Whitford beaming with delight

It was doubles up for Knock players at Downpatrick as the Northern Branch completed the PGA Summer Series.

Ricky Whitford (above) and Johnny Breen were the ones with the broadest smiles after topping the professional and amateur gross leaderboards.

Whitford posted a level par 69 in the sunshine conditions with an economical round of golf. He three-putted the first green and drove into trees off the seventh tee to pencil in bogey fives but regained the lost ground with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine.

At the short eighth hole, he steered an eight iron to two inches and was just two feet away from the flag at the next with a drive and sand-iron to turn in regulation 35. On the way home he carded nine straight pars.

Local pro Robbie Hutton, Philip Farrell (Phil Farrell Golf), Neil Graham (Kirkistown Castle) and Noel Murray (Massereene) were joint second on 70.