Banbridge and Killymoon level after first leg of match

The first leg was played away at Cookstown last Tuesday.

Sydney Pepper is the team captain and he was hoping to win at least one of the four matches. Anything more than that would be a bonus.

All the matches were tight, very tight.

In the top match, Sydney (12) and Fergie Cosgrove (13) lost by one hole to Norman Weir (7) and Gerry Breslin (10).

Bobby Geddis (13) and Seamus McGrath (14) played superbly to beat Trevor

Crooks (10) and Padddy Dargan (11) by two holes up.

Dennis Lockhart (15) and Verdun Bond (15) lost by two holes against Tom

Doonan (11) and Jack Moore (13).

In the final game, Tom Fee (15) and Norman Doak (17) held on grimly to beat Alan McCormick (16) and Brendan Conway (21) by one hole up.

So the match, at the halfway stage, is perfectly poised. It’s two games each and the holes are level.

Banbridge have home advantage in the second leg and they should be able to make that pay.

It will still be tight, you can count on that.

Jonathan Shannon wins The Open Stableford

Jonathan Shannon (5) played a brilliant round of golf last Thursday to win the Open Stableford at Banbridge Golf Club.

Jonathan, one of the finest iron players in the club, went round in level par 69 with birdies at holes 1, 2, 7 and 13.

He totalled 42 points.

Terry Malcolmson (14) was runner-up with 40 points.

These Thursday Opens are beginning to attract a number of visitors, which is all good.

Ian Briggs (16), a visitor, was third with 39 points.

The best gross prize went to an in-form Kieran Magennis (5) with a 74.

Albert Morrison (21) and Freddie Rowan (15) deserve a mention as they narrowly missed out on a prize with 37 points each.