From Tony Durkin
HART AND SOUL: Despite an extraordinarily-impressive field that includes Olympian Marcus Fraser, USPGA Tour winner Andre Stolz, multiple European Tour winner Andrew Dodt and multiple Web.Com Tour champion Michael Sim, Canberra-based Tim Hart has emerged as the player to beat in Wednesday’s Headland Pro Am. In his 23 rounds of golf over the past six weeks Hart has shot a phenomenal 117 under par, grossing him more than $30,000 in prizemoney on the Queensland regional sector of the PGA tour. Hart has scored victories in Pro Ams at Mackay, Middlemount, Moranbah, Emerald and Emu Park, with the highlight a magical 59 at Moranbah in late May. And that brilliant round rekindled memories of a less-enjoyable moment in the final round the Queensland PGA at Toowoomba three years ago. Teeing off the 18th, Tim needed par for an incredible round of 58, and victory. Alas, he took seven, finished equal first alongside David Klein, and was then beaten in the play-off. Until his disastrous triple bogey, Hart had reeled off two eagles, five birdies and a par in his sensational back nine.
PRO AM FIELD: Headland Club Professional, Adam Norlander, has appealed to members to attend Wednesday’s Pro Am as spectators, claiming the club will rarely – if ever – attract a field as strong as the one assembled. Sponsored by Headland members Jamie Holbrook (Property Today) and James Brownsworth (Innovative Planning Solutions), the Pro Am has lured some of the elite of Australian golf including the aforementioned Marcus Fraser, Andrew Dodt, Andre Stolz, Michael Sim and Tim Hart, as well as Steve Jeffress, Adam Blyth, Jack Wilson, Matt Millar, Aaron Pike, Lincoln Tighe and Jason Norris. Add to that emerging young guns of the ilk of Charlie Dann, Doug Klein, Jacob Boyce and Dane McArdle, and the list is without doubt a who’s who of Australian golf. “Some of these guys are dead-set good enough to be playing in the British Open next week,” quipped Norlander who revealed spots in the morning field were still available. Shot gun starts will operate from 6.45am and 12 noon, with presentations from 5.30pm. Yellow shirts bearing the Headland Pro Am logo and supporting the #DoingItForJarrod campaign – a charity established in the name of Australian professional golfer Jarrod Lyle – are available at Headland’s Pro Shop for $35.
CHAMPS CANCELLED: The Sunshine Coast and Burnett District Senior women’s championships, scheduled for Headland today (Monday) and tomorrow, have been cancelled. The district covers an area south to North Lakes, north to Tin Can Bay and west to Kingaroy and Proston, and players from 31 clubs are eligible to participate in the event which is annually contested over 36 holes. Headland’s own Josie Ryan (handicap 5) was favoured to win the vent, with keen competition from seven-markers Linda Urquhart (Bribie Island), Gai Stolz and Fay Payne (both Caloundra) and Kingaroy eight handicapper, Jane Franklin. A decision has yet to be made on if, when and where the championship will be rescheduled.
HOLIDAY ROMP: Following a two-year break from golf, Headland’s 15-year-old C Grade Champion, Josh Holbrook, has enjoyed two months of incredible golf. His win in the championships in May kick-started his journey back into the game and his recent triumphant run was capped off last week with four days of school-holiday success. On Tuesday he finished third in the Single Par event (square), was third in the A Grade Monthly Medal (71 nett) on Wednesday, second in A Grade in Saturday’s Single Stroke (68 nett) and on Sunday won the Junior Monthly Medal (72 nett). As well, he collected a nearest-the-pin shot on Sunday. Since returning to golf in May, Josh has shaved 10 shots from his handicap – from 17 to 7 – has jumped from C Grade to A Grade and won eight club events, including three successive Junior Monthly Medals.
MASTERFUL WIN: Twice-a-week golfer Scott Masters says he will always be proud of the fact he was one of three players to win the first Medley Mid-Week Medal at Headland, and he did so by returning the best score in the field of 190. With ladies included in the Wednesday field last week for the first time in the club’s 64-year history, Scott shot 84 for a nett 69, his best round for ‘quite some time’. Playing off 15, the good doctor started on the back nine and a birdie, five pars and three bogeys gave him a two-over 38. Although ‘spraying’ a couple of drives on the front nine, the former Brisbane Wests and Caloundra Lighthouse rugby five-eighth came home in 46, which was good enough to win him the B Grade Medal on a countback. Scott said he was extremely proud to win the first Mid-Week Medley Medal, pride shared by his wife Rebecca who is a regular partner of her husband in the Sunday Medley events. A Grade winner was Jamie Duffy (70 nett) and C Grade John Miller, while Scott and Jamie also returned the best gross score in their respective grades.NOTE: Rebecca Masters won the B Grade Single Stroke the following day, with 75 nett.
LADIES FINAL: Monica Antony and Carol Dwyer will meet on July 25 to decide the Headland Ladies Match Play handicap champion for 2019. Carol beat Bev Barnes 3&1 on Thursday to advance to the final, while Monica prevailed on the 18th in the other semi-final last Sunday week to eliminate Mandy Oster. On the way to the final Carol beat Kristin Griffiths (walkover), Sue Keays (2&1) and Bev Barnes, while Monica also had a walkover result, against Trish Aden, and a win over Gail Young (2up) before her semi-final victory over Mandy Oster. Both Carol and Monica will be challenging for their first match play championship.
BUFFALO STAYS: Adam Norlander has acknowledged that applying for the advertised position as Headland’s Head Professional 4½ years ago was far and away the best decision of his business life. Known affectionately by members as Buffalo, Adam has this month re-signed as Head Pro for a further five years and said he could not be happier. “Obviously I am not intimately acquainted with the operation of other golf clubs in Australia or the friendliness of their members, but if any are better than Headland, they must be great places to go to work every day. This is a very special club and I have felt a part of the fabric of Headland from the day I arrived,” he said. The reigning National PGA Club Professional of the Year and Queensland PGA Club Professional of the Year, Adam has been praised by the board as a valuable asset to the club and its members, and was thanked for his passion, dedication and continued service.
MUDLARKS: Chris Eccles, Richard Mallinder, Mark Dolan and Arthur Soanes have proved themselves to be genuine mudlarks with excellent scores in the past few days despite the atrocious conditions. Following what seems endless recent rain, Headland has been – at best – in a sloppy condition with no run whatsoever, waterlogged low-lying areas and barely a dry-ground lie anywhere on the course. But many players have still been able to shoot low scores, with the quartet of Chris, Richard, Mark and Arthur prevailing on three of the wettest days. Last Thursday Mark (handicap 13) started with birdie on the first hole to score 43 stableford points and win the event. Despite a wipe on the fifth hole, his excellent round included two four-point holes and five three-pointers. Arthur (11), likewise, was on fire in Saturday’s single stroke event with 39 on each nine for a nett 67. His only slip-up was a double bogey on the second, with his 13 pars a truer indication of his steady form in the wet. Then on Sunday, with almost a metre of rain already recorded for the year, Chris (12) won the Medley Monthly with 64 nett, a shot better than Richard, also playing off 12. Chris had a so-so front nine of 39 with seven pars spiced with a bogey and double bogey, then reeled off four birdies in the first five holes on the back nine before a double and three more bogeys gave him a one-over 37. Richard’s round was much more conservative – five bogeys, a double, three birdies and eight pars for a five-over 77.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Medley Single Par, Ladies (35 players) – Margaret Howard (-3), Catherine Peterson (-3), Joy Logan (-3); Men (71 players) – Ian Harper (+5), Trevor Simpson (square), Josh Holbrook (square).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal (190 players) – A Grade, Jamie Duffy (70 nett), Jay Gourlay (71), Josh Holbrook (71), gross – Jamie Duffy (75); B Grade, Scott Masters (69), Graham Miller (69), Scott Roush (69), gross – Scott Masters (84); C Grade, John Miller (71), Gerry Brown (71), Phil Humzy (72), gross – Gerry Brown (95).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stroke (51 players) A Grade – Sue Jones (76 nett), Christina Claxton (77), Monica Knowles (77); B Grade, Rebecca Masters (75), Gail Young (77), Naomi Doyle (80); C Grade, Bec Francis (74), Sue Hadenham (76), Ellen Bloxsome (80). Men, Single Stableford (61 players) – Mark Dolan (43 points), Kevin George (42), Tony Flint (39).
Saturday, Ladies, Monthly Medal (cancelled); Men, Single Stroke (98 players) – A Grade, Arthur Soanes (67 nett), Josh Holbrook (68), Glenn Kelly (70); B Grade, Tom Burnett (72), Wayne Cassidy (73), Ross Wedmaier (73); C Grade, Ian Harper (73), Mathew Duncan (76).
Sunday, Medley Monthly Medal (50 players) – Chris Eccles (64 nett), Richard Mallinder (65), Steven Bell (70); Junior Medal, Josh Holbrook (72).
