Meenagh Wins Battle of the Heavyweights.

With brilliant sunshine and glorious hangovers, after the festivities of Mr Jack McFarland’s Captain’s Day, the order of the day on Sunday at Prehen, the competition was always going to require a titanic battle to decide the winner of the Pheasant Lodge Open Stableford. Two giants of the club stepped forward to provide the required fireworks. In the red corner Past Captain Andy Meenagh (13) gazed on the sun baked Prehen course and thought of Santa Ponza, in the green corner big-hitting legend Gary Leckey (11) quietly plotted his tack around the course. Over the opening holes it was the brilliant, if somewhat erratic off the tee, Leckey who grabbed the advantage with a fine 20 points that included a birdie at the notoriously treacherous Par 3 eighth, “The Crow’s Nest”. Meenagh was close on his tail with a steady 19 point tally. At the 10^th Meenagh blasted his opponent with a superb birdie three and the giant was rocked back never to recover. Leckey’s 21 point back nine was superseded by Meenagh's dominant 23 points and the contest was settle in the Past Captain’s favour by a mere single point. Forty-two/ Forty-one was the final tallies. By contrast late-playing Hugh Devine quietly coasted round in 41 points to lift third prize and City of Derry’s Vice-Captain Michael McCullough totalled his card correctly and found that his 41 points was had just been pipped into fourth spot because of Devine’s better back nine of 20 points.

Competitions continue this week at Prehen with the Thursday Open and the weekend will be dominated by the Two Day Team Classic Open. Teams of four, any combination, will play for a massive prize fund in what is being seen, in many quarter, as a dry run for the Pro-Am the following week. Times for both team events can be booked by phoning Sam Smallwoods on 02971 311496.

Results and Report supplied by Martin Doherty Competitions Convenor