Winter series hotting up at Portsalon Golf Club

Winter golf isn’t for everyone: Once the cold sets in and the short days arrive, there’s no shortage of club golfers content to put the sticks in the shed for a few months.

The one thing most can’t resist though is a shot at a good prize and so Portsalon Golf Club have put together a tempting Winter Series with a big target at the end.

The Portsalon Winter Golf Series is an eight-event series running right through until early February and is backed by Auto Fast Fit in Letterkenny and Michelin Tyres Ireland.

With a cumulative scoring process across eight separate events, it has been dubbed ‘The Race To Safer Driving’ and the overall winner will drive off with four new Michelin tyres worth over €500 come the spring.

As with the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, players can score points in each event and an overall table will see the winner crowned.

In this case, the best six scores from the eight counting events will be used for each player, with points awarded to the top-30 finishers in each outing.

The Portsalon Winter Golf Series is an open event, for both Portsalon members and GUI members alike from elsewhere and players can still register to enter with event three taking place on Saturday 24^th November (contact Portsalon on 074 91 59459 to play).

Week 2 of the series took place on Saturday last, amid some stunning low winter sun that made for perfect golfing conditions.

The course, and greens in particular, remain in spectacular condition as we approach mid-November and a turnout of more than 100 golfers was fitting for this excellent series, co-sponsored by Stephen Harris of Auto Fast Fit Letterkenny and Michelin Tyres Ireland.

It was 23-handicapper Adrian O’Dalaigh that claimed the overall win with 41 points. After starting with four straight bogeys to get his card moving he found a valuable four-point birdie two at the fifth hole that really kick-started the round.

Closing the front nine with three-point gains at holes eight and nine, he had 21 points in the bag at the half-way mark. Pars at the 10^th and 13^th holes offset a blank on the par-five 11^th and Adrian remained steady on the run for home to bring in 41 points and take the win.

Daniel Shields, winner of the opening Winter Series event was again in fine form taking second spot on the break of tie from Stuart Nicholl. Daniel will now have for himself a healthy lead in the early ‘Race To Safer Driving’ standings.

Full Result – Portsalon Winter Series Week 2, Saturday November 10^th Sponsored by Auto Fast Fit, Letterkenny & Michelin Tyres Ireland

Winner: Adrian O’Dalaigh (23) – 41pts

Runner Up: Daniel Shields (10) – 40pts BOT

Gross: Brian Scullion (4) – 33pts

Third: Stuart Nicholl (18) – 40pts

Visitor: Tiernan Hampsey (7) – 37pts

‘The Race To Safer Driving’ Standings

1^st: Daniel Shields – 95 pts

2^nd: Adrian O’Dalaigh – 50 pts

3^rd: Stuart Nicholl – 50 pts

4^th: Brian Haughey – 50 pts

5^th: Marty McDermott – 45 pts

6^th: Shaun McGarrigle – 41 pts

7^th: Tong Kingston – 40 pts

8^th: Noel Nicholl – 40 pts

9^th: Pauric Dunleavy – 35 pts

10^th: David McLaughlin – 35 pts