Murray to the fore as he wins Hugo’s President’s Day

On a day of quality scoring on the Championship Links, it was John D Murray who finished top of the pile to claim Hugo King’s President’s Day at Mourne Golf Club.

Murray claimed one of the season’s major prizes with a winning score of 43 points to deny Mark Feenan (41) in second, after the scratch golfer blazed the links in a sensational gross score of four-under 67.

The winner steered a steady course over the front nine with a birdie three at the sixth the highlight. A run of seven consecutive pars from the 10^th laid the foundations for the winning effort. And though Murray might have struggled to get back to the sanctuary of the house as he leaked shots with a bogey at 17 and a double bogey on 18, it was still enough to secure the win.

Feenan’s card was awash with birdies and those rarest of birds, an eagle three at the par five first hole. It set the tone for Feenan’s day as another birdie quickly followed at the second. He also picked up three birdies on the back nine with the only dropped shots coming at five and 15.

The podium was completed by Brian Gilleece in third after another fine score of 40 points. Niall Doran, another scratch golfer who dipped under par on President’s Day with his one-under 70, headed the chasing pack on 39 points alongside Dermot Hawkins, Matthew Murphy and Paul McArdle.

Special mention must also go to JP Hardy who enjoyed a hole in one at the par three seventh. Hardy was delighted and wasted little time in getting the celebratory drinks in at the clubhouse afterwards!

Other competitions on the day saw Ian McEvoy win the Past President’s Prize with 38 points, while Shaun Killough took the Veteran’s Prize on a countback with 25 points on the Annesley Links.

The longest drive on 18 went to left hander Jon Crawford who fired one down the difficult closing hole, and Brian Gilleece secured nearest the pin on the 10^th.

Although Feenan had the best gross of the day 67, the Gross Prize went to Conor Toner, another Senior Cup player, who fired a one-under 70 to deny Doran for the prize on a countback.

King has been a long-serving member of Mourne, and it was fitting that his President’s Day was played in glorious sunshine and perfect conditions on the Championship and Annesley Links at Royal County Down. At the evening’s prizegiving King thanked everyone who helped make his day so special.