From Tony Durkin

FATHER CHRISTMAS: In the spirit of Christmas, it seemed fitting that the final official competition at Headland prior to December 25 was won by a former Catholic priest. Tim Nunan partnered Phil Maron to score 49 points and win the Closing Day Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford on a countback from father-and-son combination, Burgess and Brett Stephenson. And in keeping with the tradition of family bonding during the festive season, the husband-and-wife team of Liz and Tony Dunford (48 points) ran third, while another father-and-son combination – Matt and Jack Fisher (47) – were fourth. Tim (handicap 21) and Phil (24) teamed superbly, contributing 25 and 24 points respectively, with each scoring a birdie for four-point returns. Ex-priest Tim, who also had working stints as a parole officer and mediator before retiring four years ago, was a late inclusion following a withdrawal from Phil’s group and, according to Phil, Tim putted so well he did not need to offer any prayers. Phil, an IT expert specialising in Business Intelligence, joined Headland when he moved from Melbourne early last year, and Saturday was the first time he and Tim had met.

 COURSE BURNS: Four-time Australia Order of Merit Legends Tour winner Brad Burns returned to the scene of his very first event as a professional golfer to win Tuesday’s Innovative Planning Solutions Legends ProAm at Headland. A two-under par 70 was good enough to share the spoils with Gold Coaster Richard Backwell, while there-time Australian Masters and Australian PGA Champion Peter Senior (72) was third, alongside Murray Lott. Burns was just 16 when he first played Headland 49 years ago and described the course as ‘lightyears different’. “I have played Headland half a dozen times since then, and this is without doubt the best I have ever seen the course. And, it is the toughest I have seen it play,” said the former Gladstone junior who now lives at Woombye. Brad had five birdies, 10 pars and three bogeys on his card, while Richard mixed two birdies with 12 pars and two bogeys. A field of 63 professionals – aged 50 years and over – teed off in the event and played for a purse of $22,000.

 DAD BEATEN: Titleist Leadership Manager Matt Dowling has assumed for some time he may have another budding champion challenging for a spot in his sponsorship/promotions stable, but did not think the prodigy would blossom at such a young age. That youngster – his 15-year-old son Ben – not only won the amateur section of Headland’s Legends Pro-Am last week, but in doing so beat his dad off the stick for the first time. Having never played Headland previously, Ben conquered the extremely tough Championship layout with a four-over 76 from his eight handicap, for 40 Stableford points, beating member Rob Cunningham (39) and Maroochy River visitor Chopper Jacobson (37). Ben’s scratchmarker dad was nine points askew, and two strokes in areas of his only son who balances a budding golf career at Keperra with his rugby league duties as a halfback for Padua College and Brothers JRL. “I always thought Ben had the talent to beat me, but not this soon,” lamented Matt.

IN THE FAMILY: Familiar Headland Pro Shop faces filled all three placings in the Irish Teams event held in conjunction with Tuesday’s Legends ProAm. Junior Club Champion Josh Holbrook, who has been a regular in the Pro Shop throughout 2021 while on work experience, teamed with his dad Jamie, Daniel Butler and professional Murray Lott to score 105 points, and win the event. Runners-up were Headland Assistant Pro Mitch Jacobson, who teamed with professional Chris Taylor, Good Guys Territory Executive Manager Shane Muller, and Hervey Bay visitor Andrew Diggins (103), while Head Pro Adam Norlander teamed with event sponsor James Brownsworth of Innovative Planning Solutions, Twin Waters professional Tamara Johns and Legends 2021 series winner Andrew Stolz for 98 points, and third place.

 PRO-AM SHORTS:

  • At the par-five 13th hole, amateurs Shane Muller (Headland) and Andrew Diggins (Hervey Bay) scored eagles, while professionals Mitch Jacobson and Chris Taylor rolled in birdies
  • Queensland’s FootJoy Account Manager Daniel Butler, a member of the winning Irish Teams event, donated his Mizuno bag for ‘a deserving Headland junior’
  • Headland members who struggled to conquer the course from the championship tees should not be too concerned. In the morning field one professional shot 93 and three scored 87, while 86 and 85 were registered among the afternoon field. Only the joint winners, Brad Burns and Richard Backwell, broke par
  • Pin placements were difficult, to say the least. This was exemplified by the NTP winners, each of whom won a dozen Titleist Pro V1 golf balls. The eighth pin for men was won with a distance of 10 metres, while the 18th – for women – was 11.2 metres. The closest winner for the men was 308cm at the 18th, while for the women it was 520cm at the 14th. Only one of the NTP winners, Matt Blundell from Pelican Waters, converted for birdie.

ONE-MAN SHOW: Chris Risby described his Medley Fourball Best Ball victory beside partner Dean Oster as ‘like sitting in a limo for 18 holes’. Dean and Chris won Wednesday’s event on 47 points, with Dean contributing 39 of those points on 15 holes. And although Chris played his part on just three holes – with eight points – the pair estimated there were five holes on which they matched scores. Dean rated his round ‘the best in light years’ and taking into account his scores on the three holes Chris appeared on the card, assessed his 87 off the bat – the first time he had broken 90 in 18 months – would have given him 42 individual points. And while they were chuffed with their win, they were even happier when they realised they had each won $120, courtesy of generous sponsors Russell and Mary Dowling. NOTE: Dean’s business, Perry & Oster Funerals, is a major sponsor of Headland Vets.

DONNA WINS: Donna Rose enjoys her golf so much these days that she often reflects on why she did not heed the encouragement of her dad to take up the game when she was 16. The retired medical administrator scored 41 points to head the field in Thursday’s Single Stableford for women, her third win since she graduated from SWING in 2015. Donna started on the back nine with 18 points and despite an eight on the par-five second, she roared home with 23 points, 20 points of them on the final seven holes. While unable to put her finger on the reason for her sudden improvement, Donna conceded she was starting to ‘get the message’ about playing sensible golf. Donna (33 handicap) won C Grade with her 41 points, Lisa Ramen (36 points) won A Grade and Sue Briffa (38) won B Grade.

 CONSISTENT NEV: He once played some formidable golf from a seven handicap, and despite being 72 years young Nev Kenzler still prides himself on returning a consistent card. And that is exactly what the former banker did on Thursday when he scored 42 points to win the men’s Single Stableford event in a field of 93. His card – 78 playing from a handicap of 12 – revealed 12 pars and six bogeys, and he labelled his round as ‘one of those days’. Explaining he had not been playing well of late because of some personal issues on his mind, Nev revealed the round was equal to his best of the year, 42 points in a Vets event at Maroochy River six months ago. A former member at Brisbane golf clubs Pacific and Ashgrove, Nev has been at Headland since February of 2017 and declares the current condition of the course as immaculate.

 PEAKY’S BLINDER: “It’s not an Olympic Medal you know,” Glenda Peak retorted when her extremely excited husband Gordon described to her on Wednesday night – in some detail – his first hole-in-one after almost half a century of playing golf. Gordon, an ex-banker and former Headland Treasurer, aced the par-three 14th hole during Wednesday’s Medley Fourball Best Stableford event. A keen punter, he claims the odds of scoring a hole-in-one are 12,550 to one and, after estimating that during his 48 years as a golfer he has played at least 11,000 par threes, says he ‘just’ beaten those odds. And while he scored five points for his ace on Wednesday, it is not his highest single-hole score during his 36 years as a Headland member. A few years ago the 22-handicapper eagled the par-four 17th and, with two shots on the hole, logged six points.

EAGLE CHIPS: Bryan Haggarty chipped over the bunker at the par-five 13th on Saturday to score his second eagle at Headland in 25 years as a member, with his first – also a chip-in – at the par-five second hole five years ago. And while he also chipped in for birdie at the par-four 15th on Saturday, his major enjoyment came from teaming with good mate Mark Henricks to beat regular opponents Paul Henricks and Mark Swift in the side bet. Bryan and Mark finished with a formidable 45 points in the 2021 closing day Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford. A Headland corporate sponsor through his company R2G Communications, Bryan described the course as in ‘really, really good condition’, praising the club for recent upgrades on the drainage system and the installation of additional cart paths. “Our golf course looks superb,” he said.

 RIP MAX WATKINS: A former Headland Golf Club President, Max Watkins, will be farewelled with a funeral service on Thursday (December 23) at Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens Crematorium, in Holland Park, Brisbane. An Accountant, Max was a Headland member for more than three decades and served as both Treasurer and President, chairing the board in 2004 and 2005. Both Max and his wife Marilyn were keen golfers. He was 79.

 FESTIVE BREAK: Headland Headlines will hibernate for a couple of weeks to rest, recuperate and regenerate during the festive season. HH will return on Monday, January 10, following the first week of official competition rounds for 2022. Management and staff of HH thanks Headland members for their continued collaboration and support, and wishes the ‘family’ a Happy Christmas and many pars, birdies and eagles in the fast-approaching new year.

 WEEKLY RESULTS:

Tuesday, Legends ProAm – sponsor Innovative Planning Solutions – Professionals (63 players) – Brad Burns (70), Richard Backwell (70), Peter Senior (72), Murray Lott (72), Anthony Gilligan (72); Amateurs (140 players) – Ben Dowling (40 points), Rob Cunningham (39), Chopper Jacobson (37), Lynn Deacon (36), Andrew Ebb (36); Irish Team Stableford (203 players) – Josh Holbrook, Jamie Holbrook, Daniel Butler and Murray Lott (105 points); Mitch Jacobson, Shane Muller, Andrew Diggins and Chris Taylor (103), Adam Norlander, Tamara Johns, James Brownsworth and Andre Stolz (98).

Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsor Russell and Mary Dowling (240 players) – Chris Risby and Dean Oster (47 points), John Atkins and Eric Larsen (46), Neil Oxley and Brian Garnett (46), Darcy Smyth and Brad Williams (46), Richard Franklin and Errol Greiner (46).

Thursday, Single Stableford, Women (64 players) – A Grade, Lisa Ramen (36 points), Helen Venter (34), Bev Barnes (34); B Grade, Sue Briffa (38), Tove Larsen (38), Brenda Smith-Gittings (36); C Grade, Donna Rose (41), Cathy Haines (38), Jenny Stokes (37). Men (93 players) – Nev Kenzler (42 points), Neil Oxley (40), Dean Smareglia (40), Ty Pilcher (40).

Saturday, Closing Day, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (251 players) – Tim Nunan and Phil Maron (49 points), Burgess and Brett Stephenson (49), Tony and Liz Dunford (48), Matt and Jack Fisher (47), Josh Poole and Nick Cox (46).