Sport

Tommy Is King Of The Course For Castlegregory Golf Club Captain’s Prize

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By Mike Mercer

Michael Mercer, left, Captain of Castlegregory Golf Club presenting his captain's prize to overall winner Tommy King at Castlegregory Golf Club.
Michael Mercer, left, Captain of Castlegregory Golf Club presenting his captain’s prize to overall winner Tommy King at Castlegregory Golf Club.

ALL the invocations that were called upon last weekend for the Captain’s Prize (Mike Mercer) worked well with Apollo, the God of Sunlight, coming out on top for the duration of the competition.

With close to 100 competitors, sponsors, guests and not forgetting the Mna, the course was very busy from first tee off on Saturday morning to the close of play on Sunday afternoon.

The leading qualifier on Saturday, Alan O’Connor, posted a remarkable score of 44pts, which was not bettered on Sunday.

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When the last of the 18 hole qualifiers came off the 18th green on Sunday afternoon, his closest rivals Pat Doody, Tony Conroy and Tommy King were five points adrift with 39pts.

The nine hole play off provided plenty of drama with all the pursuers trying to eat into Alan’s lead. It wasn’t until the last putt fell in that the overall winner was known and best of the chasing pack was Tommy King. His 20pts in the play-off coupled with his morning score of 39pts gave him a total of 59pts and with it his first club major, Captain’s Prize winner 2016.

Tommy will now represent the club in the Kerryman Captains’ Challenge, hosted by Castlegregory in September.

He also goes into the All-Ireland Captain’s Winners, hosted by Roscrea Golf Club. We wish him every success when representing Castlegregory in these competitions.

There were many stories of putts that fell in and of course those that lipped out by all contenders. Good luck deserted Alan O’Connor on Sunday afternoon, but he can feel very proud of his achievement in finishing second and it won’t be too long before he lands his first major.

There are many strings to our winner’s bow – apart from being vice-captain and treasurer of the men’s club, he’s a dab hand at the barbecue.

He was ably assisted by the Blennerville chef, Richard Rowan, whose culinary skills fed a multitude. El Presidente, Sean Spillane, failed to get a HIQUA approved cert and so he was barred from going near the cooking area for fear of litigation.

The success of the weekend would not have been possible without the help of a lot of people who ensured everything was in place. The course managers Tom and Sean along with Mike and Joe, ensured the fairways and greens were in pristine condition and a credit to their efforts.

Our club staff Joan, Pat and Nora made sure all who crossed the threshold were fed and watered. The back-up team of ladies and gents were also to the fore in ensuring that nobody was left out of the equation.

A big thank to all who helped make the Captain’s Prize such an enjoyable weekend. This would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors – Brian Kearney (Irish Life), Ballyroe Heights Hotel, Rick Earley, Richie Greer and Dan Healy Butchers.

The presentation of prizes took place at the Seven Hogs on Sunday with a large number of members and guests in attendance. Thanks to our long term sponsor Tim Golden and his staff for his continued support and hospitality.