From Tony Durkin
MEDAL OF MEDALS: Recently-retired USC Research Scientist, Christina Claxton, has blitzed the opposition to win her first Headland Medal of Medals. A field of 32 – those who have won either a Thursday or Saturday Medal during 2021 – teed off among 121 women in Thursday’s stroke round from the championship tees, and Christina’s nett 67 was the best by three strokes. And, her gross score of 81 – the lowest-ever round by the former rep hockey and soccer player who graduated from SWING in 2016 – was the best in the entire field by seven strokes. Remarkably, Christina had not played a competition round in four weeks before Thursday’s outing, and that showed when she carded two doubles and a bogey in her first four holes. But, as champions do, the 14-marker steadied and from holes 12 to 18 was just one over the card, with birdies at 15 and 17. In the Rabbits Cup, for those who did not qualify for the Medals of Medals, Ellen Bloxsome starred with 68 nett. Christina’s score also won the A Grade Monthly Medal for November, as did Kathy Price (70 nett) in B Grade, Ellen Bloxsome (68) in C Grade and Sue Hadenham (73) for D Grade.
NINE UNDER: In a remarkable afternoon of scoring, Headland Pro Shop duo Adam Norlander and Mitch Jacobson shot nine birdies between them during Thursday’s Single Stableford. Head Pro Adam was the star, carding his equal-best Headland round of five-under 67 for 40 points, while his assistant Mitch signed for a one-under 71 after three birdies and two bogeys gave him 36 points. Adam’s remarkable round, which was scarred by a ‘lucky’ bogey at the par-three fifth, came one day after his sonographer wife Melissa had injected a steroid into his bursitis-affected left shoulder – with obviously astonishing results. Although three-marker playing partners Barry Newton (31 points) and Jamie Holbrook (27) were overshadowed by the professionals, they added a birdie each to make the total 11 for the quartet. Both Pro Shop pros played off handicaps of plus one, with Adam winning the competition. NOTE: Adam donated his $100 prizemoney to Headland Juniors.
FOODIE SHINES: Gourmet food distributor Mark Selig may not have won the day, but he smashed his PB by three shots at Headland on Saturday during a day of exceptional scoring. The co-owner of Only Gourmet with his wife Angie, 10-handicapper Mark was merely a social golfer before he joined Horton Park just on a decade ago, but his game has flourished in his four years at Headland. His scorecard of 75 – for 43 points – revealed a steady five bogeys, 11 pars and two birdies for the former Adelaide AFL player, and he and partner Jack Williams finished fifth in the Medley Fourball Best Ball Aggregate with 70 points. Another Mark – Postles – also scored 43 points and teamed with Darcy Smyth (36) to win the event with 79 points. Outstanding rounds by Ben Duncombe – a two-under 70 – and Chris Thomas (72), in which both carded five birdies, emphasised how superbly the course has recuperated following its recent renovation.
FAMILY TIME: Leigh Derigo’s golf game was travelling along nicely two years ago, with the 2014 SWING graduate regularly playing to her lowest-ever handicap of 29. Then family commitments encroached and in the intervening period she had more pressing commitments, usually played poorly when on the course and her handicap expanded by 10 shots. But that changed on Monday when Leigh scored a victory for the first time in more than two years, winning the Women’s Vets B Grade with 42 Stableford points. And, remarkably, she had two wipes on a card which revealed an outstanding 25 points on the back nine, despite a pick-up at the par-four 16th. Leigh, however, is not ‘shouting from the rooftops’ just yet and understands she has to play even better now that her handicap has suddenly been sliced to 33. She is back playing comp two days a week, plus a couple of social rounds, and is hellbent on never returning to that previously ‘embarrassing’ handicap. Robyn Boreham’s 41 points won A Grade.
ADAM MISSES: A three-putt at the final hole has cost Adam Richards the inaugural Sunshine Coast and South Burnett District Golf Association Champion of Champions title. Fighting wind gusts of up to 70 km, Headland’s reigning Champion shot a one-over par 72 at Caloundra Golf Club during the district championships last Sunday, but was beaten on a countback for the title of Champions of Champions, introduced for the first time this year. Every Champion from the 40-plus golf clubs in the three south-east Queensland golf districts (including those from the Glasshouse district) was eligible to contest the Champion of Champion titles, which was won by Sean Daines of Beerwah, who also shot 72. However, despite the disappointment of being pipped for the prestigious title, Adam did not go home empty handed. Playing off scratch, he won the Division One nett (72) and also picked up the NTP at the difficult ninth hole. The event was played in conjunction with the district Amateur Championships, in which former Headland Champion Sean McGill won the open nett title with 73/70, while schoolboy Ben Duncombe also shot 73.
ALMOST SAM: Eleven-year-old Sam Fichera, Headland’s youngest playing member, has gone within a shot of winning the most demanding event of the month, the Wood Duck Challenge. Sam scored 69 nett from his 24 handicap to come within a shot of winner Fred Muller, and also within a shot of his best-ever round at Headland – a 92 in the recent Schweppes Headland Junior Classic. The diminutive Year 6 Siena Catholic College student is starting to master the course and had nothing worse than double bogey in his notable round, which included four pars and eight bogeys. Joining Fred and Sam in beating their handicap and sharing in the Wood Duck prizemoney were Men’s Club Captain Peter O’Brien and real estate guru Jamie Holbrook as well as Steven Bell, Annabel Harris, Jacob Mimnaw, Peter Wood and Jai Straney. Former Headland Club Champion, Ryley Martin, returned the best gross score of 74, with an eagle at the par-five seventh.
WISE WIN: Former teacher Mike Phillips prescribes to the theory that with age, comes wisdom, and as result of some strategic changes to his swing his golf has improved. Playing off 13 at the age of 68 – his lowest handicap – Michael scored 41 points to post the best score in A Grade during Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford event. But when he bogeyed the 18th for one-point, he was disappointed at not attaining his pre-round goal of 40 points, until he realised he had not recorded his two-point bogey at the fourth. Following a teaching career in Perth, Mike and his recent SWING-graduate wife Sue decided to move east and after playing Headland a little more than two years ago, he was immediately taken by the character of the course and decided he had found his new golfing home. Although Mike has had two victories in Vets since he joined in 2019, this win – which came despite a wipe at the fifth – is his first in ‘open company’. Fred Muller (42) won B Grade and the ever-improving Duncan Watts (40) won C Grade.
ROBERT’S BEST: Having played social golf once a fortnight since moving to the Sunshine Coast in 2013, Robert Jones decided the arrival of Covid last year was the right time for him to become serious about his golf. He joined Headland in May (2020) and plays regularly in the Vets and on Tuesdays, as well as a social round on Fridays, with the express desire to reduce his handicap. And that goal – in no uncertain terms – was achieved on Monday when his superb 44 points won the B Grade Single Stableford in Vets. Robert started on the tenth with a one-pointer, but blitzed the next eight holes and turned in 24 points. His impressive card revealed eight three-point holes and one four-pointer for a par at 16, and his handicap was subsequently reduced from 23.2 to 20.7. Robert’s previous best score had been 38 points. Jock McLaughlin (39 points) won A Grade while Des McNee (43) won C Grade.
BUSCHY’S MEMOIR: Thursday’s Fraser Follies-sponsored Men’s Single Stableford event coincided with the passing of popular Follies’ member Ian Busch, 12 months earlier. And to salute the much-loved ‘Buschy’, Headland Pro Adam Norlander and 38-year member John Jamieson each donated $50 to be awarded to last place in the event. “Buschy typified the camaraderie that is so much a part of Headland, and the Follies in particular. He was a very average golfer, and would be stoked if he scored 30 points. Buschy invariably finished at the tail of the field, but he still loved his golf, almost as much as he loved a bet with his mates, and a drink afterwards,” Adam recounted. The recipient of the inaugural ‘Buschy Award’ for last place, was Steve McPherson with 21 points.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (39) – A Grade, Robyn Boreham (41 points), Valerie O’Brien (39), Lisa Ramen (37); B Grade, Leigh Derigo (42), Chrissy Eggins (40), Sue Hadenham (39). Men (89 players) – A Grade, Jock McLaughlin (39), Bruce Reid (38), David O’Mahoney (37); B Grade, Robert Jones (44), Craig Driscoll (40), Ted Banaszczyk (38); C Grade, Des McNee (43), Chris Byrnes (38), Robert Rowan (37).
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (85 players) – Alf Gloster and Jim Snowball (50 points), Kathy Price and Kym Mason (48), Rodney Hutchinson and Paul Hughes (47).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – (222 players) – A Grade, Mike Phillips (41 points), Ian Farrington (40), Peter Perrett (39); B Grade, Fred Muller (42), Syd Shilling (41), Erik Larsen (41); C Grade, Duncan Watts (40), Trevor Beall (38), Dave Whalley (38).
Thursday, Women, Medal of Medals (144 players) – A Grade, Christina Claxton (67 nett), Carol Dwyer (74), Kirsten Kaergaard (75); B Grade, Kathy Price (70), Helen Fraser (70), Diane Molineux (72); C Grade, Ellen Bloxsome (68), Odette Day (69), Jackie Walkington (71); D Grade, Sue Haddenham (73), Coralie Snowball (74), Marie Flegler (77). Medal of Medals winner – Christina Claxton (67); Rabbits Cup winner- Ellen Bloxsome (68).
Men, Single Stableford – sponsor Fraser Follies – (100 players) – Adam Norlander (40 points), Gary Rugless (39), Patrick Carmody (38), Steve Eggins (37), Robert McCann (37).
Saturday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (250 players) – Mark Postles and Darcy Smyth (79 points), Josh Poole and Ray Stonehouse (78), Sharon and Chris Thomas (77), Ben Laycock and Daniel Crabtree (76), Jack Williams and Mark Selig (76).
Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge (61 players) – Fred Muller (68 nett), Sam Fichera (69), Steven Bell (69), Jamie Holbrook (70), Peter O’Brien (70), Annabel Harris (70), Jacob Mimnaw (70), Peter Wood (71), Jai Straney (71).
