St. Patrick’s seniors see off Ardglass to win cup

10 September 2014

TEAM captain Tom Connor couldn’t hide his delight as he sank the putt which secured the HD Gregg Memorial Cup for the senior golfers of St. Patrick’s Golf Club.

With the heat fully turned up, Connor holed a par putt on the 17th green at St. Patrick’s to give him and playing partner Willie Walsh a 2 and 1 victory over Ardglass pair John Rice and Aidan Walsh and ensure that the Mid Ulster Seniors Alliance match play trophy was coming to Downpatrick.

As the ball went into the hole Connor punched the air and soon the celebrations were under way.

The final score was 4.5-3.5 to St. Patrick’s over the two legs — a result which did not appear to be on the cards a couple of hours earlier.

Leading 2.5-1.5 after the first leg at Ardglass, the seasiders looked to have the cup in the bag when Jim Milligan and Gerry Shields thrashed Philip Posnett and Ivan Campbell 6 and 5 to extend the lead.

St. Patrick’s had to win the three remaining matches and the comeback was led by club captain Gerry Reilly and Daniel Teggart, who won the last two holes for a two up win over Martin Devlin and Kevin Carville.

With Geordie Rice and Billy Hanna well in command in the final match against Jack McGreevy and Hubert Chambers — they won 3 and 2 — everything depended on the third match featuring Connor and Walsh against.

Connor had to hole a tricky putt for par on the 16th to keep his side one up with two holes remaining.

Both St. Patrick’s players found the fairway up the 17th and with both Ardglass players getting into trouble, a par from the steely Connor was enough to bring home the silverware.

Victory was doubly satisfying for Connor, who was in the losing St. Patrick’s side against Greenore when the Downpatrick club last contested the final.

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