Bangor Golf Club’s senior men’s foursomes team delivered a superb performance last Sunday afternoon, overcoming a formidable Belvoir Park side at Blackwood & Mahee to secure a place in the semi-finals of the prestigious Barton Shield.
The format saw two scratch foursomes pairings from each club compete over 18 holes, with the aggregate result across both matches determining the winner.
In the opening match, current club champion and team captain Thomas Beaumont partnered with Max Carson. The duo faced early pressure, falling three down after eight holes. However, a shift in momentum began at the 9th, where a pulled approach shot from Belvoir allowed Bangor to claw back a hole with a steady par. A pair of birdies at 13 and 14 saw the match level by the 15th tee. Although they dropped the 16th to a bogey, a brilliant birdie at 17 squared the match once again, which is how it finished.
In the second match, Lewis Gowdy and Shea Dorman kept things tight in the opening stretch, matching their opponents shot-for-shot over the first 10 holes. A birdie at the 11th and a solid par to win the 13th gave Bangor a two-hole cushion. Belvoir hit back on 15 to reduce the deficit, but the narrow lead held into the final hole. Dorman then unleashed a towering drive up the 18th, setting up Gowdy with a short pitch to four feet — and the Bangor duo calmly sealed the deal in a tense finish.
All four players showcased tremendous skill and composure throughout the afternoon, thrilling spectators with a display of top-class shot-making. Overcoming Belvoir Park, a club with a rich pedigree at this level, marks a significant achievement.
Bangor will now face Warrenpoint — one of the heavyweights of men’s senior cup golf — in the semi-finals, scheduled to be played no later than July 23. A victory there would see Bangor through to the Barton Shield Final on July 27, a potential historic day for the club.
