Martin stays the course to win Juvenile Captain’s Day

Mourne Golf Club News

28.10.2024

By Paul Gallagher

As the golfing season begins to wind down, there was a great turnout for Matthew Murphy’s Juvenile Captain’s Day last Sunday where a strong field gathered and defied the elements when competing for honours on the Annesley Links.

Captain’s Day is one of the blue riband events on the Mourne Golf Club Juvenile calendar and there was plenty of strong competition. On a day that turned wet and miserable, it was Luke Martin who fared best to win Murphy’s Captain’s Day with a great winning score of 39 points. Martin stuck to his task and kept racking up solid points and his run of five pars in six holes from the 12^th was telling in the end.

Martin was closely followed by Eoin Smyth who claimed second with 37 points, while Caolan Northrop took third with 36 points. Callum Flynn was fourth (35), one ahead of James Rodgers (34).

Ryan Thornton enjoyed a fine round in tough conditions to card a two-over 69 to secure the best gross. Although shots were dropped at the second, sixth and 18, he picked up a birdie three at the fifth for 31 points.

Captain Murphy also gave a good account of himself to sign for 30 points.

As several parents and family gathered round the first tee, captain Murphy and his dad Collie were on hand to give all the competitors great goodie bags before they teed off.

Despite the elements conspiring against them, some 18 players made it round before Jacinta Murphy and husband Raymond had plenty of hot food waiting from them at the clubhouse afterwards. Special must also go to Mourne Juvenile Convenor John Hanna who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes all season co-ordinating all the Juveniles competitions.

Elsewhere, a trialling of the new zoned booking system was used for last Sunday’s Men’s Stableford competition on a day that produced some fine scoring on the Championship Links at Royal County Down.

There was a logjam at the top as Kieran Poland and Robert Graham both returned 41 points with Poland winning on a countback. The leading pair were closely followed by Michael Valentine on 40 points with Peter Murphy claiming fourth on 39 points. Murphy also had the best gross of the day in a round of one-over 72 that contained four birdies in all.

There has been plenty of debate and discussion by members around the zoned booking as council trialled the new booking format. A total of 69 players returned scores in last Sunday’s competition.

And finally, congratulations and commiserations to Emlyn Williamson’s Sam Rutherford team, who after weeks of postponements due to the weather lost in the final to Omagh. It was a fine run by Williamson’s squad who were the last Mourne team standing after a long season.