From Tony Durkin
DOCTOR DOCTOR: A visit to a physiotherapist, plus lessons from Club Professional Adam Norlander, has GP Peter Welsh back on track with his golf. The good doctor teamed with fellow GP Rob Ingham to score 51 points and win Wednesday’s Fourball Best Ball Stableford, with both playing key supporting roles. Peter contributed 27 points on 10 holes, while Rob had 24 points on eight holes, with 19 of those coming in a six-hole stretch from 11 to 16. An injured back had prevented Peter – a 12 marker who once played off seven – from picking up a club for a month prior to Wednesday, but treatment from a physio, and the win, has once again stirred his competitive juices. The medicos scored 27 points on the back nine and won on a countback from Bob Keogh and Andrew Murray, whose 29 points on the front included one of Bob’s two five-pointers in his phenomenal round in which he scored on 15 of the 18 holes.
IRISH LANDSLIDE: The ever-consistent Bev Barnes – handicap 20 – teamed with long-time friend and golf newcomer Sandy Linnane and other SWING graduates Ellen Bloxsome and Diane Molineux to smash the opposition in the Ladies Irish Foursomes on Thursday. The quartet scored a massive 92 points, to win by eight, with each member scoring in the 30s and contributing strongly. But it was Sandy, who dabbled in the game many years ago before work and family commitments intervened, who started the ball rolling with 22 of the team’s 48 points on the front nine, including six three pointers in seven holes. The winners had 20 three-pointers on their impressive card and two four pointers – a birdie from Bev on the eighth and a par from Diane on the par five 13th.
WINNING ACE: Winning a golf event on a countback is always a thrill, but scoring a five-pointer on the final hole to earn first prize certainly heightens the excitement. And that is what Rod Hamilton and Ray Dempsey achieved in Thursday’s Fourball Best Ball Stableford event when Rod holed out on the 18th for his first-ever ace for 46 points, beating two other teams on the same score. A social golfer for many years, Rod started to take the game more seriously when he relocated to the Sunshine Coast from PNG just on 25 years ago, firstly to Nambour and two decades ago when he joined Headland. And while the joy of scoring a hole-in-one is only matched by him once winning best nett in the Rabaul Open back in 1991, Rod was slightly miffed because where the pin was located, he did not see his ball disappear into the hole.
JACK’S DEBUT: Former Headland junior Jack Trent will make his USPGA debut appearance in the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas, in October. Jack, who was a member of Headland for five years until he left to attend college in the US in 2014, earned his exemption into the USPGA field by recently winning the individual event in the prestigious Southern Highlands Collegiate teams final. He finished the 54-hole tournament in a tie at 10-under, then had to endure a three-hole play-off before claiming his place in the PGA event, with a birdie. When he was at Headland Jack was coached by long-time club professional John Victorsen, as well as Peter Heiniger, who is now based at Noosa Springs. A huge plus for the 20-year-old is that the Shriners will be played at TPC Summerlin, which is Jack’s home course.
NUMBER CRUNCHERS: Two retirees who spent their working lives crunching numbers in their respective places of employment combined superbly to win Saturday’s Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford in a canter. The 51 points accumulated by David Howe (ex-banker) and Sergio Nogarotto (former CPA) won the event by three points, with an excellent 27 points on the front nine including a five-point birdie on the seventh from Sergio, Headland’s recently-appointed Finance Director. But David also played his role, scoring four-point birdies on the fifth and 18th, while Sergio also scored four points with a par on the 16th. One of the biggest fields of the year – 240 players – contested the event.
IS OUR EMBLEM BACK: Almost a decade ago Headland’s emblem, the kangaroo, disappeared after – it is believed – a pack of domestic dogs attacked and scared them off the course back in 2010. In the interim, very few have been seen inhabiting the course. But if a recent photo taken by club member Grahame Denovan is an indication, maybe the marsupials – who hail from the Macropodidae family – are about to call Headland home once again. The manner in which these big bucks appear to be surveying the lay of the land, let’s hope that is their intention.
PENNANTS: Brian Kesby returned from a three-match lay-off to lead Headland’s Masters Pennant team to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Twin Waters at Maroochy River on Sunday. Brian won 3&2, finishing his match on the 16th and being just two over the card in the still, but extremely hot and humid conditions. Ian Moore (4&3) was the other big winner, while captain Warren Selvage and Neil Oxley took their matches to the 18th before clinching a win for Headland. Brett Stephenson also took his match to the 18th but, with dad Burgess on the bag, lost his first match of the season one down, as did Peter Richardson, while Simon Whittle lost 5&4. Also returning to the winner’s circle – for the fist time in 2019 – was Headland’s Junior team, which beat Maroochy River 2-1. Captain James Daniel (6&5) and Keita Griffin-Klazema (5&3) had crushing wins, while rookie Jack Fisher improved on his first outing with a 5&3 loss. The B Grade team was not as fortunate, going down 4-3 to Peregian at Noosa Springs. Winners were Dan Diachkoff (5&4), Matt Prince (2&1) and Matt Macauley (1up), with Michael Thomas (7&6), Simon Mitchell (6&4), Dean Jones (2 down) and Will Millroy (5&3) tasting defeat. The A Grade ream had a bye.
LADIES PENNANTS: Both Headland Ladies weekday teams suffered close defeats on Tuesday, going down 3-2 to their opposition at Bribie Island. Pik Chong won 2up against her Beerwah opponent in Division Two, Susie Fenton and Gwen Nancarrow both squared their matches and Jenny Pirini (2&1) and Norma Hobson (4&3) were beaten. In Division Three Di Stark won 3up and Kerrie Tibbits 1up, while Jane Boaler (2&1), Joy Bullock (3&2) and Chris Parkinson (3&2) finished on the wrong side of the ledger. Headland’s Weekend team had the bye.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (48 players) – Kate Wilkie (35), Yvonne Henry (35), Lynn Harman (34); Men (71 players) – Matt Hetherington (41), Neville Kenzler (41), Graeme Warne (40).
Wednesday, Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (188 players) – Peter Welsh and Rob Ingham (51 points), Robert Keogh and Andrew Murray (51), Toby Zaremba and Tim Reed (50), Ben Pearce and Nathan Osborn (48), Jon Welch and Brian Richards (48).
Thursday, Ladies, Irish Foursomes (101 players) – Bev Barnes, Ellen Bloxsome, Di Molineux and Sandy Linnane (92 points), Sue Jones, Jodie McDonell, Annabel Harris and Monica Knowles (84), Liz Dunford, Naomi Doyle, Wil Sprake and Fiona Munro (84). Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (84 players) – Rod Hamilton and Ray Dempsey (46 points), Henryk Ptak and Steve Nash (46), Will Norman and Don Kitson (46).
Saturday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (240 players) – David Howe and Sergio Nogarotto (51 points), Karl Aldrich and Brett Hardner (48), Greg Wareham and Paul Stephens (47), Morgan Winston and Glenn Kelly (46), Dave Walker and Haenga Pirini (46).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford, Beat the House Director (48 players) – Ciaran Fenton (39 points), Tom Burnett (39) – 25 players beat the score of the House Director, Wayne Hutchison (32 points).
