MAB Wealth Management Open

In blustery difficult conditions, Mark Conway secured his first 2020 win in the guise of the MAB Wealth Management Open. Playing off a 21 handicap, Conway avoided any dings on the top nine as he notched up a respectable 19 points.

At a point where many golfers start to get ahead of themselves he maintained his focus and went one better with 20 points on the bottom nine for a 39 point total to beat Ian Thompson on the better back nine.

After many false dawns the former category one golfer Thompson appears to have rediscovered some of his old form that saw off many of the greats around the club over the last 30 years. Accustomed to struggling around the difficult opening holes, Thompson found himself in unfamiliar territory with ten points after five holes.

Not one to roll over easily he took full advantage of this platform and racked up 20 points on the front nine. Even with some suspect driving around the back nine, thanks to a red hot putter the fifteen handicapper kept his momentum and added another 19 points for his first podium finish in years.

Another talented player with a golfing CV only many could dream off, Brendan O’Neill finished third. O’Neill was all over the place for the first six holes, standing on the seventh tee nine over par. But a birdie on seven followed by an eagle three on eight suddenly gave his card an air of respectability.

The 13 handicapper responded to the challenge and reeled of a succession of pars and bogeys. He was heading for a decent score but failed to register on 17 and could only muster a bogey six up the last for a 36 point total which was just enough to beat Fiacre O’Donnell on the better back nine.

With tricky pin placements, only three players managed to secure a two – Dan McGovern, Teddy McKinley and Chris Higgins.

Scott Hamilton Monthly Medal

James Lawn made it a podium finish three weeks in a row winning the high section in the Scott Hamilton Monthly Medal. Lawn didn’t cover himself in glory with a five eight start but the resilient 17 handicapper hit straight back with a birdie two on the par three third. From then on it was a case of finding fairways and avoiding the big numbers, which he duly did and resulted in his nett 68.

Noel Graydon won the low section with a nett 69. 11 handicapper Graydon went round the front nine in five over par 41 shots. A double bogey on ten wasn’t the start to the second nine he was looking for but the error was quickly rectified with a birdie two on the fiddly 11th. He closed out the nine with four pars and three bogeys to win by three from Eugene Donohoe.

Frank Bannon won best of the rest with a nett 69. In a round with flashes of brilliance, Bannon had every number on his card between two and nine.