From Tony Durkin
OPEN CANCELLED: Near-constant rain, which has dumped almost 200 millimetres on the Headland golf course in the past 10 days, caused the cancellation of the annual Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship over the Easter weekend. With a capacity field entered for the two-day, 36-hole event, the Championship Committee made the call on Saturday afternoon to cancel the event after play on the first day had been abandoned. Club captain James Kidd, a member of the Championship Committee, said the course was so saturated when inspected on Saturday afternoon that on many areas of the fairways finding relief from waterlogged areas was almost impossible. He said staging such a prestigious tournament under those conditions was simply out of the question. Full refunds to nominated players will be processed during the coming week. The date for the rescheduled tournament will be decided in consultation with event sponsor, Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers.Following consultation with event sponsor, Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers, the new date set for the Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship will be the weekend of September 21 and 22.
MASTERS MONDAY: Chris Risby had every reason to believe his Masters Monday round was going to be more akin to that of Francesco Molinari rather than Tiger Woods when he wiped his first hole at Headland last Monday in the Single Stableford annual event. But apart from successive double bogeys at 15 and 16, the Canadian-born pharmacist calmed the difficult course, scored 42 points and became the fifth winner of the club’s famed green jacket. Included in his winning round were two birdies – at holes one and 13 – and an eagle at the second. And while he said he putted superbly on the slick greens, had his putt for eagle on the second not hit the pin he reckoned it would have rolled 30 metres off the front of the green. So keen was Chris – and his playing partners – to get into the Masters spirit, they were seen on the practice area at 6am before the 10.30am shotgun start. An almost capacity field of 135 contested the Medley event.
EAGLE MANIA: Men’s Captain James Kidd described the pin placements for Masters Monday as ‘difficult as they could be’, yet three eagles were recorded on the day. Masters winner Chris Risby scored one on the second hole, as did Gavin Terry who chipped in, and Matt Fisher dunked a sand wedge from 80 metres out on the ninth. Captain Kidd labelled Chris Risby’s winning score of 42 points as ‘an extraordinary effort’ considering the challenging tees and pin placements. Eighteen players in the field – including Headland GM Ben Dobson – played to their handicap or better.
EASTER EGGINS: Husband and wife team Chrissy and Steve Eggins kicked off Easter week with a stunning score, and a victory, in Tuesday’s Medley Fourball Aggregate event. The couple combined brilliantly to score 85 points, with 2016 SWING graduate Chrissy breaking her handicap for the first time in amassing an incredible 45 points. And the former psychotherapist says the excitement of her playing so well, and winning, was matched only by the satisfaction of finally reaching the potential she has so often been told she possesses. The couple, playing off handicaps of 44 (Chrissy) and 28 respectively, amassed 49 implausible points on the front nine and carded four four-pointers and 13 three-pointers between them in their winning score. And even though Chrissy was the chief protagonist, she paid tribute to Steve – who has been tinkering with his swing in recent months – for his unstinting encouragement in the game she wishes she could play more often.
SCHOOL’S OUT: Schoolteacher Jamie Duffy took advantage of the recent holiday break to play plenty of golf and in doing so broke the magical 70 barrier for the first time. Playing alongside good mate and fellow teacher Daniel Hurst in Wednesday Fourball Aggregate Stableford, Jamie signed for a 69 which included five birdies and two bogeys. He scored 45 of the team’s 75 points for them to win on a countback from early-starters Wes Houk and Col Pledge. Born and bred in Blackwater where his golf game was nurtured, Peachester schoolteacher Jamie – who played off six on Wednesday – has been a Headland member for just the past 12 months and says he loves the course, and loves the challenge it presents. And although he sank two demanding putts for birdie on 17 and 18, he rated the best of the day in an almost ‘dream’ putting round a three-metre left-to-right slider on the 16th, for par.
BEN’S BACK: Headland’s Course Superintendent, Ben Tilley, plans to be back on deck this week following a bout of pneumonia. Winner of the Australian Golf Course Superintendents’ Association award for Excellence in Golf Course Management in 2012, Ben was struck down on March 9 and briefly hospitalised at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. He was at work briefly last week helping to prepare the course for the Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship over the Easter weekend, which was eventually cancelled because of the incessant rain.
JOKER JACKPOT: Headland’s Joker Jackpot is now worth $7750 – $2700 more than the previous record amount won by Pat Beston in February two years ago. And the tantalising news is that just six cards in the Joker cabinet remain unturned. Only the names of those members present this coming Friday night – who must register – will go in the draw for the Jackpot, which has been unclaimed since the first Friday in May last year. The last selected member unsuccessful in turning the winning card was Allan White.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Monday, Masters Medley Single Stableford (135 players), A Grade – Chris Risby (42), Justin Walsh (39), Gavin Terry (38), Sharon Thomas (37), Sean Hanna (37); B Grade – Lang Pryor (39), Richard Ryan (38), Ben Dobson (38), Bob Lane (37), Dean Oster (37).
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (106 players) – Chrissy and Steve Eggins (85 points), Stephen Martin and Graeme Ware (78), Jock McLaughlin and Steve Nash (73).
Wednesday, Men, Fourball Aggregate Stableford (183 players) – Jamie Duffy and Daniel Hurst (75 points), Wes Houk and Col Pledge (75), Roy Gillrie and John Robertson (73), Dennis Mikolic and Matt Fisher (72), Gavin Rooney and Lance Richards (72).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (97 players), A Grade – Sharon Thomas (38 points), Robyn Boreham (36), Christina Claxton (34); B Grade – Katrina Watts (36), Lyn Forbes (36), Bev Kelly (33); C Grade – Ellen Bloxsome (36), Trudi Russell (36), Sandi Linnane (34). Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (88 players) – Alan Egan and John Sims (47), Don Kitson and Wayne Bridgeman (46), Ray and Nigel Morrison (44).
Saturday and Sunday, Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship – cancelled because of the unplayable condition of the course due to consistent heavy rain.
