From Tony Durkin
IKIN PLAY: Former Rugby League international Ben Ikin and his son Joe – both members of Indooroopilly Golf Club – visited Headland on Sunday and if their results are a yardstick, both will be back sooner rather than later. Fifteen-year-old Joe, who has been playing golf for only five months, played his best-ever round to return 45 Stableford points from his 36 handicap to easily win the Medley Single Stableford event. And his dad went okay too. Ben, who holds the record as the youngest State of Origin player, birdied six of the first 12 holes on just his second round on the course. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the host of NRL 360 who strung three double bogeys together on holes eight, nine and 10. He was still able to finish with 39 points from his three handicap, for fourth place, but six points less than his son. Ben’s rather bizarre card revealed seven birdies, seven pars, a lone bogey and three doubles.
BIRDIE BLITZ: It may not have been his best-ever round, but Scott Walker sent Headland historians scurrying for the record books after he scored a phenomenal eight birdies in Saturday’s Single Stableford event. Unfortunately Scott, 34, who has been a Headland member continuously for two decades, also carded three bogeys and a double in his exceptional round, but his three under 69 – for 41 points – was still good enough to win A Grade with the equal best score of the day. He birdied holes one, two, five, nine, 10, 11, 13 and 17, beating his previous best birdie blitz of even in 2015. Ironically, the last Headland member to shoot eight birdies in a round was former Club Champion Justin Nicholson, who played in the same group as Scott on Saturday. When he broke the club record in the first round of the Club Championships in 2003, Justin started with a triple bogey and then reeled off eight birdies in a sensational round of 67.
CHAMP RETURNS: Men’s champion Jake Crowther has recently accepted an employment position in Sydney, but the good news is that he will return on relevant weekends to play Pennants for Headland in the 2020 Sunshine Coast Golf Zone competition. A university graduate with a Bachelor of Business in Finance, Jake started work with a fund administrator in Sydney three weeks ago and initial fears were that the club’s No.1 Pennant player would be unavailable to join the A Grade team, for which he starred last season. However, through the collaborative efforts of team members and manager James Brownsworth, Jake will fly back to the Sunshine Coast for each of the five rounds of the competition and – if the team qualifies – the finals. In the interim, he will hone his skills at Asquith Golf Club, which is across the road from where he lives in Sydney with his grandfather.
JACK STARS: Jack Trent reached the final 16 players in last week’s Australian Amateur Championships played in Brisbane, but was bundled out by English champion Ben Jones on the 19th hole of match play. Jack, who was a member of Headland for five years until he left to attend college in the US in 2014, has spent the past three weeks in Queensland holidaying, as well as preparing for the Australian Amateur. While on the Sunshine Coast he took part in a coaching clinic for Headland juniors and played a round with Junior Pennant team members Kieta Griffin-Klazema and Jack Fisher, as well as one of his former mentors, Brian Kesby. Jack has hinted that he will turn professional when his studies at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas finish in 18 months.
MEN’S PENNANTS: Headland’s A Grade Men’s Pennant team captain, Sean McGill, has warmed up for the 2020 season with back-to-back par rounds at the weekend. His rounds on Saturday and Sunday included five birdies and five bogeys, while a week earlier in a one-over 73 he eagled the par-four fourth. Sean joins Matt Hetherington (B Grade), Warren Selvage (Masters) and Kieta Griffin-Klazema (Juniors) as respective Headland team captains for the 2020 Sunshine Coast Golf Zone Pennant competitions which kick-off on Sunday, February 9 for A Grade, Masters and Juniors, while the B Grade competition starts the following Sunday (February 16). Headland Pennant teams are: A Grade – Sean McGill (c), Brad Butler, Jake Crowther, Jamie Hill, Jamie Holbrook, Josh Holbrook, Adam Richards, Adam Rydwanski, Aaron Shaw, Scott Walker and James Brownsworth (non-playing captain/manager); B Grade – Matt Hetherington (c), Tom Burnett, Rhett Charlton, Brendan Duncan, Ciaran Fenton, Glenn Kelly, James Kidd, Matt Macaulay, Will Millroy, Tim O’Keefe, Morgan Winston and Simon Mitchell (manager); Masters – Warren Selvage (c), Scott Bromfield, John Cleary, Nev Daniel, Ian Moore, Neil Oxley, Peter Richardson, Warren Sorby, Burgess Stephenson and Brett Stephenson; Juniors – Kieta Griffin-Klazema (c), Jack Fisher, Van Wild-Baldock and Campbell Gigney.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: Close mates and long-time playing partners John Harris and Darren McLeod engaged in some good-natured banter on the course two Wednesdays ago – repartee which resulted in a seven-point scoring spree. After Darren had hit his tee shot at the par-three 14th hole to within three metres, he challenged John to ‘get inside that’. At that stage of their very-average respective rounds, Darren had scored 15 Stableford points in the event, and John 19. And John answered the challenge as only a champion can, hitting his six iron on a perfect line to the 152 pin and watching in absolute delight as the ball disappeared for his fifth career hole-in-one. But to his credit, Darren also responded – he dropped his birdie putt. The innocent victim of this byplay was Phil Lovett, who earlier in the day had hit his tee shot to one centimetre. Phil, however, was not unduly perturbed – he has already aced the 14th twice.
ADAM WINS: Headland’s Head Professional, Adam Norlander, jetted off to the US last night (Sunday) to attend the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. Adam won the trip for two through an On Course Golf promotion, held in conjunction with Cobra/Puma Golf. The show, from January 21 to 24, is the golf industry’s leading trade-only event, where PGA Professionals and Golf Industry Professionals gather to discover the latest trends in golf equipment and technology, apparel and accessories. Accompanied by his business-partner wife Melissa, Adam will attend the world’s largest Outdoor Demo Day, discover revolutionised education sessions taught by world class golf instructors and network with some of the sport’s most influential industry experts. More than 1000 interactive exhibits will be on display.
BOB’S FOURTH: Bob Trevor (AGU handicap 6.8) has celebrated another golfing milestone during the summer break, shooting his age for the fifth time. Playing in a Medley Single Stableford event on January 7, 75-year-old Bob cruised around the Headland layout three over par for 41 stableford points. He parred the front nine – three birdies, three bogeys – and was one under following another birdie at 14. But four successive bogeys followed, giving him a back nine of 39 and a gross score of 75. Bob last equalled his age in April of 2018 with a one-over par 73, which included three birdies, four bogeys and a nearest the pin on the fifth hole. And four times since 2015, starting with a round of 69 when he was 71, Bob has shot lower than his age. While this feat by Bob is no doubt outstanding, the undisputed Headland champion in respect of age versus golf, is Ken Anderson. The 78-year-old has shot less than his age 13 times, the most recent in September 2018 with a three-over par 75 – the fourth time that year he bettered his age. Ken first achieved this remarkable feat in 2011, with a five-under par round of 67, when he was 70.
BUSHFIRE APPEAL: Headland Golf Club has called on all members – and social drinkers – to support the club’s Bushfire Appeal over the Australia Day long weekend. $1 will be donated to the appeal from every schooner of beer sold over the three days – Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Headland Veteran Golfers have recently voted to donate $1000 to the Australian Bushfire Appeal.
WHOOPS: Regular Wednesday morning player Duncan Watts will be out of action for some time, courtesy of an unwelcome gecko. At the behest of wife Linda, former banker Duncan last week armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and chased a visiting gecko, slipped on a set of stairs, fell and broke two bones in his left foot. While the gecko escaped unscathed, Duncan – who does not require surgery – will not front up at Headland to join his Old Goats teammates for at least six weeks.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Saturday, Opening Day, Single Stableford, Ladies (24 players) – Sharon Thomas (36 points), Vicky Sheridan (34), Naomi Doyle (32); Men (167 players) – A Grade, Scott Walker (41 points), Tim Diedricks (40), Aaron Shaw (39); B Grade, James Kolbe (41), Greg Wareham (41), John Atkins (40); C Grade, John Ross (38), Rick Popick (37), Graham Sargent (36).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (54 players) – Joe Ikin (45 points), Tristan Scott (41), David Sims (40).
