McDermott Takes Top Honours in Opening Winter Competition at Ballymena Golf Club
Brian McDermott produced the standout performance as Ballymena Golf Club's winter competition season got underway, returning an impressive 35 points over thirteen holes to claim victory in Division 4.
With the official 18-hole competition season now concluded, players took to the course for the first of the shorter winter events, with 132 competitors taking part across four divisions.
Division 4 – McDermott Sets the Pace
Brian McDermott (19) recorded the best score of the day with an excellent 35 points.
Despite a difficult start with a triple bogey on the opening hole, McDermott responded superbly, recording four consecutive pars before adding a birdie at the par-four sixth. Three bogeys followed, leaving him with an outstanding 26 points after nine holes.
His closing four holes included a par at the eleventh and a bogey at the twelfth, securing an impressive winning total of 35 points.
Quinton McKee (19) claimed the runner-up position with a strong 32 points.
Division 3 – Owens Impresses with 34 Points
William Owens (12) produced the second-best score of the day, returning 34 points to win Division 3.
After bogeying his opening two holes, Owens found his rhythm with six pars over the remaining seven holes of his front nine, reaching the turn with 23 points.
He maintained his consistency over the closing four holes, finishing with a birdie at the thirteenth to secure the divisional victory.
David Ross finished runner-up with 31 points.
Division 1 – Stevenson Claims Victory
Paul Stevenson (5) secured Division 1 honours with a level-par round worth 31 Stableford points.
Stevenson made an excellent start with birdies at the first and third holes, with his only dropped shots on the opening nine coming at the fourth and ninth.
Two pars opened his closing four holes before a bogey at the twelfth was quickly cancelled out by a birdie at the thirteenth.
Sean McLarnon (4) finished runner-up, just one point behind on 30 points.
Division 2 – Chambers Edges Captain Kidd on Countback
Division 2 produced one of the closest finishes of the day, with David Chambers (11) and Club Captain Noel Kidd (10) both returning 30 points.
Chambers recovered from a difficult opening stretch to record three consecutive pars from the sixth to the eighth holes, reaching the turn with 19 points.
He then finished strongly with pars at the tenth and eleventh, a valuable birdie at the twelfth and a closing bogey, adding 11 points over his final four holes.
That finish proved decisive, with Chambers taking the Division 2 title on countback ahead of Kidd.
Competition Results
Division | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Score |
Division 1 | Paul Stevenson | 31 pts | Sean McLarnon | 30 pts |
Division 2 | David Chambers | 30 pts | Noel Kidd | 30 pts |
Division 3 | William Owens | 34 pts | David Ross | 31 pts |
Division 4 | Brian McDermott | 35 pts | Quinton McKee | 32 pts |
Eighteen Twos Recorded
A total of 132 players competed in the opening winter event, with eighteen twos recorded throughout the day.
Every par-three hole yielded at least one two, although no individual player managed to record more than one.
Congratulations to all four divisional winners and everyone who took part in the opening competition of Ballymena Golf Club's winter season.
