From Tony Durkin
SHOULDER ARMS: Shoulder replacement surgery last year may have taken Les McClymont away from his plastering business and stalled his love of golf for six months, but it has proved well worth the adjournment. From 25 years of playing rugby league – primarily with Tweed Heads Seagulls – plus his rigorous work and a love of surfing, Les finally succumbed to the shoulder injury which was impeding his golf game. But Saturday’s round of 79, for 41 Stableford points and a win in A Grade, has proved he made the right decision with just one blemish on his card – a double bogey after a visit to the dam on the third hole. His other 17 holes were as consistent as it has been for a while – six bogeys and 11 pars – and apart from a practise round the previous weekend, the first time he had broken 80 at Headland in almost a decade. “In recent years I have had no strength at all in my shoulder, and when playing golf I was protecting it,” he revealed. “Now, there is no pain, and I am getting through the ball with a full, strong swing.” Once playing off eight – 20 years ago – the recently turned 71-year-old who plans to finally put down his tools at the end of the year, aims to return to single figures. Ross Wedmaeir (38) won B Grade and Ben Laycock (40) won C Grade.
RISKS REWARDED: With bunkers out of play, Kirsten Kaergaard ‘took on’ the greens during Saturday’s Single Stableford, and reaped the benefits with her best round in more than six months. Teacher Kirsten rationalised that if she found a bunker while taking aim at the pins, she would receive a free drop, and as a result scored a birdie, four pars and nine bogeys in her winning score of 39 points, three better than the next best in the field. Returning to golf in October following wrist surgery, the 19-handicapper has been gradually returning to form and her gross score of 89 on Saturday is getting somewhere near her best-ever round of 84. But while she was pleased with her ‘pretty solid’ golf, Kirsten was most impressed by the condition of Headland. “Considering the amount of rain we have had recently, the course has held up really well,” she said.
PRYOR BOOKING: Even before he won Wednesday’s A Grade Single Stableford at Headland, Lang Pryor was looking forward to his trip to famed ‘golfing heaven’, Barnbougle. But following his success, he is genuinely excited. A Chartered Accountant and Finance Post Graduate currently seeking employment in the banking industry, Lang is taking advantage of his ‘spare’ time to strike an item off his bucket list, and with mates and fellow Headland members Will Millroy, Nick Bolton and ex-trainee Pro McKenzie Wright, left for the Tasmanian venue yesterday (Sunday). Pleased with his current game although conceding there was always room for improvement, 14-marker Lang scored 40 points on a sodden track on Wednesday for his first win since January 8, when he also scored 40 points. His 81 off the stick is his third best round at Headland, but he is still to break 80, and a double bogey at the par-three 14th ruined that chance. Despite spending 11 months working in Melbourne last year, Lang maintained his Headland handicap and claimed it is ‘heaven’ to be back playing the brilliant course. In a big field of 177 – considering the conditions – Wayne Nixey (39) won B Grade and Matt Potter (42) saluted in C Grade.
SUNDAY KING: Chris McArdle works hard all week as a builder, and can’t wait for his weekends to relax and face the challenges on the golf course, with a particular bent of late for Sunday golf. In the first two months of the year he has won the February Monthly Medal in B Grade (69 nett) and the January Wood Duck Challenge (67 nett), both events from the Championship tees. And on Sunday he added a Medley Single Stableford to his imposing list, scoring 44 points and shaving an amazing seven strokes from his PB – from 84 to 77. Chris joined Headland from Twin Waters seven years ago and within a few months his handicap had ballooned to 33, a far cry from the 14 from which he played on Sunday when his impressive card showed 12 pars and six bogeys. Apart from his new Srixon irons, which he says are ‘working like a dream’, Chris said his putter was on fire. The fact the course was much easier on Sunday – some shorter tees, preferred lies and bunkers out of play – did not deter Chris from enjoying another win, and celebrating his AGU handicap reduction to 12.3.
MIXED FOURSOMES: Members wanting to play in the 2022 Headland Mixed Foursomes Championship have until 5pm on Thursday to lodge their entries. The Honour Board event, sponsored by sponsored by Erik and Tove Larsen of Cirlock, is to be played on Saturday, March 19, over 36 holes. Entry fee for the Championship is $40 per player, which includes lunch. When all entries have been received, the Headland Match Committee will allocate tee times, but members can request to play in groups of up to six. And any member who wants to play in the Championships, but does not have a partner, should email golf@headlandgolfclub.com.au and list their application. Dominique Paice and Wayne West, Champions from 2021, have confirmed they will be defending their title.
LOCAL TOUR: Headland is set to host the final round of a new junior golf competition – the Sunshine Coast Local Tour – on Sunday, August 28. The local tour, an offshoot of US Kids Golf, has been created to provide the opportunity to boys and girls aged between five to 18 to advance their skills in an age-appropriate competition. The competition will be contested on six different courses, in 14 age divisions and over eight contrastingly-scaled course lengths. This allows children to experience scoring pars and birdies, and in doing so increasing their chances of success and enjoyment. The Local Tour will comprise six one-day tournaments, with the season-ending Tour Championship to be played at Noosa Springs. Success on the tour may qualify players for events such as State Invitational tournaments, as well as the International US Kids Tour World Championships, to be played at Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina. The Sunshine Coast 2020 tournament schedule is: May 1, Mt Coolum; July 3, Caloundra; July 10, Noosa; July 24, Palmer Coolum; August 14, Headland; August 28, Noosa Springs (Tour Championship final). More information about the tour is available from Leon Faulkner (Tour Director) on 0412 646 030 or leon@golfrocks.com.au.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (177 players) – A Grade, Lang Pryor (40 points), Burgess Stephenson (39), Richard Franklin (38); B Grade, Wayne Nixey (39), Mark Gersbach (39), Leeanne Ptak (38); C Grade, Matt Potter (42), John Marrington (38), Brett Beaumont (34).
Thursday, Women, Ovarian Cancer Day Scrambled Ambrose – sponsors Monica Knowles, Kathy Atkins, Jodie McDonell, Robyn Muir, Anne Callanan, Pamela Hudson-Jessop, Carol Quin, Karen Wilson – course closed, competition suspended. Men, Single Stableford – course closed, competition suspended.
Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (25 players) – Kirsten Kaergaard (39 points), Sue Jones (36), Narelle Hollowood (35). Men (215 players) – A Grade, Les McClymont (41), Andrew Hay (39), Ross Roberts (39); B Grade, Ross Wedmaeir (38), Mick Morris (38), Josh Poole (38); C Grade, Ben Laycock (40), Richard Ryan (40), Dennis Schloss (38).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford – (56 players) – Chris McArdle (44 points), Narelle Hollowood (41), Nick Donovan (41).
