CLOVERHILL

On Saturday it was last years AVADA environmental Golfer of the Year Martin Hollywood (19) who came out on top as the Overall Winner in the 3 Category Competition. Newry man Martin won with 44 points which was one better than Cullyhanna’s Sean McMahon (16) and Mullaghbawn’s Eddie English (20). The two players pipped for the overall winner’s prize Sean and Eddie respectively won Category Two (11-19) and Category Three (20-30). The Category One (1-10) was won by Cormac Smyth (10) with 38 points.

Saturday’s winning score of 44 points also did the trick on Sunday for Ryan McArdle (20) as the Meigh golfer had a couple of points to spare over his nearest challengers who also had the consolation of picking up their Category prizes. In form Belleek player Pearse Murphy (9) was the Category One (1-10) winner with 42 points. Forkhill’s Seamus McGivern (17) also with 42 points visited the winner’s enclosure in Category Two (11-19). Category Three (20-30) prize headed to Bessbrook as 41 points saw Brendan Hughes (20) grab the glory.

Dundalk’s Stephen ‘Rooney’ Cooney (12) not only talked the talk but walked the walk as he became the winner of the New to Cloverhill Competition winner. With an array of Cloverhil Club Gear on offer as prizes it was by virtue of the countback that Stephen edged out Fearghal O Neill (18) from Killeavy on the countback after both returned 41 points. It took another countback to determine third and fourth places as Silverbridge’s Conor McShane (12) took third ahead of Newry’s Aidan Clarke (20) both having returned 39 points. The Front 9 was won by Rory Sheridan with 23 points and the Back 9 by Daniel Forde with 22 points.

The Byrne Monumental, Crossmaglen sponsored Midweek Cup got off to a terrific start over the opening two weeks of play. The 9-hole competition is kindly sponsored by our oldest competition sponsors Byrne Monumental, Crossmaglen who have been on board as competition sponsors since the club was formed. The competition played off the 4 different sets of Tee Markers has the holes indexed 1-9 and players use half of their handicap. Each weekly winner of the competition plus the Top 4 players at the end of the 4 weeks in each of the 6 different Handicap Sections will qualify for the 9 hole Grand Final on Wed July 15

The opening weeks play was off the Back 9 Green Markers and it was Dundalk’s James Coburn greatly helped by an eagle at the last hole who came out on top of a 3-way tie as he edged out Barry McKeown and Graham Johnston. It was a Dundalk double the following week as Stephen Cooney with 24 points inflicted a second weeks agony on Graham as he lost out on the countback for the second week running. There is some consolation for Graham in that he tops Category Six by 5 points from Daniel Forde 44 pts, Stephen McClelland 43 pts and Jason Hazzard fourth with 39 pts.

Category One; The leader is Pearse Murphy with Daniel Hughes, David Hamill and David Pilkington the others in the frame at the minute. Category Two; Already qualified Stephen Cooney lead the way from the current qualifying quartet of Barry McKeown, Mark Keogh, Justin Byrne and Steve O Hara. Damien Reilly, Raymond Quinn, Seamus Keenan and Peter McCreesh are the top 4 in CategoryThree.

In Category Four Stephen Cunningham, Neil Smyth, Chris McCaul, Martin Gill and Lorcan Burns are locked together to see who will join the already qualified from this category James Coburn in the Grand Final. Cathal Hughes has a comfortable lead in Category 5 with Martin Fearon, Seamus McCoy and Conor Macken leading the chasing pack.

The first Medal competition of the year was held on a very wet and windy Saturday, but it did not stop Kieran McClelland Jnr from taking home the elusive bit of silver back to Granemore following a super round of golf in the conditions. A round of just 6 over left the 14 handicapper out of Armagh Golf Club with a net 62 which was 5 shots clear of his nearest challengers. Paul Kelly (6) came out best of the trio of 67’s to take the runner-up spot with third place going to Barry Duffy (18) and the unlucky Ryan Morgan (14) the one to lose out on a podium finish. Colin Pilkington (2) won the Gross.