From Tony Durkin
PROUD ADAM: An emotional Adam Richards says winning his fourth Headland Championship over a four-decade period is his proudest achievement in golf. Despite a strong challenge from schoolboy Josh Holbrook in Sunday’s final round, Adam (76-74-74-75, 299) held on to beat Grade 12 Siena Catholic College student Josh (78-76-75-72, 301) during a nail-biting finale. Adam, who has now won 15 Honour Board events at Headland, started round four with a five-shot lead and faltered slightly, with three bogeys on the opening nine including a bogey-five at the opening hole. But he held strong with two birdies and two bogeys on the back, and finished with a par at the 18th after leaving his first putt 20 metres short to claim the title by two strokes. “I’m proud that, at 47 years of age, I can still compete with the young guys,” said the 2021 Champion who won his first title back in 1994, when he was a 20-year-old. “But to win each of my Championships over the past four decades is, I believe, a very rare feat, especially at a prominent club like Headland.” He was also proud to have his parents and his two daughters among the gallery as the final group came home, as well as having long-time mate Simon Mitchell on his bag. An uncharacteristic final-round 81 from defending Champion Scott Walker was one of the big disappointments of the 2021 Championships which were played on extremely tough course, under really difficult conditions. “Despite the recent spate of wet weather, the course was prepared superbly, but it wasn’t easy on any of the four days,” Adam quipped.
JOSIE LOOMS: Josie Ryan has snuck her nose in front in what has come down to a two-player race in the 2021 Headland Women’s Championship. After trailing Sharon Thomas following the first two rounds, 17-time Champion Josie reeled in her only realistic rival in Saturday’s third round and takes a one-shot lead in to Thursday’s finale. Josie (264) turned the screws in tough conditions at the weekend, her 89 finally overtaking Sharon (265) whose 93 overshadowed her earlier steady rounds of 85 and 87. Vicky Sheridan (276) would need a miracle final round to challenge for the title. The best round of the weekend came from former Champion Sue Jones, with her 87 on Saturday mixing it with the best scores of the Championship. While the A Grade Championship appears wide open, the other grade leaders will need a disastrous meltdown to lose. Helen Fraser (287) leads B Grade by 12 shots, Deborah Thomas (318) heads the C Grade field by eight and Chrissy Eggins (335) takes a mammoth 16-shot lead into Thursday’s final round.
RHETT’S BEST: Former Kawana Dolphins rugby league hooker Rhett Charlton saved his best for last when he scorched around the brutal Headland course on Sunday in 77 strokes, to snatch the B Grade Championship from overnight leader Mark Henricks. Mark had led by five shots going into the final round but a disastrous 93 on Sunday handed the title to Rhett whose five-over par score was bettered only by three players on the final day, each of them A Graders. Not only was Rhett’s 77 his best-ever score from the black tees at Headland, his 81 on Saturday was his second best. The electrician credited his outstanding scores to his driver, which he said worked a treat over the final two days in which his worst score was a double bogey at the 17th on Saturday. Tony Vickers, the 2020 C Grade Match Play Champion, went one step further this year snaring the C Grade Championship by six shots from Robert McCann. Warren Sorby won the Senior Championship and Josh Holbrook the Junior title, both for the second successive year.
NOT POLITICAL: Liberal (aka Lib) Bonel says there is no political overtones to his name, although he confesses to being a conservative voter. And there was nothing liberal about his golf on Wednesday when the 26-handicapper scored 41 points to join with partner Ross Roberts (35 points) and easily win the Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford with 75 points. For Lib, who lives adjacent to the 17th fairway, it was just his second competition game of the year – his first, incredibly, in the opening round of the Club Championships the previous weekend. The former Bargara member, who played off 17 some years ago, lost his younger brother recently and that, plus encouragement from his wife to return to competition golf, was the catalyst for him getting back into the game he loves. Remarkably, Lib and Ross – who played his best golf in an age – were unaware they were partners until entering the clubhouse after the round. NOTE: Lib is the stepfather of Brad Butler, a Headland one marker who is currently working in Darwin, but will return for the 2021 Pennant season.
SUSAN STARS: In her eight years as a Headland member, Susan Stratford doubts she has played better golf than on Tuesday when she scored 41 Stableford points to win the individual event for women. But, even better, she teamed with husband Alan to head the Fourball Best Ball Stableford field of 119 players, with an excellent 49 points. And although the Fourball score indicates Alan (36 points) barely contributed, he actually scored on six of the 18 holes, four of which were three-pointers. A regular volunteer in the on-course gardening group on Fridays, retired engineer Alan joined Headland in 2011 after 18 years at Horton Park, while ex-teacher Susan started golf just eight years ago when she also became a Headland member. Their ‘unexpected’ victory – because they were more focused on their individual scores – is just the couple’s second win as a team.
BEN BACK: Former Headland General Manager Ben Dobson has joined Maroochy River as Golf Operations Manager. Ben, who kicked off his golf administration career as Golf Manager at Headland in 2004, progressed to General Manager in 2008 and in August last year took up a position as GM at Noosa Par Three. Ben, who beat 47 applicants for the role, starts work at Maroochy River on June 15.
WOMEN’S PENNANT: Headland has been beaten in the Division Two final of the 15-team North Coast Zone Ladies Golf Association Pennant competition. Playing Noosa Springs at Woodford on Friday, three of the five matches went to the 18th hole before Headland was finally beaten 3½-1½. Leanne Ptak won 5&3, Helen Fraser squared her match while stand-in captain Robyn Boreham (2-down), Carol Dwyer (1-down) and Mouna Humzy (2&1) were beaten. Because of work commitments, GP Chris Parkinson was unable to play in the final, but despite the loss said the team members were ‘pretty chuffed’ with their season. “As a team, we played very well and won our South Division, winning five matches and squaring two,” she said. Team members during the season were Chris Parkinson (c), Robyn Boreham, Mouna Humzy, Leanne Ptak, Carol Dwyer, Helen Fraser, Carmel Visser, Kathy Petrie and Gwen Nancarrow. Headland’s Division Three team plays its final match today (Monday) against Pelican Waters, and a win will elevate Headland to second, behind leader Caloundra.
CAMARADERIE: Although Josh Holbrook has played golf – and shared a cart – in the past 18 months with USPGA winners Adam Scott and Cameron Smith, the 17-year-old credits his recent development in the game to his fellow Headland A Grade Pennant team members. Once a star junior, Josh gave the game away until being inspired by Tiger Woods winning the 2019 US Masters. In the two years since he has reduced his handicap from17 to one, and at the weekend came within two strokes of becoming just the second junior to win the prestigious Club Championship. And besides hard work, Josh says his improvement, and confidence, has been fostered by the friendship, acceptance and encouragement from his fellow Pennant team members. In Sunday’s final round of the Championships – in which Josh returned the only par round of the event – he was paired with eventual winner Adam Richards, defending Champion Scott Walker and past Champion Adam Rydwanski. “They encouraged me all day,” he said. In his final round 72 Josh had three birdies and three bogeys, but was never closer than two shots to Champion Adam.
CART CARNAGE: Septuagenarian Mark Postles may not be the best golfer at Headland, but the chiropractor sure is a hardy soul. Despite being whacked on the shoulder by an errant golf ball during Saturday’s third round of the Club Championships – and, as a result his new electric buggy and month-old clubs finished in the dam – Mark continued his round and in fact played again on Sunday. On Saturday morning Mark had just hit his third shot at the 10th hole – his first hole of the day – when a stray shot from the 11th tee hit him on the shoulder. “It was a real zinger. I felt like I’d been shot,” said Mark who was adjacent to the pond at the time. While Mark regathered his composure, his buggy, clubs, mobile phone and laser continued on their way, and into the pond. Stunned, disappointed and a tad angry, Mark nevertheless fished out his equipment, discarded the disabled buggy, loaded his soggy equipment on to the cart of fellow competitor Robert McCann and bravely continued his round.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To celebrate Headland Golf Club’s 66th birthday, a special Fourball Best Ball Stableford will be held on Saturday week, June 5. Following what has been a tough past 12 months for the club, members are urged to offer their full support. Entries for the Birthday Fourball will open at 6pm this coming Saturday (May 29). And entries are now being accepted for Women’s Open Day, to be held at Headland on Monday, June 28. An 8am shotgun start will get the field underway, with a single stroke event to be played in three divisions. Cost for the event, which is being sponsored by Jodie McDonnel of Century21 on Duporth, is $20, and entries close at 5pm on Thursday, June 17.
A RECESS: The administrative headquarters of Headland Headlines is on the move and, as a consequence, this weekly column will not appear next Monday. My apologies to all members who appreciate the weekly updates, but rest assured HH will be back. And although analysis of the final round of the Women’s Championship will be a week late, the event will be given full coverage.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (119 players) – Susan and Alan Stratford (49 points), Gordon Peak and Tony McDonough (46), Richard Senior and Bob Hunter (45); Single Stableford, Women (45 players) – Susan Stratford (41 points), Doreen Davidson (40), Anne Hayward (38); Men (74 players) – Mal McDougall (39), Daniel Lane (38), Paul Stephens (38).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (195 players) – Ross Roberts and Lib Bonel (75 points), Fred Muller and Simon Mitchell (72), Darcy Brown and Aaron Duff (71), Ross Itzstein and Jack Pyke (70), Bryan Richards and Adam Richards (70).
Thursday, Women, Club Championships, Round Two scores – A Grade, gross, Josie Ryan (86), Sharon Thomas (87), Kate Wilkie (91); nett, Kate Wilkie (76), Christina Claxton (78), Sharon Thomas (77); B Grade, gross, Vicky Maynard (99), Helen Fraser (100), Cathy Roberts (100); nett, Vicky Maynard (72), Anne Callanan (75), Trudi Russell (75); C Grade, gross, Di Stark (107), Kym Mason (108), Brenda Smith-Gittings (112); nett, Di Stark (73), Lyn Forbes (76), Jane Boaler (76); D Grade, gross, Chrissy Eggins (113), Susie Meade (115), Susan Haddenham (117); nett, Chrissy Eggins (74), Susan Haddenham (76), Susie Meade (77).
Progressive Championship scores: A grade, Sharon Thomas (85-87,172), Josie Ryan 89-86, 175), Vicky Sheridan (88-89, 186), Annabel Harris (93-93, 186); B Grade, Helen Fraser (100-92, 192), Carol Dwyer (102-99, 201), Sandi Whittle (102-99, 201); C Grade, C Grade, Deborah Thomas (106-104, 210), Brenda Smith-Gittings (109-112, 221), Maureen Cartledge (108-116, 224); D Grade, Chrissy Eggins (115-113, 228), Jackie Walkington (113-122, 235), Susie Meade (123-115, 238). Monthly Medal, results – A Grade, Julie Halliday (69 net), B Grade, Vicki Maynard (72), C Grade, Doreen Davidson (69), D Grade, Barb Marrington (74). Men, Single Stableford (88 players) – Gregory McDonald (44 points), Nigel Morrison (41), Jai Straney (38).
WEEKEND SCORES:
Saturday, Club Championships, Women, Round Three (60 players) – A Grade, gross, Sue Jones (87), Josie Ryan (89), Vicky Sheridan (90); nett, Sue Jones (73), Vicky Sheridan (75), Kate Wilkie (78), Jenny Ingham (78); B Grade, gross, Helen Fraser (95), Cathy Roberts (97); nett, Cathy Roberts (73), Catherine Peterson (73), Helen Fraser (76); C Grade, gross, Ruth Broderick (102), Brenda Smith-Gittings (105), Kathy Walker (106); nett, Ruth Broderick (69), Brenda Smith-Gittings (72), Kathy Walker (72); D Grade, gross, Ellen Bloxsome (111), Penny Cooper (115), Susie Meade (118), Maggie Fitzpatrick (118); nett, Ellen Bloxsome (73), Penny Cooper (79), Susie Meade (80).
Progressive Championship scores: A grade, Josie Ryan (89-86-89, 264); Sharon Thomas (85-87-93, 265), Vicky Sheridan (88-89-90,276); B Grade, Helen Fraser (100-92-95,287), Sandi Whittle (102-99-98, 299), Carol Dwyer (102-99-99, 300); C Grade, Deborah Thomas (106-104-108,318), Brenda Smith-Gittings (109-112-105, 326); D Grade, Chrissy Eggins (115-113-127, 335), Ellen Bloxsome (119-121-111, 351), Jackie Walkington (113-122-120, 355).
Men (177 players) – A grade, gross, Adam Richards (74), Jamie Duffy (75), Josh Holbrook (75); nett, Aaron Shaw (71), Ciaran Fenton (71), Matt Hetherington (72), Andrew Sterling (72), Peter Perret (72), Jamie Duffy (72), Shane Muller (72); B Grade, gross, Rhett Charlton (81), Mark Henricks (82), Garry Marr (83); nett, Garry Marr (69), Rhett Charlton (71), Mark Henricks (72); C Grade, gross, Nick Reed (91), Bruce Heseltine (93), Josh Vickers (93), Denis Clifford (93); nett, Nick Reed (70), Emmet Walsh (73), Bruce Heseltine (73).
Sunday, Men’s Club Championships, Round Four (156 players) – A Grade, gross, Josh Holbrook (72), Adam Richards (75), Ben Duncombe (75); nett, Josh Holbrook (71), Peter Perrett (71), Sean McGill (73), Will Millroy (73), Glenn Walker (73), Chris Goundrey (73), Ash Reck (73), Andrew Stirling (73),Glenn Kelly (73); B Grade, gross, Rhett Charlton (77), Mark Wittholtz (84), Wayne Cassidy (85); nett, Rhett Charlton (67), Wayne Cassidy (70), Peter Holt (71); C Grade, gross, Nick Reed (90), Josh Poole (91), Robert McCann (91); nett, Nick Reed (69), Josh Poole (71), Ossie Laurikainen (71).
