From Tony Durkin
SPRUCED BRUCE: After turning square with the card in Saturday’s Single Par event, 22-handicapper Bruce Heseltine spruced up his game on the back nine with a one-over par 37 to return the best score of the day. A Headland member for just over two years following a 20-year break from golf, Bruce said the secret of his eight-shot difference between the two nines was hitting every fairway on the back nine. He started the round poorly and was minus two after a bogey and three doubles, but steadied the ship with two plusses and three halves to turn square. Six plusses and three halves on the back nine – from four pars, four bogeys and a birdie – gave him plus six, and a runaway win in C Grade. For the semi-retired engineer, who concedes both he and SWING-graduate wife Lee have caught the golfing bug, Saturday’s competition win was his third since becoming a Headland member in October of 2017. Mike McQuarrie (plus 2) won A Grade on a countback from an unlucky Mark Henricks and Chris McArdle (plus 5) streeted the field to win B Grade. Ann Callanan (plus 1) recorded back-to-back Saturday ladies’ event wins.
WET PAINT: House painter Vince O’Neil took advantage of the recent spate of wet weather to make a rare mid-week appearance at Headland, and in doing so helped pull of an even rarer occurrence – a family double. Vince scored 41 points in Wednesday’s Medley Modified Stableford to win C Grade, and join wife Helen in the winner’s circle. Helen, with 33 points, posted her win in the Vets’ B Grade Single Stableford two days earlier. Vince cannot recall the last time he won, but joked that a Monthly Mug victory 20 years ago was sticking in his memory. And while he was pleased with his improved form, scoring six successive four-pointers under the modified scoring system, he claimed Helen’s effort was better. It was her first game for the year and as well as winning the competition, she also scored nearest-the-pin on the 18th and won a bottle of wine in the raffle.
EASY GOLF: Although he thoroughly enjoyed his round on Wednesday, Jack Pyke wasn’t getting carried away with his A Grade win in the Medley Modified Stableford event with 47 points. “We played off the white tees, the bunkers were out of play and preferred lies were in place, so the playing conditions weren’t exactly difficult,” Jack surmised. But that didn’t mean his five over-par 77 – which included three birdies and an equal-best 37 on the front nine – wasn’t satisfying. And he praised regular playing partner Ken Anderson – who for the 15th time shot less than his age – for his tips on ‘the little things’. The pair has been playing together ‘on and off’ for just on 12 months and Jack says Ken’s advice on the subtleties of golf has been invaluable. Jack’s 77 equals his best round since joining Headland from Maroochy River in September of 2016.
WELCOME BACK: Former Headland junior Ryley Martin, who left the club to join Maroochy River, has had a welcome return to the course where he was Club Champion in 2015 and has won three Men’s Foursomes Championships. Playing off a handicap of plus three, Ryley scorched around the course in 69 during Saturday’s Single Par event, scoring plus one and finishing third in A Grade. His card revealed five birdies and an eagle at the par-five seventh, but also a double and two bogeys. And, for the second time in 10 days, Ryley snatched the Pro Pin at the sixth hole, scoring himself $55 to add to his $30 prizemoney for third, generously donated by sponsor Bryan Haggarty of R2G Communications.
REST IN PEACE: Headland Golf Club lost two long-serving members last week with the passing of Roy Barrell and Blake Jobberns. Roy, who was 84, passed away on Tuesday after a short battle with cancer while Blake (79) left us a day earlier. A Life Member – an honour conferred on him in 2003 – Roy was a Headland member for 45 years, serving two years as President (91-92) and two years as Captain (88-89), as well as various other positions on the committee including handicapper for a phenomenal 17 years. He worked in the building trade, as a carpenter, painter and tiler. Blake, who served in the Northern Territory Police Force for three decades, had suffered lung issues for a lengthy period of time and finished playing golf about 18 months ago. Both Roy and Blake have been privately farewelled at family cremation ceremonies, but a wake in honour of Roy will be held at Headland Golf Club from 2.30pm on Thursday.
A DAY OUT: The field may have been small, but that didn’t bother James Daniel who produced some of his best golf to win Sunday’s Medley Single Par event. Despite three wipes, James – who is 18 and not playing junior Pennants for Headland for the first time in five years – scored plus four to win by three shots and relegate his dad Neven (square) to third position. His round included nine pars and two birdies and was a huge improvement on the previous day when he scored minus eight in the Saturday Par event. And to add lustre to his victory, James was nearest the pin on the eighth hole and won the Pro Pin at the sixth for a day out, and $68 in his house account.
MEN’S PENNANTS: Caddies played a key role in Headland’s A Grade Pennant team downing defending champions Noosa 4½-2½ at Maroochy River on Sunday. Two down with five holes to play, Scott Walker had the luxury of the experienced Jamie Holbrook jumping on his bag at the 13th hole and the superb ball striker responded immediately, winning three of the next five holes and squaring the other two, to win one-up. And last year’s skipper Sean McGill engineered a convincing 2-up victory with the assistance of an international caddy who was carrying his bag. Other winners for Headland in the convincing victory were Jake Crowther (3&2) and Adam Rydwanski (5&3), while last week’s hero, Brad Butler, finished his match all square. Adam Richards and Jamie Hill were both beaten 3&2. With Jake Crowther unavailable for next Sunday’s vital clash with Caloundra, 16-year-old Josh Holbrook will make his A Grade Pennant debut. B Grade also scored a 4½-2½ victory, against Cooroy at Noosa Springs. Skipper Matt Hetherington led the way with a 2&1 victory, while Tim O’Keeffe (4&2), Will Millroy (1-up) and Morgan Winston (1-up) also saluted. Matt Macaulay squared his match while James Kidd and Tom Burnett were both narrow losers, 2&1. And Headland’s Masters team made it a 4½-2½ winning trifecta, beating Twin Waters at Caloundra in a closely-fought match. Debutant John Cleary’s 3&2 was the biggest winning margin, ahead of skipper Warren Selvage (2-up), Brett Stephenson (2&1) and Warren Sorby (1-up). Scott Bromfield kept his unbeaten run intact with an all-square result. Ian Moore (6&4) and Peter Richardson (1 down) were beaten. The Juniors suffered their second successive loss, beaten 2&1 by Maroochy River 3 at Gympie. Alex McLardy won his match in a walkover, but Keita Griffin-Klazema (7&6) and Van Wild-Baldock (1-down) tasted defeat. Next Sunday Headland A Grade plays Caloundra at Mt Coolum, B Grade meets Tin Can Bay at Twin Waters and Headland Masters’ team hosts Gympie. Juniors have the bye.
WHOOPS: It’s a tough golf school when a player off plus one handicap signs for a two-under par 70 – with six birdies on his card – and can manage only fourth place in the competition field. But that happened to last week’s Headland’s A Grade Pennant gun, Brad Butler, in Wednesday’s Medley Modified Stableford when his round garnered him 43 points, four behind winner Jack Pyke. Brad shot a superb three-under 33 on the back nine, with his only blemish a bogey on the tough 15th.
WHOOPS II: A day can be a long time in golf, as Pennant players Sean McGill and John Cleary showed on the weekend. Sean (minus 5) and John (minus 8) returned very ordinary cards in Saturday’s Medley Single Par event, yet went out the next day and won crucial Pennant matches for Headland in A Grade and Masters respectively.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Ladies (37 players) – A Grade, Doreen Davidson (36 points), Robyn Boreham (35), Sue Jones (33); B Grade, Helen O’Neil (33), Helen Martyn (32), Julieanne Coull (32). Men, A Grade, Bill Heggarty (36 points), Michael Lagowski (35), Ross Itzstein (34); B Grade, Bruce Malcolm (39), Barry Mapes (36), Keith Broadhouse (32); C Grade, Jack Williams (37), Martin Baker (36), Garry Thomas (35).
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (competition cancelled because of weather conditions).
Wednesday, Medley Modified Single Stableford (126 players) – A Grade, Jack Pyke (47 points), Barry Newton (46); B Grade, Barrie Whelan (44), Matthew Brady (41); C Grade, Vince O’Neil (41), Steve Phillips (35).
Thursday, Ladies, Scrambled Ambrose, Ovarian Cancer Day (115 players) – Chris Parkinson, Trish Marsden, Helen Martyn and Bec Francis (65 nett), Julie Halliday, Anita Boyle, Mandy Oster and Denise Hutchison (65.375), Robyn Boreham, Bev Barnes, Gail Young and Maureen Cartledge (65.5). Men, Single Stableford (competition cancelled because of storm activity).
Saturday, Single Par, Ladies (16 players) – Ann Callanan (minus 1), Louise Harriott (-2). Men (203 players) – A Grade, Mike McQuarrie (plus 2), Mark Henricks (+2), Ryley Martin (+1); B Grade, Chris McArdle (+5), Barrie Whelan (+1), Druce Fielding (+1); C Grade, Bruce Heseltine (+6), Kevin Howe (+2), Stephen Van Der Linde (+2).
Sunday, Medley Single Par (26 players) – James Daniel (plus 4), Anthony Fichera (+1), Neven Daniel (square).
