Andrew beats everyone - and the elements

Heavy rain during the week made the course very damp and further rain on Friday night left a few puddles on the fairways.

Robert decided the course was fit to play but placing was allowed on the fairways.

Those who returned bad scores blamed the course while the players with good scores were happy with their efforts. Over two hundred competitors took part in the Mary Peters Trust qualifying for the Fred Daly Trophy.

Dr Andrew Cairns (24) was a clear winner with an excellent score of 43 points. In blustery conditions he started with five pars and reached the turn in 40. He came home in 49 but had six points to spare over Gary Brett (19) and Patrick Buckley (9).

Gary’s better finish secured second place. Dr. Cairns has already won the Dun Laoghaire Trophy as the leading qualifier in the Musgrave Cup qualifying competition this year.

Matt Lyness and Ryan Symington both finished on 76. Ryan reached the turn in 35, two strokes ahead of Matt. Sixes at 14 and 16 contributed to Ryan’s back nine of 41 while Matt’s 39 clinched the gross prize.

Lisburn finished second in their qualifying round of the Jimmy Bruen Shield at Rockmount recently. With a birdie four at the final hole, Keith McCrum and Mark McNellis led the Lisburn team with an excellent round of 80. This was the second best score of the day.

Lewis Patmore and Brian Houston finished one stroke in arrears on 81. Chris Budd and Stephen Leathem and Stephen Stewart and Les Murdock gave Lisburn a total of 342, one behind leading qualifiers Kilkeel. Downpatrick and Rockmount also qualified. Lisburn now play Downpatrick at Rockmount.

Despite being weakened by injuries and absences due to holidays, David McDowell fielded an experienced team for the Qualifying competition of the Pierce Purcell at Portadown. Brian Houston and Dessie Kerr led the Lisburn team and were well backed up by Tom Beattie and Michael Rooks. The others were not at their best and Lisburn failed to qualify by 11 strokes.

Wednesday Stableford 1st Neil Larmour 37pts, 2nd Peter Turkington 36pts, 3rd Peter I MacDonnell 36pts