Captain’s Day at Ballymena Golf Club

The non-stop rain of Friday finally subsided and the event attracted a some 230 competitors, with Gordon Caldwell eventually joining the band of golfers who have won the main prize on the most illustrious day of the season. Playing off a handicap allowance of a shot per hole, Gordon amassed a total of 43 points to emerge a clear winner by two points. A first nine of five pars, three bogeys plus a double bogey on the sixth equated to 22 points. The second nine contained four pars, four bogeys plus another double bogey, this time on the 11th, bringing an additional 21 points and making his total 43. Second nett was Sean McElroy (15) who accumulated 41 points, 20 of them on the front nine, which came from five fours plus four fives. The back nine produced 21 points from another five fours, a trio of fives plus a par three on the 14th. Noel Wallace (20) took third nett with 40 points and on a better second nine from Barry Mooney. Wallace didn’t have the desired start with a triple bogey on the opening hole but he got his head down and went on to score 20 points on the remaining eight holes. Noel played the second nine as a high handicapper should, using his shots to the best effect. He had a par on the 10th and then followed that with eight single bogeys for another 20 points which proved one point better on the second nine than Mooney. Barry, off a nine handicap, was through the first nine in two over for 21 points, having scored five pars, two bogeys and birdies at the first and seventh. The second nine contained another five pars plus four bogeys for a further 19 points and 40 overall. Fifth nett went to Ronnie Anderson (19) who had the best of the 39 point returns having had 21 on the back nine. Ronnie’s first nine was made up of seven bogeys plus a double bogey on the fifth and a par on the eighth for 18 points. The second nine was a series of fours and fives with five fours plus four fives of which three of the fours were pars, giving him 21 points and that overall total of 39. That back nine made sure that he pipped Kieran McGaughey (16) who was sixth nett as Ronnie had 14 points against Kieran’s 13 on the last six holes. McGaughey parred the first but then came four bogeys, par, bogey, par and Kieran will reflect on the par five ninth, where he had a non-event. The second nine was somewhat better as he scored five pars, three bogeys plus a costly double bogey on the 18th for 21 points home. Best gross was returned by Alex McCloy (scr) who played the course in two over, 70 shots. Having dropped a shot on the first two holes, Alex shed another shot on the fourth but then completed the front nine with six pars. He managed to retrieve one of those dropped shots with a birdie on the 10th and followed that with eight straight pars for a gross 70. Second gross was five-handicapper Paul Darragh with 72 shots. Paul’s first nine started with seven straight pars, then came a spoiling double bogey, before the completed the front nine with another par. The second nine started with a four and that was followed by seven more fours plus a par three on the 16th for another nine of two over. The veterans’ prize went to William McCartney (18) with a total of 39 points, of which 19 came on the front nine, while in total, he had six pars on his card. The Past Captains’ prize went to Ken Herbison (20) who returned 38 points. Ken opened wit ha non-event at the first and he also failed to score on the 12th. He also double bogeyed the eighth and 16th for single points but he played the other holes very much to his handicap. The Council prize was won by Lawrence Kerr (13) with 35 points and the longest drive at the final hole came from Adam Heron, while nearest the pin in two shots at the 18th was Donald Smyth, whose ball stopped 44 inches away. The putting cup was won by Jackson Currie with a return of six under for the 18 holes. The visitors’ prize was won by Dessie Ferguson, from Newtownstewart Golf Club, with a total of 35 points. For more pictures from Captain’s Day see this week’s Ballymena Times.