NAT'LL DO NICELY IN OBELISK TROPHY

As part of its ongoing 125th anniversary celebrations, County Armagh Golf Club granted members and visitors a rare opportunity to vie for the Centenary Obelisk Trophy on 25 August, when there was no shortage of hopeful contenders in the Open event sponsored by Irwin M&E Ltd.

Just shy of 200 players crammed onto the Cathedral City fairways, all intent on eventually emerging from battle in possession of the beautiful Tyrone Crystal replica of the course's landmark monument, which was created in the club's 100th year in 1993.

And when the scores were collated, a highly competitive Obelisk leaderboard showed at its summit Natty McGeown, whose wonderful nett 63 meant he would take home the ornamental spoils.

McGeown reached the turn in a mere 37 hits after an untroubled outward nine of three bogeys and half-a-dozen pars. Similar serenity would follow on the way home, where the neat-and-tidiness of four pars and four bogeys was upset only by the pleasant interruption of a birdie at the 15th.

County Armagh Golf Club Captain, Colm Shannon, and Open Centenary Obelisk Trophy competition sponsor, Keith Stewart, Managing Director of Irwin M&E Ltd, are pictured with prizewinners in the event to mark the club's 125th anniversary: (L-R) Philip Kelly, Andy Steed, Stephen Catterall, John Maguire, Natty McGeown, Eric Hamilton and Paddy Smyth

The resulting superb gross 76 earned Natty a new handicap of 11 and rendered him a delighted recipient of the Obelisk Trophy, which he collected at a Saturday evening prize-giving alongside Alexandra Mawhinney, winner of the Ladies' equivalent tournament.