Alec beats elements to win Stableford at Ballymena GC

ALEC McQuillan (19) won the latest Stableford competition at Ballymena Golf Club with a terrific score of 43 points.

On a day when heavy rain caused a number of early finishes McQuillan started with a bogey on the first and a par on the second before having consecutive double bogeys on the next two holes.

Bogeys on the difficult fifth and sixth holes were followed by a par on the short par three seventh and another on the eighth before closing his front nine with a bogey for a respectable front nine score of 19 points.

McQuillan started his back nine with a bogey on the par three tenth before stringing three pars together before his next bogey on the fourteenth.

A par on the fifteenth was followed by two bogeys and a closing par for a superb back nine of 24 points which would ultimately clinch the overall victory on count-back from second placed Seamus Reid (18) who equalled his 43 point return.

Reid had a great start after bogeying the first with a birdie two on the second followed by a par on the par five third, a bogey on the fourth and another birdie on the tricky fifth hole.

Two subsequent pars were followed by two bogeys to end the front nine with a superb 25 points.

The back nine was always going to struggle to be as good and got off to a sluggish start with single points at the opening three holes before Reid parred the short par three thirteenth and bogeyed the next three holes.

Two closing pars ensured Reid finished the back nine with 18 points but he would rue those opening three holes which ultimately cost him the overall victory.

One of the early starters

Third place went to one of the early starters in Mark Lowry (17) who also had a superb front nine of 23 points and a slightly worse back nine of 19 for 42 points.

Whilst the back nine normally plays harder than the front the inclement weather was also a major factor in so many players having a slump mid round and Lowrys recent warm weather training was of no benefit in these conditions.

The remaining prizes went to Eric Cunningham (23) 41, Thomas Lindsay (29) 39, Cormac McGreevey (10) 39, David Smith (8) 39 and Bruce McKenzie (12) 39.

Craig McCartney won the gross prize with a round of 72 which included birdies on the first, third and twelfth holes.

There were sixteen two dispersed over all six of the par threes with Adrian Gough the only player to register at the fourteenth hole.

This weeks scheduled event is the JK Leisure sponsored event which is also played in the Stableford format.