From Tony Durkin
EVENTUAL WIN: Peter Raymond and Jeff Lovell have been Headland members, and mates, for a collective total of 70 years, but have never combined to win a team’s event prior to Saturday. The Headland ‘heavies’ – Peter is Vice President and Jeff’s company Stegbar has sponsored the men’s Pennant teams for the past decade – combined brilliantly to win Saturday’s Two-Ball Ambrose with an 11-under par total of 60 nett. Peter (handicap 16) and Jeff (20) had eight birdies on their impressive card, with a string of four in succession from holes five to eight, then four more from 11 to 14. And to add a final touch of lustre to the day, Jeff collected the NTP at the par-three 14th, with his tee shot to within 23 centimetres being easily converted for the team’s final birdie. A total of 234 players teed off in the rare Saturday Ambrose event, with husband-and-wife team Sandee and Ross Brimblecombe (64.5) winning the mixed, and Fiona Munro and Vicky Sheridan (65.57) taking out the women’s division.
DOM SETS PAICE: Runner-up to Josie Ryan in the 2018 Women’s Club Championship, Dominique Paice has thrown down the gauntlet to the 19-time Champion with a strong showing from the Championship tees on Sunday. Playing in the monthly Wood Duck Challenge, Dom was one of five to break their handicap and share the generous prizemoney offered by long-time sponsors James Kidd of EKO Financial and Chris Klazema (Modbathrooms). Dom, who has lived in Brisbane since she started work as an Occupational Therapist 12 months ago, continues to maintain her Headland handicap with the goal of winning her first Women’s Championship, to add to the four Foursomes titles she has already won. Sunday’s round of 79 for a nett 70 was a mixture of the good and bad, with two birdies, 10 pars, four bogeys and doubles at holes 10 and 12 on her card. But considering it was just her third round at Headland this year, her form looks ominous for the 2022 Championship, which tees off on Saturday. James Daniel (76/65) returned the best round on Sunday, while Fiona Munro (68), Simon Richardson (69) and Neven Daniel (70) were others to share in the winnings. Charlotte Ridley (75) won the Junior Medal.
NEWTON’S LAW: His one-under par 35 on the back nine may have been the deciding factor in Barry Newton winning Wednesday’s A Grade Single Stableford on a countback, but it was a three-par finish after four bogeys in five holes that finally scored him the $100 prizemoney. ‘Absolutely stuffed’ following five rounds of golf the previous week, Headland’s reigning Saturday Gold Medallist conceded he struggled coming home after starting his round on the back nine brilliantly, with three birdies in his first four holes. With his handicap ‘expanding’ from a low of three six months ago to Wednesday’s mark of seven following a winless drought spanning almost 12 months, the finance guru who lives adjacent to the 17th hole hopes his recent glut of golf has helped him turn the corner. Forty points was the popular score on Wednesday with Brian Hills (B Grade) and Andrew Hempsall (C Grade) winning their divisions with the same result. NOTE: Barry Newton usually spends two weeks this time of the year golfing with a group of mates in Thailand, but Covid has recently put paid to those plans. But last week a dozen of the Aussie-based group decided to play a host of Sunshine Coast courses, hence Barry’s stacked golfing calendar.
DREAM GOLF: Despite two wipes and two one-point holes on her card, Wendy Mosley described her 41 points in Tuesday’s Single Stableford as ‘dream golf’. Celebrating 12 months as a Headland member after emigrating from England in 2019, Wendy believed God was definitely on her side as she produced the best golf of her life, particularly on the front nine. She played the back nine first for 18 points, double bogeyed the first hole and then went on a scoring rampage with six three-pointers in the next eight holes, for a finishing nine of 23 points. Formerly a member of Prestbury Golf Club in Cheshire where she played off 25, Wendy has now scored two wins in her year as a member and has reduced her handicap from a high of 31 to 26.5 following Tuesday’s win. And while extremely satisfied with the way she played, Wendy was inspired by her playing partner, Dave Sims, who birdied four of the final six holes on the back nine. “He was calm and encouraging, and made golf seem so easy,” she said.
THREE FIRSTS: He was beaten on a countback for the major prize, but 25-year-old Chartered Accountant Lang Pryor still had three ‘firsts’ to celebrate in Thursday’s Single Stableford round. Lang, who recently returned from a visit to Barnbougle, broke 80 for the first time, scored his first eagle and his two-under 34 on the back nine was another career best. Following a disappointing first nine – 43 for 16 points – Lang started birdie-eagle on the back and blemished his near-perfect run with a bogey at the 17th, yet still scored a memorable 26 points for a total of 42 from his round of 77. His simple explanation for the complete turnaround after six bogeys and a double on the front nine was ‘I just found something’. And that ‘something’ was his driver, with which the 12-marker has been tinkering of late with former Headland Trainee, McKenzie Wright. Ted Banaszczyk won Thursday’s event, beating Lang on a countback.
STARK FOCUS: Winning the square with partner Robyn Boreham was the major focus of her round on Thursday according to Di Stark, whose 67 nett in the Monthly Medal is her best round since graduating from SWING in 2015. Di, who then went on to become Headland’s SWING Co-ordinator for three years, had nothing worse than a double bogey on her card from her 29 handicap and her score was the best in the field of 99 by four shots. Recently returned from a golfing holiday to Norfolk Island, Di said she was ‘astounded’ by her round as her golf of late – which included a paltry Stableford score of just 16 points – had been abysmal. But she was spurred on by the excellent form of her playing partners on Thursday, with ‘square’ partner Robyn (75) finishing third in A Grade, Helen Fraser (72) winning A Grade and Sandi Whittle (79) also playing well. Sue Harris (71) won the C Grade Medal and Cathy Haines (72) won D Grade. NOTE: Di and Helen won the hotly-contested square.
STRONG FINISH: Reborn Essendon AFL supporter Steve Blampied hopes his Bombers finish the 2022 season in the same manner he completed his round at Headland on Tuesday. Playing in the Single Stableford event for men, Steve started on the tenth and turned with just 17 points after a string of bogeys and doubles from holes 14 to 18. But the 16-marker scorched the front nine, his three-over 38 for 23 points giving him 40 points, and victory in the event despite a double bogey seven at the par-five seventh after a lost ball. Steve’s secret? He left his driver in the bag and did not hit a wood all day, preferring to play a three-iron instead, and never missed a fairway. Formerly a member at Eastwood Golf Club in Victoria, Steve joined Headland in May 2020 and his 44 points, and 79 off the bat for his first win 12 months ago, remains his best round at his new course. Steve’s company, Lifestyle Buyer’s Agency, is sponsoring Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford.
AMATEUR OPEN: Pelican Waters Club Champion Joel Stahlhut has confirmed he will be defending his Walsh Consulting Engineers 2021 Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship title, won at Headland last Easter. The former Goondiwindi rugby league halfback has been a relatively frequent visitor to Headland since shooting one-under 143 to win last year’s 36-hole event, which will be again held over the Easter weekend, April 16 and 17. “I really enjoy playing Headland and am looking forward to again teeing it up under Championship conditions,” he said. Entries are now being accepted for the event which is among the most prestigious on Headland’s annual calendar, and they close on Wednesday, April 5. Entry fee is $80, and players can request to play in the morning or afternoon field, with afternoon requests given priority based on date and time received. Details of how to enter are on the Headland website.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford – sponsor Headland Veterans – Women (49 players) – A Grade, Wendy Mosley (41 points), Rebecca Masters (39), Jenny Pirini (38); B Grade, Sue Harris (38), Joy Bullock (35), Carolyn Richardson (34). Men (71 players) – Steve Blampied (40), Paul Stephens (37), Darren Padgett (36).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor Ord Minnett Private Wealth – Justin Scattini (221 players) – A Grade, Barry Newton (40 points), Joshua Meyers (40), Paul Garth (39); B Grade, Brian Hills (40), Paul Anderson (38), Ivan Fortmann (38); C Grade, Andrew Hempsall (40), Anthony Bull (38), Errol Greiner (37).
Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal – sponsors B BY HALCYON BUDERIM and Medal – Ken and Vicki Maynard (99 players) – A Grade, Helen Fraser (72 nett), Monica Knowles (73), Robyn Boreham (75), gross – Sharon Thomas (85); B Grade, Di Stark (67), Mary Young (72), Roz Brandt (75), gross – Mary Young (91); C Grade, Sue Harris (71), Jan Langdon (74), Jackie Walkington (76), gross – Sue Harris (106); D Grade, Cathy Haines (72), Shirley Eggleton (76), Jenny Stokes (77), gross – Cathy Haines (112).
Men, Single Stableford – sponsor AJ Steel, Mal Galletly – (82 players) – Ted Banaszczyk (42 points), Lang Pryor (42), Stuart Balderson (40).
Saturday, Two-Ball Ambrose – sponsor Australian Leak Detection – Don Harris, Women (14 players) – Fiona Munro and Vicky Sheridan (65.75 nett); Mixed (20 players) – Sandee and Ross Brimblecombe (64.5), Kate Wilkie and Alan Dellar (66); Men (220 players) – Jeff Lovell and Peter Raymond (60), Ben Laycock and Andrew Stirling (61.25), Rhett Charlton and Jai Straney (61.25), Michael and Blake Thomas (62.25), Sam and Anthony Fichera (62.25).
Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge – sponsor EKO Financial and Modbathrooms – James Kidd & Chris Klazema (56 players) – James Daniel (65 nett), Fiona Munro (68), Simon Richardson (69), Dominique Paice (70), Neven Daniel (70). Junior Medal – Charlotte Ridley (75).
