Murray on the ball at Lurgan

Massereene’s Noel Murray went to town on the back nine at Lurgan to lay the foundations of victory in the Ping PGA Ulster Grand Prix outing.

However, he still onlyl had a shot to spare, at the end of the day, over runner-up Gary Wardlow.

Murray posted a winning five-under-par 65, having turned five-under after teeing off at the 10th hole. He was seven-under after 14 holes but had an anxious finish, dropping shots at the sixth and eighth before finishing with a par.

A chip and putt at 10 set Murray on his way with birdie three and he rifled a six iron to three feet for a two at the short 11th. A hat-trick of birdies landed on the 16th, 17th and 18th greens as the winner made birdie three from eight feet at 16, holed a 25-feet raker, after a seven iron off the tee, for a two at 17 and he completed his treble with a chip and putt for birdie four on the 18th.

Probably, Murray’s best birdie of the day was made at the third hole where he launched a daring drive over trees and chipped to four feet, from 67 yards, for a three. He was then on the surface at the long fifth hole with a drive and gap wedge and got down in two stabs from 20 feet. However, those last two birdies were off-set by bogey five, at the sixth hole where he had to take a penalty drop from trees and a three putt at eight.

Phil Posnett was twice on the winner’s rostrum but had to wait for a countback on both occasions. He won the amateur’s nett prize on 42 points, edging out Graham Beitch on the back nine – 23 points to 19 – and he was a member of the winning team, led by local pro Peter Hanna. They won by 45 points to 44 on the way home.