From Tony Durkin
ACE-A-THON: After 62 years as a member, Patron Simon Whittle has a strong attachment to the club, and a ‘fairly reliable’ memory. And Simon says that in those six decades he cannot recall three holes-in-one being scored on a single day at Headland – as was the case on Thursday. Aces to Julie Halliday (18th), Sergio Nogarotto (5th) and Matt Doyle (14th) turned Headland into a land of aces, with all three holing out on par threes for the very first time. But while Patron Simon – who first joined Headland as a junior member in 1959 – cannot immediately recollect three aces on the same day, he concedes it may well have occurred during the 65 years the club has existed. And to add even more lustre to Thursday’s historic ‘ace-a-thon’, Anne Hayward scored a hole-in-one on Tuesday, also her first.
SANDY WIN: Despite returning his best nett score in seven years as a Headland member and collecting his fourth Medal, Mark Gersbach reckoned his most satisfying achievement was extricating his ball from the sand on tough holes 15 and 17. “I realised I had a really good score going, but I am a shocker in the sand and I was dreading those two shots. But I got out of both bunkers in one shot, and that was a huge bonus for me,” he said. The owner of Attack Pest Management, Mark scored 66 nett to win Saturday’s C Grade Monthly Medal, adding to the Mid-Week Medal (67 nett) he won in June. And, remarkably, the 24-marker birdied the par-four 12th hole on both days. But while happy with those victories, the fitness guru is disappointed his handicap has ballooned from 17, where it was 18 months ago, and he hopes his recent good form can continue and help bring that down to B Grade level. Winning both the gross and nett scores for C Grade, Mark (90/66) matched the effort of his playing partner Don Harris (84/70) who won the B Grade Medal, while Barry Newton (68 nett) scored an eagle at the par-four 11th en-route to his A Grade Medal victory. Robyn Boreham (72 nett) won the women’s Medal.
JOSIE’S HONOUR: Prolific winner Josie Ryan has added her name to Headland’s Honour Board for the 38th time, but her first as a victor in the Women’s Match Play Championship. Following a long delay for numerous reasons, Josie and Jenny Ingham eventually met in the final on Thursday with Josie taking the 18-hole final 5&4. For the first time since 1991 – when Karen Wilson was the victor – the Women’s Match Play this year was contested without handicaps, qualifying it as an Honour Board event. During her phenomenal 38 years as a Headland member, Josie has added this latest victory to her 19 Club Championships, 13 Women’s Foursomes and five Mixed Foursomes titles. Other winners in the 2021 Guide Financial-sponsored Women’s Match Play were Robyn Boreham (B Grade), Di Stark (C Grade) and Rhonda Parry (D Grade). NOTE: Earlier in the week Josie finished third in the Super Senior Division of the three-day Surfers Paradise Classic, an Australian National Ranking event.
GOLF MASTER: Parts of his round may not have been as spectacular as seven days earlier, but Scott Masters has obviously found the antidote for winning on Wednesdays at Headland. The former rugby-playing GP has had successive weeks atop the A Grade leaderboard, winning the July Monthly Medal and last Wednesday a Medley Single Stableford, both times playing 81 shots. Losing a stroke from his handicap after his Medal-winning 67 nett – which featured two spectacular birdies – Scott returned 40 points on Wednesday with a solid card of 11 pars, five bogeys and two doubles. Apart from an errant drive on 13, where he flew the out-of- bounds fence but still managed a double bogey, Scott said he barely hit a poor shot. And the reason for his current good form – possibly the homecoming of his son Harry from a four-year stint in the USA, playing rugby and becoming a Maths Major.
BOALED OVER: Headland Director of Women’s Golf, Jane Boaler, has denied conjecture her recent Covid-related 14-day stint in isolation was in fact spent attending a two-week golf coaching camp in Brisbane. An excited Jane returned almost triumphant in just her second game back, scoring plus five in Thursday’s Single Par event on a day when she described her putting and play from the fairway as ‘excellent’. “Having the two-week forced break gave me renewed appreciation for the game and everything it, and our wonderful club, offers,” she said. Despite her outstanding round, in which she had seven plusses on her card, Jane was beaten on a countback in C Grade by Helen Martyn has had two wins and a second in the past month. Monica Knowles (+3) won A Grade and Libby Hall (+3) took B Grade honours.
GAME OF INCHES: A golfing tip, which was so simple it could be construed a throwaway line, has helped Geoff Sawyer win his first event since March last year. Geoff’s long game had improved after he recently bought a new Callaway Mavrik driver and three-wood from Headland Pro Shop, but he was drawing – even hooking – his irons far too much, and far too often. A quick chat with Head Pro Adam Norlander last week, who advised Geoff to move the ball back in his stance an inch (2.5cm), has done the trick with Geoff winning Thursday’s Single Stableford for men. Despite a wayward two holes on the back nine – a wipe at 11 and a double bogey at 12 – 10-marker Geoff scored 38 points for his first victory since teaming with regular playing partner Tony Flint for 50 points in a Fourball Best Ball Stableford 16 months ago.
KNEES UP: Fed up with sitting at home feeling sorry for himself following recent knee surgery, John Marrington has defied doctor’s orders and a week ago headed for his favourite place – Headland golf course. His first two rounds were ordinary – 31 and 30 points respectively – but he found a reason to celebrate on Tuesday. John’s 41 points, which included a chip-in five-point birdie at the par-five seventh and seven three-point holes, won the Single Stableford event for men. Still requiring surgery on his other knee, John says that while he felt guilty defying doctor’s orders, he reckons the day out, and a win, has given him hope for a swift recovery when surgery No.2 eventually arrives. NOTE: The 80-year-old pensioner, who lost his golf clubs in August last year when they fell from his cart while being towed on a trailer, has since assembled a ‘new’ set which ‘is working well’.
ANNE’S ACE: When Anne Haywards’s tee shot at the 18th hole on Tuesday left the club, the 40-handicapper knew she had struck it well. And when husband Bob, her playing partner, predicted the result could well result in a NTP win, she became quite excited. But when Anne and Bob reached the green and saw an orange ball poking its head out of the hole Anne – who describes herself as a ‘terrible’ golfer – realised she had achieved something she never believed possible. While Bob has scored five aces – his most recent last year while also in the company of his wife – Tuesdays was Anne’s first. And when she has her orange ball mounted, Anne hopes the distinctive colour will stand out among her husband’s collection.
THANKS WIND: The heavy atmosphere at Headland on Wednesday has helped Julie Halliday score her first hole-in-one after 35 years of trying. Julie was considering hitting nine iron to the back pin at 18 but, because of the prevailing conditions, Julie took an eight and held it down the shaft. The sweetly-timed shot never left the pin and when she could not see her ball when arriving at the green, Julie thought it had run through the back. But jubilant playing partner Colleen Berger – who is still waiting for her first ace – delivered the good news when she spotted Julie’s ball in the hole.
SERGE OF BLOOD: Sergio Nogarotto was so pumped full of adrenalin that he wiped the sixth hole at Headland on Thursday – immediately after he had aced the fifth, for his first hole-in-one. An ‘almost-perfectly struck’ five iron, into the wind, landed on the green, bounced once and rolled to the near-back pin before disappearing into the hole – in full view of the animated playing group. A golfer for 26 years and Headland’s current Director of Finance, Sergio recovered from his adrenalin rush at the sixth, scored an outstanding 22 points on the front nine and celebrated one of golf’s major achievements, despite being beaten on a countback for the day’s major spoils.
JOY FOR JOY: Joy Logan unveiled her fighting qualities on Tuesday when she bounced back superbly from an 8&6 loss in the final of the C Grade Women’s Match Play Championship four days earlier. A ‘fill-in’ when a number of women withdrew, 2014 SWING graduate Joy enjoyed her first Match Play competition and believed the experience has helped improve her golf. And she revealed that new-found confidence on Tuesday when, after a faltering first nine which yielded just 15 points, Joy scored a remarkable 23 points coming home, with six three-point holes on her card. Smitten by golf since she joined husband John at Headland seven years ago, Joy plays at least three days a week and the winner of Tuesday’s Single Stableford event for women – with 38 points – describes herself as ‘a happy golfer’.
MEN’S PENNANT: Headland’s A Grade Men’s Pennant team has overcome a second-round humiliation to win a berth in the 2021 Sunshine Coast Men’s Golf Zone Pennant semi-finals, to be played next weekend. At home on Sunday, Headland thrashed Noosa (1) 6½-½, somewhat reconciling the 7-nil embarrassment Noosa caused the team back in round two. Leading the way for Headland were schoolboys Josh Holbrook and Ben Duncombe, both with 6&5 wins, while Scott Walker (8&6), Adam Richards (5&4), Adam Rydwanski (3&2) and Dave Rattray (3&2) also shone, and the ever-reliable Sean McGill managed a halved result. Headland will play Maroochy River at Noosa Springs in next Sunday’s semi-final. Following a 5-2 win over Tin Can Bay at Nambour, Headland’s Masters team has finished first in Pool Black. Winners were Brett Stephenson (5&3), Graham Newlove (4&3), Warren Sorby (2-up), Peter Perrett (3&1) and skipper Warren Selvage (2&1), while Scott Bromfield (3&2) and Neil Oxley (1-down) were beaten. In B Grade, Headland lost a cliff-hanger – also against Tin Can Bay at Nambour – 4-3, with four of the seven matches squared. Blake Thomas was the only team member to remain unbeaten throughout the competition when he squared his match, while Damien Moelands, Aaron Duff and Rhett Charlton also halved their contests. Brendan Duncan (2&1) was beaten for the first time, Nick Reed lost his first-ever Pennant match, also 2&1, but Tom Burnett kept the Headland flag flying with his 2&1 victory. B Grade has missed the finals.
FOURSOMES CHAMPS: Men’s reigning Foursomes Champions Ash Reck and Wayne West will be looking for a three-peat when they defend their title on Saturday, August 14. The long-time playing partners first won in 2013, and then backed up in 2019 and 2020. The men’s event, sponsored by Mick Kinnear of Zero Termite and Pest, will be played over 36 holes, while the women, sponsored by Guide Financial, will play 27 holes on Thursday, August 12. Sharon Thomas and Dominique Paice, who have won three of the past four championships, will also defend their 2020 title, but maybe for the final time. Dominique, who is an Occupational Therapist, recently moved to Brisbane to work, and live. Nominations close on August 4 (men) and August 2 (women) respectively.
BALLSY FIND: Former Headland President John Alsbury had an unexpected ‘find’ on Wednesday as he waited for the container behind the 18th green to be loaded on a truck, and removed from where it sat during the elongated kitchen renovations. When the container was moved, lying on the bitumen were six golf balls which – John believed – were the result of errant shots from the 18th tee. If any Headland member can identify one of the balls as their own, JA will return said ball to its rightful, but atrociously wayward owner.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (57 players) – Joy Logan (38 points), Marg Howard (36), Susanne Harris (35); Men (66 players) – John Marrington (41), Steve Walters (39), Alan Stratford (37).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – Sponsor – Guide Financial (226 players) – A Grade, Scott Masters (40 points), Gavin Tuck (40), Gary Clarke (37); B Grade, Gus Walker (40), David Bone (39), Drew Walker (39); C Grade, Chris Hope (37), Peter Andrews (36), Mark Beswick (36).
Thursday, Single Par, Women – sponsors Sandy Whittle, Kerry Longworth, Rebecca Masters, Mouna Humzy (118 players) – A Grade, Monica Knowles (plus 3), Chris Parkinson (+2), Robyn Muir (+1); B Grade, Libby Hall (+3), Kath Braford (+2), Carmel Visser (+1); C Grade, Helen Martyn (+5), Jane Boaler (+5), Jackie Walkington (+3).
Men, Single Stableford (92 players) – Geoff Sawyer (38 points), Sergio Nogarotto (38), Richard Franklin (37).
Saturday, Monthly Medal, Women (27 players) – Robyn Boreham (72 nett), Cathy Roberts (74), Kathy Atkins (74), gross – Kathy Atkins (90); Men (212 players) – A Grade, Barry Newton (68), Mark Henricks (69), Andrew Nairne (69), gross – Ben Duncombe (70); B Grade, Don Harris (70), Don Follent (70), David Cekulis (70), gross – Don Harris (84); C Grade, Mark Gersbach (66), Ian Harper (70), Phil Kornmann (73), gross – Mark Gersbach (90).
Sunday, Medley Medal, (55 players) – Andrew Bint (72 nett), Keita Griffin-Klazema (74), Bryan Haggarty (75); Junior Medal – Keita Griffin-Klazema (74).
