From Tony Durkin
SUPERHACK STILL OPEN: Spots are still available on two of the big three days of Headland’s Super Hack, which kicks off on Friday with a qualifying round of the Holden Scramble. Vacancies are open for teams of four in the popular Ambrose Scramble, with a $10,000 hole-in-one shootout and a sit-down dinner to follow. Saturday’s Super Golf event – played over an interesting and challenging 10 repositioned holes on a cross-country course – is fully booked but places in the field for the Sunday Shootout are open. The 18-hole stableford Shootout, made somewhat more intriguing with no flags on the greens, is Headland’s last official golf event for the year. Super Golf contestants have the chance to have a crack at a $5000 putting prize, while musical entertainment in the clubhouse after each day’s play will complement the club’s first-ever Super Hack Weekend.
PERRET STRIKES AGAIN: The message from Darcy Brown is succinct – never attempt to upstage Peter Perrett on the golf course. Regular playing partners Darcy and Peter both scored eagles during last Wednesday’s Mid-Week Medal – on successive holes. Darcy holed a wedge from over the trees on the left-hand side of 13 and Peter immediately retaliated, acing the 14th with a seven iron. But it isn’t the first time this year that Peter has upstaged Darcy, or in fact scored a hole in one. Back in January when a temporary tee was in operation on the par-four ninth hole, Darcy hit his tee shot to within 30 centimetres, looked Peter in the eye and said ‘get inside that’. Peter again reciprocated, dunking a nine iron from the top of the hill. But Peter and Darcy were not the only eagle champs on Wednesday. Veteran Tony Coad, playing in the same group as club president John Alsbury, scored his first ‘official’ hole-in-one when he perfectly struck a three-iron to the back pin on the fifth hole. His previous ace was a decade ago during a Headland Pennant trial.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: Despite breaking 80 for the first time in a Medal round, Shaun Sigley is still dirty on himself for missing par putts from within a metre on the final two holes in last Wednesday’s competition. Sigley’s 79, for a nett 64, easily won him the B grade Mid-Week Medal, but he laments the missed chances of 17 and 18 which would have made an impressive card look that much better. Nicknamed Ernie, Sigley signed for had 11 pars and seven bogeys and said he had not struck the ball better, consistently, during a round than he did on Wednesday. And the 39-40 compilation has fuelled the fire in the belly of the well-known bathroom renovator who has now set himself the goal of returning to the days when he played off a handicap of eight.
ON THE MEND: Popular Headland staffer Jenene Nicholson is recovering in hospital following surgery last week. Jenene, who refers to her role at the club as a ‘jack of all trades’, started work at Headland as a teenager and is now in her 26th year. She has, fittingly, been bombarded with good wishes following the wonderful news and has assured members she will be back on deck in no time – most likely around mid-February.
A WALKOVER: For the third successive year the team captained by Scott Walker has won the annual Christmas Closing Day event, a Medley fourball Ambrose. And they did it despite an unlikely bogey on 15. Teaming once again with two-marker Scott were his brother Glenn (6) and mates Quentin Poulsen (18) and Anthony Larchin (19). And the quartet returned an impressive card of 60, for a nett 54.3, despite the stumble on 15. But thaT bogey spurred them on – seven of their 13 birdies on the day came on the following seven holes.
VETS BACK: All executives on the board of Headland Veterans have been returned to office except one following last week’s annual general meeting. Merv Lum has retired after two years as vice-captain, and replaced by Bruce Reid. Tony Coad is back for his 10th term as president, and his 15th year on the committee, while Phil Martin (captain), Bob Hunter (secretary), Bruce Horton (treasurer) and Yvonne Henry (Ladies rep) were returned unopposed. Also unveiled at the AGM were the respective players of the year, with Huki Matenga and Gwen Nancarrow the champs. Successful in the year-long eclectic were Merv Lum and Sue jones. The Vets will change their playing day next year from Monday to Tuesday, with their first competition on January 16.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Monday, Veteran’s Irish Foursomes – competition abandoned because of inclement weather.
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Men (42 players) – John Kamm (37 points), James Bradford (35), Gary Rugless (34); Ladies (34 players) – Christina Claxton (36), Carole Dyas (32), Barb Marrington (27).
Wednesday, Men, Mid-Week Medal (204 starters) – A grade, Bevan Horsnell (66 nett), Marc Vinter (67), David Mayes (67); B grade, Shaun Sigley (64), Malcolm McColm (67), James Kolbe (69); C grade, James Daniel (66), Robert Keogh (68), Chris Duhig (72).
Thursday, Ladies, 9-hole Ambrose: front nine (58 players) – Marg White, Gwen Nancarrow, Kate Wilkie and Wendy Jobberns (32.3 nett), Catherine Janiszewski, Carolyn Richardson, Sue Keays and Jenny Campbell (33.6), Kathryn Tales, Cathy Haines, Prue Byrnes and Catherine Petersen (33.7 nett); back nine (51 players) – Trish Murphy, Katrina Burke, Katrina Watts and Trish Arden (35.8), Julieanne Coull, Jane Boaler, Lyn Forbes and Brenda Smith-Gittings (35.8), MaryAnn Sanderson, Christine Millsteed, Ann Dykstra and Joy Ryan (36).
Men, 4BBB Stableford (89 players) – Gary Thomas and Jock McLaughlin (48 points), Brad Reddan and Neil Oxley (46), Dennis Taylor and Malcolm Woods (44).
Saturday, Medley 4-person Ambrose (269 players) – Quentin Poulsen, Anthony Larchin, Scott Walker and Glenn Walker (54.3 nett), Chris Klazema, John Harris, Darren McLeod and Darren Walters (55), Brian Kesby, Dominique Paice, Stephen Holdsworth and Warren Selvege (55.3), Ken Wedmaier, Ian Harper, Andrew Nairne and Russell Harris (56.3).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (19 players) – Brad Allen (39 points), Chris DeBruyn (38), Garry Allen (35).
