From Tony Durkin
BEN’S MAJOR GONG: Headland Golf Club Course Superintendent, Ben Tilley, has been awarded the highly-prestigious Superintendent’s Industry Recognition Award at the recent 2019 Queensland Golf Industry Awards. This honour recognises the outstanding contribution made by Ben to the development of golf within the Golf Course Superintendent’s industry. The award continues the incredible achievements Ben has received during his career, which started at Darwin Golf Club in 1983. In 2000, while Superintendent at Beerwah Golf Club, he was awarded both the Queensland and Australian Superintendent’s Environmental Award and in 2012, from Headland, again won the state and national award for Excellence in Golf Course Management. For winning that gong he was awarded a study bursary to the 2013 John Deere Classic at Deer Run in Illinois, where he assisted with the preparation of the course for the US PGA event. And as part of the prize he was gifted a start in the Pro-Am, partnered Kiwi Professional Grant Waite and his group won the event with 17 under par. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, the 2019 Queensland Golf Industry Awards- held on Tuesday of last week – were presented on line.
HOT TOM: Virtual golfing rookie, Tom Burnett, burned up the Headland course on Sunday playing seven shots better than his 14 handicap to lead in a hot field in the July Medley Wood Duck Challenge in which 11 players beat their handicap, to each snare $69 in prizemoney. But it was Tom, who started playing golf just two years ago when he linked with a group of mates who had joined Headland, who returned the best nett score of the day – minus seven (65 nett). And it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Financial Advisor. He started with a double bogey and was five over the card after four holes, before settling down and coming home with a two-over 38 on the back nine, which included a nervous bogey after driving it in to the hazard on 17. Tom, who estimates he has not scored better than 30 points in his previous six starts, finally broke 80 with his PB of 79. NOTE: Tom regularly plays with last Sunday’s winner, Nick Reed, who also broke a long drought with his victory. The pair played junior soccer together and were mates through high school but, ironically, Tom did not play with Nick last Sunday and Nick did not play in their regular grouping at the weekend.
GREAT SCORES: The quality of some of the golf played at Headland from the championship tees in Medley Wood Duck Challenge tees in Sunday’s was exceptional. Not only did 11 players break their handicap, but two returned under-par scores, two were one-over par and two more were just two over the card. Nine golfers in the field of 90 broke 80, including the top two placegetters, Tom Burnett (handicap 14) and Dane Partridge (13) – an outstanding achievement. The best round of the day came from former Headland Club Champion Ryley Martin, now a member at Maroochy River. Ryley, playing off plus three, returned a three-under 69, but before bogeys at 12 and 14, he was sitting five under the card. Sean McGill (handicap two) shot 71, fellow A Grade Pennant team members Scott Walker (2) and Dave Rattray (2) had 73, and Wayne West (3) and Adam Richards (1) scored 74.
BIKER’S DOUBLE: Three days and two nights away on a northern motorbike excursion didn’t hamper the golfing ability of Headland members Ross Wedmaier and John Harris, who quinellered Saturday’s Medley Fourball Aggregate Par. Members of a group of mates who call themselves the Bandy Toes (a play on the name Bandidos), made one of their regular treks early in the week, overnighting at Bargara and Kingaroy before arriving home on Thursday. And both hit the golf course two days later in fine fettle. Ross played five shots below his 16 handicap and with partner David Parker the pair scored plus nine to street the field by four shots from John (plus two) and his partner Chris Klazema (plus 2), who combined for a score of plus four. And a third member of the Bandy Toes, Greg McDonald, also had a reasonable day, scoring minus one. In an individual Medley Single Stableford played in conjunction, former Club Champion Justin Nicholson returned the best score of the day, a one-over par 73 for 41 points. NOTE: Ross Wedmaeir started and finished his golfing week in outstanding form. On Monday he scored 42 points to win the Vets’ A Grade Single Stableford event, while his partner on Sunday, David Parker, won B Grade with 39 points.
FRED’S COMEBACK: Aircraft Engineer Fred Muller dismissed his outstanding contribution to Wednesday’s Medley Fourball Best Ball win as ‘just playing my part’ in an enjoyable round. But his input – 26 points on just nine holes – was a comeback to somewhere near his best golf following a 12-month break because of shoulder surgery. An injury in a gymnasium while working in Mongolia followed by a local surfing accident resulted in the torn tendons in Fred’s right shoulder being reattached, and a year away from the game he loves to play at Headland when home on leave. But when he did return, his ‘always rusty’ swing was even rustier, and Head Pro Adam Norlander was charged with getting him back on the correct plane. The result has been a much better tempo, competition golf two days a week and practise two other days while he is domiciled in Buderim because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. And while Fred scored three-pointers on eight holes, he said partner Scott Simpson most certainly played a crucial part in the team victory – as did group members Trish Howe and James Kidd, whom he described as ‘delightful company’.
SERGIO’S SURGE: Headland Director of Finance, Sergio Nogarotto, has played below his best for most of 2020 and was worried that his concern for the club finances as a result of Covid-19 may have been impacting on his golf. But that apprehension suddenly abated last week when the retired Accountant scored a win and a second placing on successive days. On Monday he had 38 points to run second in the return of the Vets’ competition and the following day teamed with John Marrington to win the Medley Fourball Best Ball competition with 46 points. Although John started both nines brilliantly for the team, scoring four points on the first and the tenth holes, Sergio was the more prominent scorer with 24 of the 46 points, and contributing on 10 of the 18 holes. Sergio has been a regular playing companions of John since he joined Headland in 2018, shortly after retiring to the Sunshine Coast from Sydney. NOTE: Sergio has assured Headland members that while Covid-19 restrictions have obviously impacted negatively on trading, the club remains in a strong financial position.
SUPER FINISH: Four-pointers on the final holes of each nine on Thursday may have given Kay Campbell the necessary breathing space to win the Ladies C Grade Single Stableford event on a countback from Susie Meade, but it was actually her wipe on the 17th hole that mainly stuck in her mind. A visit to the right-hand bunker, on her third shot, triggered the only wipe on her card – something she was trying to avoid in her best round (39 points) since November last year. After watching her handicap expand from an all-time low of 29.5 to 36.5, Kay – a Headland SWING graduate in 2015 – concedes her devout love of the game had begun to be tested. But some lessons, a decision to go back to basics with her stance, a more-temperate swing and not trying to ‘hit the ball to China’, has hopefully done the trick. A player of many sports when younger, Kay endeavours to play golf twice a week as well as having a practice round, and despite her recent form-related frustrations, she never says die. Robyn Boreham (37 points) won A Grade and Monica Antony (36) was best in B Grade.
PATRON’S DAY: Online entries for Headland’s annual Patron’s Day – generously sponsored by Simon Whittle – have opened for mixed pairs only, in the American Foursomes event. The event will be played on Saturday, August 8, with a two-tee start in the morning (6.20 to 8.20) and again from 10.47am to 12.47pm. Overflow entries, for same sex pairs, will open on the time sheet from 6.30pm on Saturday week, August 1. Entries for the always-popular Patron’s Day event will close on Thursday, August 6. American Foursomes involves both players teeing off at each hole, then playing the second shot with each other’s ball. One ball is then selected and play proceeds as in regular foursomes, with the owner of the selected ball playing the third stroke. Handicap allowance will be 3/8 of aggregate stroke handicap for stroke competitions.
PATRON’S DAY II: Headland Patron Simon Whittle and his wife Sandy had a day out in Saturday’s Medley Fourball Aggregate Par event, but not in the same teams. Simon partnered with visitor Richard Lindley, his cousin from Toowoomba, and the pair scored plus two and finished third in the event. And following close behind in fifth place, on plus one, was the pairing of Sandy and Kerry Longworth, with Sandy scoring an impressive two strokes better than her handicap. The afternoon on the golf course was a welcome break from house renovations for Simon (handicap 10) and Sandy (22). Another Headland husband-and-wife couple to feature in the prize pool at the weekend was Coralie and Justin Walsh. Playing in Sunday’s Medley Black Duck Challenge from the Championship tees, they both broke their handicaps and were among the 11 to collect $69 for their effort.
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Ladies (18 players) – Joy Logan (32 points), Mary Gibberd (32), Helen Fraser (31); Men (57 players) – A Grade, Ross Wedmaier (42), John Sims (38), Greg Doolan (38); B Grade, David Parker (39), Sergio Nogarotto (38), Phil Kornmann (37).
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford, (118 players) – Sergio Nogarotto and John Marrington (46 points), Charlie Worthy and Andrew Ebb (45), Steve and Chrissy Eggins (44).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (220 players) – Fred Muller and Scott Simpson (47 points), Adriaan Moorcroft and John Prosser (47), Wes Houk and Peter Brown (46), Joe Stotscheck and Paul Stephens (46), Damian Moelands and Deon Breytenbach (46), Steve Blampied and Clint Adams (46).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (106 players) – A Grade, Robyn Boreham (37 points), Liz Dunford (36), Christina Claxton (34); B Grade, Monica Antony (36), Althea McLean (35), Kym Mason (34); C Grade, Kay Campbell (39), Susie Meade (39), Bec Francis (35). Men (92 players) – Brad Williams (38 points), Peter Stocker (37), Gary Marr (35), Neil Oxley (35).
Saturday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Par (252 players) – Ross Wedmaeir and David Parker (plus 9), John Harris and Chris Klazema (+4), Simon Whittle and Richard Lindley (+2), Gary Savill and Geoff Montgomery (+2), Kerry Longworth and Sandy Whittle (+1); Medley Single Stableford – A Grade, Justin Nicholson (41 points), Ash Reck (39); B Grade, Richard Ryan (39), Gary Rugless (38); C Grade, Deon Breytenbach (40), Scott Hendriks (40).
Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge (90 players) – Tom Burnett (minus 7), Dane Partridge (-6), Sean McGill (-3), David Sims (-2), Ben Butler (-2), Coralie Walsh (-1), Cathy Roberts (-1), Justin Walsh (-1), Wayne West (-1), Scott Walker (-1), Dave Rattray (-1).
