From Tony Durkin
MEDAL DROUGHT: Not being one to keep tabs on his golfing achievements, Ash Reck can’t recall the last time he won Headland’s Monthly Medal. But he reckons Saturday’s A Grade victory – with a nett 68 from a one-over 73 for the six marker – could be his first in at least five years. And the long-awaited drought breaker came after a five-week layoff because of a nagging shoulder injury which had necessitated constant recent physio and acupuncture. Ash’s impressive round was his best since January last year when he parred the course, and equalled his 73 on Masters Monday back in April. And although he described his round as a ‘steady eddie’, he conceded the preferred lies had helped him get ‘up-and-down’ half a dozen times. Ash and Sean McGill both returned one-over 73, but Sean – who birdied the 18th after his tee shot finished 24cms from the pin – won the Brian Kesby-sponsored gross prize ($75) on a countback, and was greatly appreciated the gesture by the former Headland Champion. Scott Simpson (69) won the B Grade Medal, Kevin Howe (69) topped the C Grade ladder and Gwen Nancarrow (71) won the women’s stroke event.
PERFECT DAY: Dean Jones could not have wished for a better day on Wednesday. He was enjoying annual leave, playing alongside his mate and regular playing partner Matt Prince, sipping a couple of beers and traversing what he considers the best-conditioned member’s golf course on the Sunshine Coast. And, to make the round almost perfect, the former Headland Treasurer scored 39 points to win the B Grade Medley Single Stableford, return the best score of the day and his best round since knee surgery in September 2020 had sidelined him for five months. The only blemish on his card of 84 was a double bogey at the par-three 18th, the result of an errant tee shot. “Even though the course was a little damp in patches, it is in brilliant condition,” said Dean, a salute not only to the ground staff but also to his boss, Gavin Rooney, who is Headland’s Course Director. Other winners were Col Thomas (A Grade) with 38 points, and Ian Llewellin (C Grade) on 37 points.
CENTURIAN: One hundred is never a number golfers like to associate with their game, but former Headland President John Alsbury and his family will this week celebrate the mark with much fanfare. John’s dad Jack, a resident of Buderim’s Eden Lea Village, turns 100 tomorrow (Tuesday) and a private function will be held at the club to salute the long-retired carpenter, who served in the RAAF during World War Two as a Leading Aircraftman. He has also been a member of the RSL since 1944, a proud continuous period of 77 years. Jack and his late wife Dot were married for 70 years and Jack’s current family is five generations deep – 33 of whom will attend tomorrow’s celebration. While he turned his hand to many pursuits outside work including bowls, cycling, fishing and gardening, one of Jack’s more memorable achievements came through golf. Playing at Portsea Golf Club in 1960, from a handicap of 36, Jack scored a nett 51 after his gross score of 87, which included a hole in one. “I was nine at the time, but I still remember dad being very proud, but also a little sheepish, about his great score. Jack was born in Ballarat in 1922, and has lived at Buderim since 2003.
THANKS SANTA: Just two weeks after Santa delivered a new set of Cobra golf clubs, Jan Langdon has repaid him – and Head Pro Adam Norlander – with her first win as a Headland member. A SWING graduate from mid-2020, the former dedicated squash player almost immediately fell in love with golf, albeit playing with a set of second-hand clubs which cost $10 (for the lot) at a garage sale. But when husband John – also a Headland member – surprised her with a new set of clubs and a bag on Christmas morning, her hopes and expectations about a sport in which she was once in denial, grew a little stronger. And although her score of 35 points in Monday’s Vets Stableford was by no means astonishing, Jan did beat the next best in B Grade by a whopping 10 points. Because of the soggy conditions, scoring was low – Bev Kelly won A Grade with 34 points, and in the Men’s event the winners were Huki Matenga (A Grade, 36 points), Kevin Howe (B, 32) and Steve Nash (C, 30).
BOGEY BUILDING: Fully aware of the grief which awaits an errant shot at his new course, Richard Franklin has recently adopted a ‘construct a bogey’ policy. The former eight marker, who joined Headland from Maryborough just on 12 months ago, soon discovered the torment lurking and his handicap last year ballooned to 14. He conceded common-sense has since prevailed, and his ‘construct a bogey’ theory has become his dictum. “Keep the double bogeys and worse off the card, play for a bogey and expect the odd par and birdie to come along,” he revealed. And that is exactly what occurred on Tuesday when Richard’s 37 points was the best score in the Single Stableford event. Playing off 10 following five off his last six rounds beating his handicap, the retired teacher signed for nine bogeys and nine pars, and the 81 gross was his second-best score at his new course. And while he described the course as ‘fairly wet’, it was nothing like his former Maryborough course, which he said was three-quarters under water during the weekend flood. Jenny Stokes won the women’s event with 30 points.
WHOOPS: Former Headland A Grade Pennant team captain, Sean McGill, collected a handy $110 for his nett 70 in Saturday’s Monthly Medal, despite not finishing in the top three in A Grade. But the outstanding round almost cost him his Mizuno four iron. Obviously frustrated after hitting a poor tee shot at the par-three eighth – plus having lost the previous two holes in the side bet – Sean impersonated a javelin champion, launching his errant four iron 30 metres, and into a tree. To his dismay, not only did the iron stay up the tree, but it came to rest 10 metres above the ground. Initial retrieving was not attempted, but with playing partner and electrician Brendan Duncan in tow and armed with two lengths of conduit from Brendan’s work truck, post round Sean returned to the scene of his transgression and successfully extricated the offending club. And while he was mortified by his earlier misdemeanour, Sean’s embarrassment was heightened as his retrieval operation was watched by the group playing the eighth hole at the time, including Pennant teammate and Club Champion Adam Richards. NOTE: Despite his disgust at his tee shot, Sean still managed and up-and-down par at the eighth hole.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (37 players) – A Grade, Bev Kelly (34 points), Anne Callahan (33), Sue Jones (31); B Grade Jan Langdon (35), Wendy Burnie (25), Suzanne Pledge (23). Men (72 players) – A Grade, Huki Matenga (36), Michael Phillips (34), Wayne Chugg (33); B Grade, Kevin Howe (32), Ray Besgrove (31), Patrick Carmody (30); C Grade, Steve Nash (30), Des McNee (30), John Alsbury (29).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (22 players) – Jenny Stokes (30 points), Tove Larsen (28); Men (37 players) – Richard Franklin (37), Dean Simmons (36), Malcolm Woods (36).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor Formia Project Management – (227 players) – A Grade, Col Thomas (38 points), Lachie Keenan (38), Clint Adams (38); B Grade, Dean Jones (39), Chris Swan (37), Anthony Larchin (37); C Grade, Ian Llewellin (37), Jack Fisher (37), Roscoe King (35).
Thursday, Irish Fourball, Women (93 players) – Marg Smith, Ali Lamond, Mary Dowling and Denise Hutchinson (116 points), Jane Boaler, Mouna Humzey, Rebecca Masters and Trish Murphy (106), Pik Chong, Kathy Atkins, Anne Callanan and Leeanne Ptak (106). Men – sponsor AJ Steel (92 players) – Ray Manyweather, Stewart Douglas, Tony McDonough and John Edwards (117), Ben Brown, Brendan Duncan, Jim O’Donough and Tim Nunan (115), Richard Senior, Kevin Howe, John Christmas and Joshua Purnell-Major (111).
Saturday, Opening Day Single Stroke, Women (28 players) – Gwen Nancarrow (71 nett). Annabel Harris (73), Marg Smith (73). Men, Monthly Medal (223 players) – A Grade, Ash Reck (68), Andrew Hay (69), Clint Adams (69); B Grade, Scott Simpson (69), Don Harris (70), Les McClymont (72); C Grade, Kevin Howe (69), David Parker (70), Todd Parker (72); gross – sponsor Brian Kesby – Sean McGill (73).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (54 players) – Dave Sims (39 points), Andrew Ebb (38), Attilio Bertinato (37).
