From Tony Durkin 

BIRDIE BRUCE: Bruce Heseltine birdied the 18th on Sunday to win the Medley Single Stableford event, but a few hours later was still banging on about his four-putt on the previous hole. Bruce, Jason Childs and James Daniel each came in with 40 points, but a one-metre putt for his birdie two at the last gave the eventual winner 23 points on a superb back nine, which was bookended with a birdie at the tenth. But 24 hours is a long time in golf, as Bruce can attest. The previous day – also on a waterlogged course – he started with a birdie yet scored a meagre 26 points to finish near the tail of the field. On Saturday he sprayed his driver – on Sunday he hit 16 fairways and although a 20-marker who has only recently taken up golf again after a two-decade layoff, his advice is that hitting fairways is the secret to successful golf. “Not many winners are consistently coming out of the trees,” says the semi-retired IT Engineer who, because of Covid-19, has not worked since January and has been playing plenty of golf. NOTE: Despite the soggy conditions, some outstanding rounds were posted on Sunday. Low markers Renton Ritchie (+2) and trainee Pro Mackenzie Wright (+1) scored one-under par 71s, schoolboy Josh Holbrook (2) had five birdies in his par 72 while the ever-consistent Sean McGill (1) scored 73. 

HOWE’S THAT: For 15 years at Headland Kevin Howe has laboured to land his second eagle, then suddenly the floodgates opened and he scored two within just five days. The almost-retired schoolteacher, who moved to the Sunshine Coast from Mt Isa in 1988, has recently aced the second and seventh holes to add to his earlier feat at the 11th in 2005. Playing in the Men’s Single Stableford last Thursday week, Kevin holed a small hybrid club from 120 metres out, but did not see his third shot disappear because of the positioning of the pin. However, he looked on in understandable amazement and delight as his third short – an eight iron from 130 metres – rolled up the seventh green and into the hole during the second round of the 2020 Headland Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic the following Tuesday. A Headland member since 1992, Kevin concedes that although both eagles were obviously tinged with a stroke of luck, he says he has been playing ‘okay’ lately. 

CHAMPION DI: She grew up in a family besotted with golf, but Di Stark loathed the game until she and husband David retired to Buderim in 2014. And it didn’t take long for her to accept that the game was in fact intoxicating, and winning the 2020 Headland Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic played on Monday and Tuesday of last week has made her realise that golf course dreams can become a reality. Over the two days Di scored 35 and 41 points respectively, giving her an eclectic total of 46 on a collective scorecard that included 11 three-point holes but, just as importantly, only one wipe. Her 41 points represents her second-best best round (she had 44 points in a Vets’ comp two years ago) since she joined Headland in 2015 following an initiation through the SWING program which, incidentally, she now co-ordinates on behalf of the club. And while thanking her partners – Robyn Boreham, Mandy Oster and Helen Fraser – for their support and encouragement during the two-day event, Di also revealed her secret desire to win a new golf bag, which was first prize. “I saw the prizes on the morning of the first day and just wanted to win one of these beautiful golf bags,” she said.

Di Stark receives her ‘beautiful golf bag’ from Headland’s Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic Tournament Director, Steve Eggins

REGIS CARES: Despite the obvious issues because of Covid-19 restrictions, Tournament Director Steve Eggins has described the 2020 Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic as an outstanding success. The annual tournament, staged on Monday and Tuesday of last week at Headland, attracted a capacity field of 136 men and women and the scoring was exceptional. But the best news is that Regis Aged Care, which has sponsored the event for the past three years, has committed to another four years of support. And after playing in the event on Monday – as a social player – Kuluin Facility Manager, Clyde Black, is keen to grow the event into the future. “Regis has been a wonderful supporter and obviously will continue to develop the strong relationship the organisation has already forged with Headland,” Steve said. But it wasn’t just Regis Aged Care which once again played a role in the success of the tournament. Headland staff – greens, bar, catering and golf professionals – went above and beyond according to Steve. “And even the powers that be, who control the weather, were kind to us,” he said. 

BECK’S BEST: Once a six-marker as a ‘youngster’, Andrew Beck feels he might be returning to playing somewhere near his best golf following Wednesday’s A Grade Single Stableford win. With a new Ping driver in his bag he hit every fairway, and a return to his two-year-old Mizuno irons enabled him to shoot his most consistent round for at least two years to score 42 points, the equal best round of the day (alongside A Grade runner-up Peter Gablonski). And, in tallying 13 pars and five bogeys in his round of 77, Andrew paid tribute to regular playing partner Wayne Bridgeman whom he described as the Golfing Rabbi ‘because he is always there to help’ with his swing issues. But Andrew concedes that the major reason for his recent gradual improvement has been the amount of golf he has played since Covid-19 restrictions ‘killed’ his airport general transfer business. “It has improved my game, but annihilated my income,” he lamented. Dean Oster (41 points) won B Grade and Hans Raaschou (39) led the C Grade field. NOTE: Because of a glitch in the MiScore system, Wednesday’s event was changed from a Fourball Aggregate Stableford to a Single Stableford. 

GOLF, FINALLY: Dean Oster was raised in a golf-addicted family, but despite enjoying the sport as a kid he became more interested in baseball and soccer. And while he may not be playing to the high standards of his mum and dad – fellow Headland members Mandy and Bill Oster – Dean is currently in his sporting element, mixing socially both on the golf course and in a local soccer comp with a group known as the Headland Hustlers. A South Australia junior baseball rep as a youngster (with his brother Matthew), Dean scored 41 points to win Wednesday’s B Grade Medley Single Stableford in a round that included birdies at the par-three eighth and 14th holes. And while it was among his best rounds and a rare individual win since joining Headland six years ago and reigniting his interest in golf, his score – and the birdies – more importantly kicked him up the annual rankings on the Headland Hustlers’ scoreboard. Note: Dean’s business, Perry and Oster Funerals, is a regular Headland sponsor. 

LADIES FOURSOMES: Three-time Headland Ladies Foursomes Champion, Sharon Thomas, will be back beside her partner of 2017-18 on Thursday, August 13, when she defends her title. Sharon and Dominique Paice partnered to win the Honour Board event for those successive years before compulsory University placement prevented Dominque from playing last year. But in 2019 Sharon maintained her winning form alongside Christina Claxton who remains undecided about contesting the 27-hole event this year. Prolific Headland winner Josie Ryan is teaming with Annabel Harris and they are expected to provide the stiffest opposition. Sponsored by Marc Venter and Brad Wall of Guide Financial, entries for the Ladies Foursomes close at 5pm on Wednesday, August 5. Lunch is provided in the $30 per person fee. 

TAYLES HEADS: Vice-President Kathryn Tayles is heading back to her native Adelaide for family reasons, leaving a vacancy on the Headland Golf Club board of directors. Her resignation becomes effective on August 27 and as a result, nominations have been called for with a ballot to fill the position. Nomination kits for the position of Vice President are now available from the General Manager, and completed forms must be returned no later than 5pm on Tuesday, August 25. While Kathryn regrets being unable to complete her first term as Vice President, she says she leaves with a degree of satisfaction at the position the club is in and the decisions made over her 18 months as a Headland Director. 

Monday, Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic, day 1, Ladies (62 players) – Division One, Monica Knowles (37 points), Marg Howard (37); Division Two, Susan Stratford (37), Patricia O’Connor (34); Super Six, Odette Day (14 points), Bec Francis (14). Men (71 players) – Division One, Neil Oxley (39 points), Rob Cunningham (36); Division Two, Ken Maynard (36), Bob Hunter (35); Super Six, David Munns (13), Ray Moody (12).

Tuesday, Regis Aged Care Senior Eclectic, day 2, Ladies (63 players) – Division One, Josie Ryan (38), Carmel Visser (37); Division Two, Chrissy Eggins (40), Jackie Walkington (37); Super Six, Leigh Derigo (17), Gay David (14). Men (71 players) – Division One, Ross Kelly (44), Tony Coad (39); Division Two, Robert Hayward (37), Kevin Howe (35); Super Six, Roly Hoy (16), Phil Kornmann (15).

Overall scores: Ladies, Division One – Sandra Murphy (45), Yvonne Henry (43), Helen Fraser (43); Division Two – Joy Logan (45), Helen Mulholland (45), Dianne Keen (44). Men, Division One – Burgess Stephenson (45), Tony McDonough (45), Gary Savill (44); Division Two – Ian Harper (46), David Parker (46), Colin Williamson (45).

Overall Eclectic winner – Di Stark (46 points).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (214 players) – A Grade, Andrew Beck (42 points), Peter Gablonski (42), Ian Michel (39); B Grade, Dean Oster (41), Don Follent (41), Wes Houk (40); C Grade, Hans Raaschou (39), Jack Williams (38), Brian Hills (37).

Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (18 players) – Mary Young (40 points), Veronica Bassingthwaighte (36). Men (14 players) – Mick Kinnear (39), Dave Rattray (36).

Saturday, Single Stableford, Men (39 players) – Wayne Cassidy (39 points), Terry Ward (37), Greg Wareham (35).

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (66 players) – Bruce Heseltine (40 points), Jason Childs (40), James Daniel (40).