From Tony Durkin
MIXED FORTUNES: When Josie Ryan – dressed in her green shirt on St Patrick’s Day and wearing a Shamrock (three-leaf clover) badge – found a homeless $10 note on the morning of Headland’s 36-hole Mixed Foursomes Championships, she had a feeling luck might be on her side. But after she and partner Sean McGill shot 85 in the morning 18 holes to be five strokes behind the three leading pairs, Josie realised a big effort was needed. And that is exactly what the pair produced, scorching home in the afternoon with a three-over 75 to win by three strokes from Dominique Paice and Brian Kesby (80/83) and defending champions Sharon and Blake Thomas (80/86). Ironically, Josie and Sean are the respective men and ladies A Grade Pennant captains, and the Mixed Championship title win is their second after they teamed for victory in 2014. The nett event was won by Coralie Walsh and Scott Walker, who streeted the field with 137, to win by seven shots.
EASTER TOURNAMENT: More than half the capacity field of 208 has already nominated for the Walsh Professional Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championships to be played at Headland on Easter Saturday and Sunday. The 58th staging of the annual tournament has already attracted a star-studded line-up with 14 entrants holding a handicap of two or less. The lowest in the field to date is Zach Maxwell from Virginia, who plays off plus three. Most players nominated are from the Sunshine Coast but others will come from Arundel Hills, Hervey Bay, Carbrook, Winderoo, Brisbane, Murgon, Goomeri and Melbourne’s Yarra View. The largest visiting group is from Coolangatta-Tweed, with nine members making their 12th annual trek north. Entries close this coming Thursday (March 22) at 5pm (Link to Online Nomination)
MISSING REED: The largest family membership in the club, the Reeds, has suffered a loss in numbers with Brad recently moving to England to play rugby league with Huddersfield. Developer Ken Reed heads the family affiliation, which includes his sons Brad, Tim and Nick, as well as his uncle Alan, brother-in-law Steve Norbury and Steve’s son Luke, a junior member who also works behind the bar. Although Brad misses his regular golf at Headland, his overseas venture is proving well worthwhile. The former Falcons and Maroochydore rugby league player scored two tries in his first outing for the club last weekend – a 26-18 win.
HOT AND COLD: Gary Savill loves his golf, but the retired former Adelaide businessman doesn’t take the game too seriously. That’s why his 43 points in Wednesday’s Single Stableford was particularly satisfying to an 18-handicapper who plays only spasmodically between overseas holidays. What he calls his ‘hot and cold’ form is typified by the first round of last year’s club championships when he was one over the card playing the 15th, and then took a 14. And his nemeses hole struck again on Wednesday when he scored 20 points on the back nine despite wiping the dreaded 15th.
CAPTAIN’S COMEBACK: Men’s captain James Kidd yesterday bounced back from a large payout the previous week when 19 players in the field of 43 shared in the spoils of the Captain’s Challenge, beating his paltry score of 32 stableford points. Yesterday in the monthly Wood Duck Challenge, which is sponsored by Kidd’s company EKO Financial, the captain shot 77 for 37 Stableford points, and was one of only three players to beat their handicap and share the major prizemoney of $55 each. The club’s CUB rep, Peter Dunn, returned the best score – 42 points.
PENNANTS UPDATE: Headland’s A Grade Men’s team kept its Pennant finals hopes alive with a superb 4/3 victory over Noosa at Caloundra yesterday. Winners were Mat Walkenhorst (5&2), David Rattray (4&3) Ryley Martin (3&1) and Adam Rydwanski (2up). With no Pennant matches for the next two weekends and Headland having the bye during the April 8 round, their next match before the finals is a must-win clash against Nambour on April 15. In another cliffhanger yesterday, Headland’s Masters lost 4/3 to Maroochy River at Cooroy, with all but one match in the balance going up 18. Winners were captain Peter Perrett (2up) and Ian Moore (1up), while Burgess Stephenson and Michael Collins both halved their matches. Meanwhile the B Grade Pennants team achieved a very rare feat – a 7-nil clean sweep over Tin Can Bay at Noosa Springs. Daniel Diachkoff (4&3), Matt Price (4&3), Arthur Soanes (4&3), Michael Thomas (3&1), Dean Jones (6&5), Matt Hetherington and Matt Macaulay (1up) were members of the destructive winning team. The Juniors lost 2-1 to Noosa Springs, at Mt Coolum. Ethan Vong won 2&1, but James Daniel and Keita Griffin-Klazema both tasted defeat.
LADIES PENNANTS: Headland’s weekend Pennant team has now registered two wins and a draw from their three matches following yesterday’s 3/2 victory over Beerwah at Maroochy River. Jodie McDonnell won 4&2, Wil Sprake 3&1 and Kirsten Kaergaard annihilated her opponent, winning 6&5. Today the Division One team kept its Pennant season alive with a 3/2 win over Pelican Waters at Noosa, with captain Josie Ryan winning the decisive match 3&1. Sharon Thomas also scored a good win, 4&3, and Kate Wilkie was also in good form, winning 3&2. And Division Two scored a decisive victory at home, beating Bribie island White 4/1. Captain Robyn Boreham led the way with a 5&3 thrashing of her opponent, and team mate Susie Fentin followed suit, also winning 5&3. Jenny Pirini kept her recent winning run intact with a 2&1 victory and Carol Dwyer was the other victor, beating her opponent 3&2.
RYLEY REPAYS: Because he was in Sydney attending a family celebration, Ryley Martin informed team mates he would be unavailable for the weekend’s do-or-die A Grade Pennant match. But when his fellow team members offered to assist their youngest team mate with the cost of his airfares to return for yesterday’s all-important clash with Noosa, he accepted their generous gesture – and proceeded to repay them handsomely. His 3&1 win was absolutely vital in the 4/3 victory which keeps Headland in the hunt for the prestigious Pennant.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: Popular plasterer Les McClymont took a moment last Saturdayto recall the ‘good old days’ when he was a single-figure marker at Headland and once shot a career-low round of 74 on the course at which he has been a member for almost four decades. But Les wasn’t kidding himself that his outstanding 45 points to win the Single Stableford event was overly spectacular, describing his round as a ‘chip and putt day’ and declaring that from tee to green he was ‘rubbish’. An amazing 22 putts was the catalyst for his round of 80, with his one-over 37 garnering his card 26 points on the front nine.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Veterans, Single Stableford, cancelled because of weather conditions; Men’s and Ladies Single Stableford, cancelled because of weather conditions.
Wednesday, Men, Single Stableford (152 players) – A grade, Peter Gablonski (41 points), Andrew Trenerry (37), Daniel Diachkoff (36); B grade, Gary Savill (43), Ivan Fortmann (39), Stephen Woolcott (39); C grade, Donald Marek (38), Mark Priest (35), Steve Phillips (34).
Thursday, Ladies, Irish Foursomes (81 players) – Maria Hireme, Kerrie Tibbits, Tove Larsen and Jenny Pirini (72 points), Christine Hall, Kym Mason, Kathy Petrie and Wil Sprake (72), Josie Ryan, Colleen Berger, Mary Young and Gay David (70).
Men, Single Stableford (59 players) – Greg Jellis (38 points), George Eastgate (37), Mick Kinnear (36).
Saturday, Mixed Foursomes Championship (58 players) – Champions, Josie Ryan and Sean McGill (85/75/160), Dominique Paice and Brian Kesby (80/83/163), Sharon and Blake Thomas (80/86/166); nett, Coralie Walsh and Scott Walker (137), Wil Sprake and Michael Collins (144), Sue Johnson and Barry Newton (144).
Medley Single Stableford, Ladies (12 players) – Carole Dyas (31 points), Joanne Stifler (28). Men (115 players) – A grade Chris Goundrey (40 points), Ken Wedmaier (39), Mat Walkenhorst (39); B grade, Les McClymont (45), Morgan Winston (41), David Cekulis (41).
Sunday, Wood Duck Medley Single Stableford (36 players) – Peter Dunn (42 points), Adam Richards (39), James Kidd (37).
