What a week for Nick McCarthy

After a bogey free 8 under par 63 to finish third in the EuroPro Tour event at Cumberwell Park, Nick headed to final qualifying at Hillside. On a damp Tuesday morning second out from the 10th tee Nick again went bogey free to score 66 and lead after 18 holes.

I decided to make a mad dash to Hillside to hopefully cheer him on during the second round, I arrived whilst he was on the 9th hole. Nick had parred every hole on the front nine and was still leading when I arrived. With dad Dave on the bag Nick looked very calm,(despite admitting to me that he was very nervous) plotting his way round the tough links at Hillside with 3 wood and irons off every tee.

A great up and down for birdie having gone through the back of the 509 yard 11th hole took him to seven under and 2 in the lead, pars in from 12th to 15th never looking like being in any trouble. A fantastic 4 iron into the 218 yard 16th hole was unfortunate to roll just off the back edge and the 25 foot putt lipped the hole and went 6 feet past, Nick held his nerve and rolled it in. Trying to get up the par 5 17th, in two Nick just went after a 3 wood and lost his ball right but made a four with his second ball for his first bogey in 64 holes of competitive golf. A 4 iron off the 18th tee and his best shot of the day a 9 iron to 4 feet set up a final birdie and a 7 under par total, that was good enough for second place and a place in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from the 20th July.

I am sure many of you will now want to go and support Nick flying the flag for Moortown at Royal Birkdale. I am so happy for Nick and Dave and hope that he can make it to the weekend which would be year changing financially for Nick.

Enclosed is an image of Nick with good friend Adam Hodgkinson (who lost to Danny Willett in the Yorkshire Final at Moortown) both anxiously checking the scores to see if they were going to The Open - they both got in. The Yorkshire Post used my picture from twitter - surely I must get some royalties!


 

Competition round up

Back at Moortown there was also some great golf being played in difficult conditions on Saturday. David Aitken lead the way in Division One beating Marty Robinson on a count back having both scored 69. Andy Milner had posted a fine 70 in the morning which in the conditions I thought would be good enough, but Andy took some consolation in getting lower than wife Liz again! Hugh Crowther won Division Two after a blistering front nine that included two gross birdies and despite an 8 on the last with a nett 71, beating Jamie Chappell and Duncan Innes who both scored 71's.

It was Lady Captain to the fore in the ladies Medal taking top slot with a nett 73 - it must be those new clubs!

This weekend

It is the Blue Tee Medal, Scratch Cup and Intermediate this weekend, a good chance to test yourself against the championship course at Moortown. If you are down on the sheet for the blue tee medal it is not a major so you don't have to enter the medal but we would ask you to play from the yellow tees to keep the pace of play as quick as possible.