Champ Daniel defies the wind and the rain

Champ Daniel defies the wind and the rain

20 August 2014

THE 2014 Club Championship at Ardglass was fought out in some of the most challenging conditions in the history of the event.

Storm force winds at the seaside links, recently voted the No. 3 course in Northern Ireland on American TV’s Golf Channel, made low scoring impossible and survival was the name of the game.

In the end, it was the experienced Daniel Vaughan who showed many of the up-and-coming stars how to handle the stormy conditions as he won by five clear shots.

In the absence of Irish international Cormac Sharvin, it was Vaughan, as the lowest handicapper in the field, who started the day as narrow favourite for the title.

But with five former club champions in the line-up, not to mention recent Munster Boys winner Matty Fitzsimons, he was not expected to have it all his own way.

After nine holes of the morning round in gusty winds,Vaughan was tied in third place on five over with Ross Graham and Gary Hamill, but one behind the father-and-son combination, Martin Smith on four over and three behind leader Arran on two over. Among the young challengers, Mark Cahir, Feargus Bannon and Conor Hynds were still in contention.

On the tougher inward nine, Vaughan showed his class by keeping his score going as others faltered, playing par golf to finish on 75.

Arran Smith also kept his score together to hold on for a 77 to be in second place, and still in the hunt were Marty Rourke and former champion Gary Hamill on 79.

Conor Hynds carded an 80 and Martin Smith an 81, but further down the field there was carnage.

The conditions were such that single figure handicappers were scoring triple-bogeys, quadruple-bogeys and worse. Many of the holes were out of reach in regulation, even for the longest hitters.

Four players failed to complete the morning round, while another five refused to face the conditions for a second time in the afternoon round. A lot of good golf was played in the second round, but disaster was never far away for any of the players.

By the halfway stage in the afternoon, Vaughan was still showing his class and had increased his lead to four shots. Arran Smith’s challenge had faded with ped shots in the opening holes and Vaughan’s nearest challenger was now previous two-time winner Gary Hamill.

The experienced Ardglass man is always in contention at this event and was only two over after 12 holes. Alas for Hamill, he triple-bogeyed the 13th, which left him with too much to do in the closing holes and he eventually carded a 79.

Sixteen year-old Conor Hynds was also playing steadily with a string of pars, but a triple bogey at the sixth left him too far off the pace, although he finished with a creditable 78.

Marty Rourke also kept his game together, two birdies on the back nine giving him also a finishing score of 78. Paul Millar Jr, another former winner, was out of contention after his morning round, but three birdies on the back nine gave him a 77 and joint best score of the afternoon.

In the meantime, Vaughan played the closing holes without any serious mishaps for a round of 77, a 36-hole total of 152, and a fourth title to add to his previous victories in 2006, 2010 and 2012.

Marty Rourke eventually grabbed second spot on 157, and tied for third were Gary Hamill and Conor Hynds on 158.

All in all, you would have to say it was largely a triumph for experience over up-and-coming talent.

Anyone who completed two rounds in the horrendous conditions deserves mention, so the remaining “finishers”, in finishing order, out of 30 players, were Paul Millar Jr, Mark Cahir, Arran Smith, Matty Fitzsimons, Barry Gilliland, Gareth Smyth, Ross Graham and John J Moore.

A telling statistic is that of the 30 players who started the day only two succeeded in playing 36 holes without losing a ball.