Felix’s strong finish clinches victory at Raceview

The Saturday sweep competition at Ballymena Golf Club saw winner Felix McQuillan play the 13 holes in one over par gross for a total of 32 stableford points.
Roy Worthington, Alan Campbell, John Canavan and Seamus O'Boyle pictured after completing a round at Ballymena Golf Club. INBT08-264ACRoy Worthington, Alan Campbell, John Canavan and Seamus O'Boyle pictured after completing a round at Ballymena Golf Club. INBT08-264AC
Roy Worthington, Alan Campbell, John Canavan and Seamus O'Boyle pictured after completing a round at Ballymena Golf Club. INBT08-264AC

The seven-handicapper had to depend on a run of one under gross for the last four holes to fend off the challenge of Mervyn Arbuthnot.

McQuillan played the first nine holes with three pars, four bogeys plus birdies at the sixth and ninth for 20 points but his finish of three pars and a birdie was worth 12 more vital points.

Ten-handicapper Arbuthnot recorded eight pars in the opening nine holes with his lone dropped shot coming on the sixth, as he accumulated 24 points. But he was unable to keep that scoring going, with three bogeys and a par on the final hole meaning he could only add eight more shots to his total.

Category one was won by Stephen Russell (4) with 30 points, having been level par for the course after seven pars, three bogeys plus birdies at the ninth, 12th and 13th.

Category two went to John Lorimer (8) with 30 points, that despite dropping two shots at the opening hole and further shot at the second, but his final four holes yielded 11 points.

Category three was won by Raymond Scullion (10) with 31 points, while the category four prize went to Gerald McParland (14) who scored 30 points.

Gary Black’s good form in the best gross category continued as he played the course in two under par gross, 48 shots.

Gary scored eight pars and two bogeys, but against that he had birdies on the sixth and eighth and an eagle three on the par five ninth.