NUGENT NETS MAY MEDAL

With young Adam Cromwell having snapped up the first Medal of the season at County Armagh Golf Club last month, the second was on offer for the best performer in an Armagh Business Centre-sponsored stoke competition on 19 May. And as 174 combatants did sunshine battle for the coveted silverware, the last man standing was the increasingly prolific Stephen Nugent.

Given the fruitful fashion in which in which he has commenced the 2018 campaign — numerous category honours have followed his top prize in March's Chest, Heart and Stroke — the Keady player has been threatening a really big win, and he got it here by virtue of a fabulous nett 64.

Nugent's success was built on admirable constancy and error evasion, as his only score worse than a bogey came in the form of a relatively harmless five at the 9th. Elsewhere, Stephen's steadiness brought six pars and 11 bogeys, including a 5, 4, 5 climax that was especially impressive given the stakes.

In addition to being presented with the May Medal for his superb Saturday showing, Nugent has taken receipt of a new handicap of 18, and his sound golfing progress shows no sign of abatement.

Stephen Nugent is presented with the May Medal by Eileen Stewart from Armagh Business Centre, competition sponsor. Also pictured are County Armagh Golf Club Captain, Colm Shannon, and other prizewinners, Conal Hamill and Eamon Connolly.

Matching the triumphant total of nett 64 but losing out to the champion on break of tie was Conal Hamill, who filled the overall runner-up berth. There is little substitute for experience and, as the Moy man rolled back the years, he rolled home the putts to reach the turn in just 37 strokes.