History repeated itself at Castletown Golf Club on Saturday.

Fresh from retaining the club championship title, Andrew Challenor duly clinched the Steve Keegan Trophy having won the inaugural event last year with the same score. Former CGC board member Steve, who lost his brave battle with cancer in January 2023, was a staunch supporter of scratch-play. Hence, that is the format for his memorial competition.

Challenor (+3), who poignantly was Steve’s regular playing partner, serenely signed for two-under-par following 16 pars and two birdies. His glorious gross 70 gave him victory by one shot, but it was just as well this was not a nett competition as he would have been out of the top 10 on 70/73.

The runner-up, former captain Gez Bradley (2), was two under after the first four holes, then the Road Hole brought him back to level par. Bounce-back-birdies on the 7th, 12th and 16th put him ahead, but Bradley bogeyed the 14th and the 17th to finish second with the top nett score of 71/69.

Three nett prizes were on offer so Gareth Morris (6), who came third overall on gross 76, was able to celebrate despite his ‘snowman-eight’ on the 3rd. A closing birdie left him on 76/70, and this placed him half-a-shot ahead of Michael Saabye Katkjaer 79/70 on countback.

A convoluted countback was needed to determine the final clubhouse credit. Aeronaut David Allan 84/71 bailed out early, but the dogfight between Paul Gallagher 93/71 and Colin C Magee 85/71 came down to their last six holes. Gallagher’s lucrative two on the 13th proved decisive and he landed the loot.

Our lady captain, Michelle Hooker (24), also benefitted from a birdie on the 13th. It was the third of four nett eagles in her wonderful winning round in the mixed mid-week Stableford.

Hooker’s 42 points gave her a four-point margin of victory. It was also her second win of the week as three days earlier she shot the same score in the Ramsey Crookall-sponsored Sunday Stableford series.

Stuart Butler (20) motored into second space on Wednesday with a bountiful back-nine worth 22 of his 38 points. That was one more than 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medal trap shooter Trevor Boyles (15) who blasted the last 11 holes in only four over par.

Girl-power was evident on that previous Sunday as Linda Fisk (22) took second spot behind Hooker with 40 points, which was the same score made by Fisk’s daughter Gigi (28). Gigi was beating her mum with one hole to go but the ‘gorge-us’ 18th got the better of her.

‘The Old Tom’ 36-hole scratch stroke play open competition, named after the course designer Old Tom Morris, took place on Sunday.

After the morning round, Daryl Callister, who shot 68, held a four-shot lead ahead of Chris Kneen on level par. Robert Noon (MMGC) and Liam Cowin were joint third at two over par.

In the afternoon the wind worsened, and second-round scores suffered accordingly. However, Callister consolidated his lead with three birdies over the first seven holes. Four bogeys and another birdie left Callister needing only a par to complete a level-par round.

Disappointingly, a double bogey gave Callister a 74 to add to his opening 68. Nevertheless his splendid 142, two-under-par winning total was an emphatic nine shots clear of the field.

Island champion Noon dropped a further five shots before closing out strongly with a succession of seven pars to finish on 77 to add to his earlier 74 for 151 and second place.

In contrast, Kneen surrendered only one shot on his outward leg, but then squandered six shots in two holes and a further three over the final two holes. Consequently, Kneen’s 72+82=154 placed him third, five shots ahead of Cowin who carded three 7s on a relatively ruinous run-in.

Saturday sees the beginning of the winter season and a Texas Scramble with a difference is set to test us. Tactics will come into play as six tee shots have to be selected from each of the red, yellow and black tees.

The club’s annual awards dinner is being held at Woodbourne House, Douglas on Saturday, October 18.

MALCOLM LAMBERT