CALUM DONS HIS SUNDAY BEST

With England at one stage looking to be on the verge of World Cup glory in Russia, and our last drop of rain seemingly having fallen way back in 1966, it has felt at times recently as though we are living in some sort of parallel universe. County Armagh Golf Club has at least attempted to retain a small grip on normality in these heady last few weeks, though, with the completion of some refreshingly sane and workaday events that have since been ticked off its 2018 fixture list.

While the Three Lions have actually now racked up 52 years of hurt, Calum Connell rarely has to endure more than 10 days of hurt, such is the remarkable regularity with which he features among the prizes at CAGC. The talented schoolboy's latest winning display arrived on Sunday 1 July, when he topped the pile in a Club Stableford competition. Calum's superb gross 73 incorporated birdies at the 12th and 15th and, most pleasingly, represented the lowest round of his embryonic career.

The massive 41 points that it yielded also left young Connell a full five strokes ahead of the chasing pack. That group was headed up by overall runner-up, Bill Knipe, who birdied the 4th and reeled off three consecutive back-nine pars on his way to a fine 36-point return.

The 18th hole at County Armagh Golf Club: par 4, index 6, Cathedrals.