Tim Orgill and Mark McDonald swept to victory at the HKGA Pairs Tournament with a highly impressive display at Discovery Bay Golf Club last month.
Orgill, who won the event in 2011 when in partnership with fellow Fanling member Donald Nimmo, was in blistering form, firing three birdies and an eagle over the Jade/Diamond layout at the Lantau course; and with McDonald chipping in with two fine birdies of his own, the duo amassed 41 gross stableford points to take the title by four from perennial performers Richard Phoebus and Rungnapa Winchester. The father and son pair of Klaus and Terrence Ng bagged third spot, a further point adrift.
Starting on the more difficult Jade nine, McDonald struck early with a lengthy birdie putt at the second to put his team in red numbers. A blip came at the tough fifth, where both players found trouble off the tee, resulted in no points, but Orgill, the reigning Hong Kong Golf Club champion, responded with aplomb. Back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth holes were followed by another birdie at the 10th (the first hole the Diamond nine) before a sublime eagle landed at the par-5 13th, where he holed a curling 30ft putt. McDonald, making his debut in the popular fourball event, effectively sealed the victory by holing a tricky birdie putt at the 16th.
"It was a joy to watch Tim today," said McDonald, a two-handicapper, who plays most of his golf across the border at Mission Hills Golf Club. "Apart from the one hole where we both messed up we combined pretty well and made a few putts, which was very nice. But more to the point it's been a great deal of fun."
In the nett division, Kwok Kam-tin and Leung Kam-wa combined for victory on count back over William Wong and John Yiu after the two pairs finished with matching 49-point hauls. Peter John Phillips and Brendan Watty placed third, a further point back on 48.
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