented with the Tuesday Cup bu County Armagh Golf Club Captain Tom Calvert
County Armagh Golf Club Tuesday Cup prizewinners are pictured with Club Captain Tom Calvert
The Presentation of Prizes will take place on Tuesday 13 September at 9.00pm and all prize winners are asked to attend.
1st Jim Bruce 41 pts
2nd Craig Talbot 40 pts
3rd Patrick Campbell 39 pts
4th Danny Maxwell 39 pts
5th Peter Murphy 38 pts
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Prizes will be added to the players account in the Professional's Shop.
Jim's Bruce and breezy for stableford win
Jim Bruce mastered the breezy conditions to win the Sunday Club Stableford with 41 points.
The 16-handicapper might not have got off to the best possible start with double bogeys at the first and second holes. But he steadied to chalk up 20 points by the turn. A further double bogey at the tenth kicked off the second half but again he steadied to add a further 21 points for his winning score.
In a reduced field from the previous day, five handicapper Craig Talbot deservedly picked up second prize and with it a double share of the Two's Pot with birdies at the third and 11th holes. His 40 points pushed Paddy Campbell into third spot - a no-score at the ninth hole costing Paddy big time.
Danny Maxwell also returned 39 points and failed to score at the 10th hole, but still picked up fourth prize. And Peter Murphy's 38 points earned him the last of the prizes on the day.
Kenny Edgar, winner of the County Armagh Golf Club Sponsors’ Corporate Day stableford competition, is congratulated by Club Captain Tom Calvert and Paul Kelly from 24/7 Fuels, competition sponsors
County Armagh Golf Club Sponsors’ Corporate Day stableford competition winners pictured with Club Captain Tom Calvert and Paul Kelly, 24/7 Fuels, who sponsored the event
1st Jim McKeown 61 nett
2nd Andrew McTaggart 65 nett
Category 1
1st Kyle Wilson 66 nett
2nd Mark Shannon 66 nett
Category 2
1st Colm McElroy 66 nett
2nd Andrew Clarke 66 nett
Category 3
1st Gervase McGuigan 66 nett
2nd John Sheeham 66 nett
Best Gross Conor McGurgan 70 gross
Presentation of prizes will take place on Sat 24th Sept @ 6.30 all prize winners are requested to attend,
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Jim's untouchable in Medal
If your going to win a Medal competition, win it with an impressive score - at least that's what Jim McKeown's thinking is!
His nine-under nett 61 was untouchable in the Spetember Medal - by four clear shots.
An 18-handicapper, Jim was just three over after nine holes, dropping shots at the fourth, ffith and eighth holes. But five straight pars followed before he dropped anymore - unfortunately three at the 15th hole. But even with three further bogeys over the final three holes he was still always going to be a winner.
His nearest challenger was Andrew McTaggart who returned a nett 65. The 12-handicapper was five over after nine but just two over the back nine for a deserved second best score on the day.
Kyle Wilson will rue his double bogey at the 18th which ultimately cost him that runners up spot. But his nett 66 led the category prizes, with young Mark Shannon picking up second in Category One with a nett 66 also.
Colm McEvoy bagged the Category Two first prize with a similar nett 66 with Andrew Clarke losing out on countback.
And in Category Three Gervase McGuigan's nett 66 took the plaudits with John Sheehan similarly beaten on countback.
1st Richard Stewart 46pts
2nd Andy McCrea 44pts
Front Nine: G Lappin 25pts
Back Nine: Jerome Leer 22