From Tony Durkin
CAPTAIN’S MEDAL: Headland’s Junior Pennants captain Patrick Walsh, who has three wins and a draw in the competition to date, scored his breakthrough Monthly Medal victory on Wednesday. Playing off 27, the Year 12 Sienna College student shot 93 for a nett score of 66 which not only won the C Grade medal, but was the best score of the day. It is not, however, his best round of golf. That came three weeks ago when he hammered his Mt Coolum Pennant opponent 6&5 at Maroochy River and was seven over par when the competition concluded. Patrick is the youngest member of the Walsh family who so generously support Headland. Dad Justin Walsh is a two-rounds-a-week player and – among other events his company has sponsored – is the Easter Men’s Open Amateur for the past 19 years, while his wife Coralie and her dad Don Follent are regular playing members, as is eldest son Emmet who also works behind the bar.
JOSIE HUNTING: After failing to gain enough Golf Australia Order of Merit points at last week’s NSW Senior Ladies Championship, Headland’s perennial ladies champion Josie Ryan needs to win her next two senior Australian ranking events. The 15-time Headland ladies champion is sitting seventh on the Order of Merit, but has to be fourth for automatic selection to play for Australia against New Zealand in Adelaide in October. And that means successfully defending her Queensland title in July and winning the Northern Territory championship in Darwin next month. But Josie says her putting, which deserted her at Nambucca Heads last weekend, requires work if she is to win both events.
WHOOPS: Colourful member Barry Newton, who lives adjacent to the 17th fairway in Mace Drive, had some explaining to do last Sunday night during the eight-hole play-off to decide the winner of the Sunshine Coast Amateur Championship, hosted by Headland. When his wife Jennifer phoned to inquire where he was, he told her he was watching the play-off – which finished at 6.30pm. She quickly reminded Barry that it was pitch black outside and that even though golf was played with a white ball, it rarely continued after nightfall. Interestingly, Barry’s state-of-the-art golf cart was helping to light the 18th tee for the final holes of the two-hour play-off. But apart from watching the final throes of the tournament, Barry had another reason for remaining at the club – he had to accept his trophy for winning the Senior Championship.
SMILING SMYTH: He has been knocking on the door for the past few weeks, and finally pro shop staffer Nate Smyth has been gonged for his best-ever round – a 74 playing off eight, and the resultant 42 stableford points on Thursday. When school-leaver Nate joined the pro shop team just on two years ago, his handicap was 16 – after Thursday’s win he is now playing off six. And while he has not had lessons as such from co-worker Matt Douglas, he says his regular Thursday round with the teaching pro has been the catalyst for his greatly-improved game. While it is against the rules to be coached during a round, Nate says simply playing with a golf pro, and observing the subtleties of the game, has made him a better player. In his past six Thursday rounds Nate has won the competition three times, been runner-up and had a third place finish.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: A nine-marker in Adelaide two decades ago, retiree Gary Savill says travel is now his priority. But he can still swing a mean golf club, as he proved in Saturday’s Monthly Mug. Playing off 17, Gary cruised around the back nine in one-over 37 to complete his lowest round at Headland – 80, for 63 nett and the best score of the day by three shots. But again, his nemeses – the 15th hole – struck. One of his three bogies on the back nine – mixed with two birdies and four pars – was on the 15th where he had a memorable 14 in the club championships last year.
PENNANTS UPDATE: Beaten back in the first round, the B Grade Men’s Pennant team has since been on a winning run and continued that with a 4½-2½ victory over Nambour at Maroochy River yesterday. And leading the way among a team of youngsters is veteran Michael Thomas, who remains unbeaten after five rounds. Thomas won 3&1 yesterday along with Dan Diachkoff (3&2), Brendan Duncan (5&3) and Matt Hetherington (3&1), while Matt Macaulay squared his match. The other Headland team to play yesterday was the Masters, who had a slashing 6½-½ win, also over Nambour, at Noosa Springs. Brian Kesby thrashed his opponent 7&6, with Ian Moore (3&1), Peter Holt (3&1), Tony Kiley (2&1), Warren Selvage (2&1) and Burgess Stephenson (1up) the other victors, while skipper Peter Perrett squared the remaining match.
LADIES PENNANTS: Headland’s Weekend Pennants team remains unbeaten after scoring its second draw of the season with a 2½-2½ result against Nambour at Mt Coolum yesterday. Winners were captain Fiona Munro (6&5) and Carrol Quinn (3&1), while Jodie McDonnell squared her match. The team has scored two wins and two draws form their four matches. Sharon Thomas, in a purple patch at the moment, thrashed her Maroochy River opponent 6&5 in Division One at Pacific Harbour, but she was the only Headland victor in the must-win match. Beaten 4&1, Headland is out of contention for the Pennant. Division Two team held Caloundra to a 2½-2½ draw with Carol Dwyer (6&5) and Robyn Boreham (4&3) the winners, and Jenny Pirini drawing her match.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (54 players) – Linda Hunter (34 points), Althea McLean (33), Penny Cooper (33); Men (72 players) – Brendan Richardson (43), Rick Bronson (40), Neville Kenzler (39).
Wednesday, Men, Monthly Medal (164 players) – A grade, Peter Leggo (70 nett), Brian Richards (70), Ryley Martin (70); B grade, Gordon Russell (69), James Daniel (69), Peter Dawson (70); C grade, Patrick Walsh (66), Russell Dowling (69), Drew Walker (69).
Thursday, Ladies, Monthly Medal (79 players) – A grade, Sharon Thomas (75 nett), Gwen Nancarrow (79), Helen Fraser (79); B grade, Jodie McDonnell (78), Bev Barnes (80), Kath Kingston (81); C grade, Kay Campbell (75), Leanne Ptak (77), Brenda Smith-Gittins (80).
Men, Single Stableford (72 players) – Nate Smyth (42 points), Neville Kenzler (41), Phil Sickling (40).
Friday, Dash for Cash (24 players) – Ciaran Fenton, Wayne West, Mark Barlow, Brian Kesby.
Saturday, Monthly Mug, Ladies, (35 players), Sandra Murphy (71 nett), Kath Kingston (73), Lisa Aherne (74), Ben Barnes (75); Men (261 players) – A grade, Mark Barlow (66), Jeff Davis (67), Darryl Kong (69), Peter Perrett (69); B grade, Gary Savill (63), Paul Wilson (68), Mike Hardy (70), Gus Walker (70); C grade, Kevin Howe (66), Mark Priest (71), Ossie Laurikainen (71), Richard Thurgood).
Sunday, Medley Monthly Medal (28 players), Tony Kelleher (69 nett), Jacob Mimnaw (71), James Daniel (71); Junior Monthly Medal, James Daniel (71).
