From Tony Durkin 

FIVE-UNDER: Teenager Ben Duncombe scorched the damp Headland layout on Saturday, scoring five-under 67 for the best round at his ‘second’ club. He came undone just once, when a poor tee shot at the par-three eighth resulted in his only bogey of the day. But the otherwise brilliant card from the plus-three handicapper revealed six birdies and 11 pars, a return of 38 points and third place in A Grade for the Single Stableford event. Ben, who is in a gap year with the intention of becoming a Trainee Professional next year, recently moved down from Coral Cove on a permanent basis to play more competitive golf and is looking for work for the next six months. He has twice scored nine-under around Coral Cove, but his previous best at Headland was four-under 68 last year. Great scores were the order of the day from low markers with Club Champion Adam Richards (plus one) scoring 71, Dan Diachkoff (two) with seven birdies in his 71 and Ash Reck (two) notching four birdies, for 37 points. And adding to these excellent scores were three eagles, all at the par five second, to Paul Morton, John Cleary and Ruben Wyld. 

BMW HUMS: Headland’s Mouna Humzy has qualified to play for the Australian BMW Cup after winning the women’s division of the BMW Sunshine Coast Classic, played at Maroochy River on Friday. Mouna scored 39 points to continue her recent run of outstanding form, including victory in four of her five Pennant matches for the Headland Sapphires, as well as the B Grade July Monthly Medal. While the venue for the BMW Cup final is yet to be announced, it will be played early next year, possibly in New Zealand. Mouna’s husband Phil also played in the Sunshine Coast Classic and finished third in men’s division two. 

AGELESS ROSS: A poor drive at his second-last hole, the par-four 17th, which resulted in a double bogey, has more than likely cost 77-year-old Ross Kelly the opportunity to shoot his age for the first time. The 21-year Headland member, who once played from four but has generally been handicapped from 10 and 11 during the past two decades, had become frustrated with his golf of late, shooting Stableford scores in the low 30s for the past few months. “My 14.5 handicap is the highest for as long as I can recall, so it was a very pleasant surprise to finally find some form on Saturday,” said Ross, who carded a six-over 78 for 44 points to return the best score in the Single Stableford event by five. His card revealed three birdies, seven pars, seven bogeys and the lone double, at 17 and, as a result, his new handicap is 12.7. Terry Ward (38), won A Grade, Stu Ennever (39) won C Grade and Colleen Berger (38) returned the best score for the women. 

DROUGHT OVER: Two scores of 40 points in the past two months has convinced Headland Golf Club President, Jon Welch, that his game may be back on track. Jon won Wednesday’s C Grade Single Stableford event with the equal best score of the day (40 points), and says at long last he feels his confidence, and his distance, has returned after a long lay-off from the game. In September 2019 Jon hit a tree root during a swing and tore the bicep tendons off the bone in his right arm. He spent 14 months away from the course and has struggled since his return, resulting in his handicap blowing out from 14 to 21, from which he played on Wednesday. Starting with a birdie, the nine-year Club President added seven three-point holes to his card which revealed just the one wipe, the result of an out-of-bounds tee shot at the par-five 13th. Alan Brooker, also with 40 points, won A Grade and George Stoufis (37) won B Grade. 

MARRIED STRATEGY: Husband-and-wife team of Col and Suzanne Pledge carefully strategised their first Ambrose event together, and the plan worked a treat with victory in Monday’s Vets Medley two-person event. Having the respective lowest and highest handicaps in the field of 106 – Col 12 and Suzanne 42 – the plan was for as many as possible of Suzanne’s six compulsory drives to be taken on the longer par-four holes, with Col aiming to get them to the green in three shots. “As it turned out, that plan worked pretty well,” said Suzanne, who has had a run of success of late, including victory in her first-ever Ambrose event back in April. The 2018 SWING graduate and her retired-Police Officer husband returned a nett score of 65.25 on Monday, to win by two shots from another husband-and-wife team, Ross and Bev Kelly. The next golfing assault for the Pledge duo is Headland’s 2022 Regis Aged Care Seniors Eclectic Tournament, to be played today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday, July 18 and 19). 

INSIDE INFO: Working on the golf course five days a week can – sometimes – be an advantage for members of Headland’s ground staff who play golf. Jay Gourlay proved that on the weekend with two vastly different rounds. On Saturday Jay, who has an AGU handicap of 12.7, could manage only 29 points, with three wipes and two double bogeys on his card. But just 24 hours later he was a wizard, albeit scoring just two pars in a front nine of 45. He then lit up the back nine, scoring four birdies and two pars before adding double bogeys at 16 and 17, then finishing with a par, for his first even par nine on the course. Jay says his wedge play and putting was his big asset during his four-under-par six-hole spurt. 

RAIN HELPS: Tuesday’s inclement weather indirectly helped Althea McLean and Lesley Wilson win the Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford, with a solid score of 45 points. Lesley, who was returning to golf after a long break, was on the waitlist for Tuesday’s event and joined Althea only when the inclement weather caused a number of withdrawals from the field. And although the pair had never previously played together, they performed like a well-oiled machine, with Althea contributing 25 points – highlighted by a four-point birdie at the eighth – and Lesley 20 points, with four three-point holes. An outstanding one-over par round of 73 from plus one handicapper Matt Blundell, a visitor from Pelican Waters, helped he and Colin Cross score 43 points, to be runners-up.

THURSDAY STRUGGLE: A strong southerly buster and bitterly-cold conditions ensured both the morning and afternoon fields struggled in Thursday’s Single Stableford event, with only two players able to better their handicap – and one of those was a professional golfer. Assistant Pro Mitch Jacobson (handicap one) eagled the par-five tenth on his way to a one-over 73 for 37 points in the afternoon men’s field, a score matched only by winner Don Caldwell (handicap 12). But in the colder morning, the women really struggled with only two players, visitor Helen Fox from Orford Golf Club in Tasmania and 2015 SWING graduate Donna Rose, playing to their handicaps for 36 points. For Donna, it was her first win since she scored 41 points in December and, hopefully, a return to better days following a four-stroke handicap blowout since then. Donna won C Grade, Helen won B Grade and Marg Smith (34 points) won A Grade.

NOOSA WIN: There is no doubting the enthusiasm, or the professionalism, Brendan Duncan has for his golf. On the eve of the opening of last week’s Pennant season, Brendan and his dad Bernie elected to have a close look at the Noosa course, where the B Grade Pennant team – of which Brendan is a key member – would be playing. And his decision paid handsome dividends, with him not only winning his Pennant match (4&3), but also the A Grade Stroke event the previous day. The sparkie shot three over-over par 75, with three birdies, for a nett 71 and a one-stroke win, while Bernie (handicap 21) was runner-up in B grade with nett 75.

MEN’S PENNANT: Headland’s A Grade Men’s Pennant team has continued its superb start to the 2022 Sunshine Coast Men’s Golf Zone Pennant competition with a 6½ -½ thrashing of Mt Coolum at Maroochy River on Sunday. The big win was headed by veterans Dave Rattray and Wayne West, who won 6&5 and 6&4 respectively. Sean McGill also won 6&5, Adam Richards and Steve Hudson won 2&1, Ben Duncombe continued his superb form from the previous day, winning 3&1, while Adam Rydwanski squared his match. In Masters played at Cooroy, both Headland and Headland Roos also had impressive victories. Headland Roos beat Twin Waters 4½ -2½, with newcomer Dennis Mikolic continuing his sparkling Pennant form with a 5&4 win, skipper Warren Selvage winning 5&3, Burgees Stephenson 4&3 and Graham Newlove 4&3. Neven Daniel squared his match while Peter Richardson (4&3) and Justin Walsh (1-down) were beaten. Headland beat Gympie 5-2 with Mark Hendricks (4&2), Peter Perrett (2&1), Chris Pace (1-up), Peter Dunn (2&1) and Brett Stephenson (3&2) the winners, while Andy Whitmore (6&5) and Don Caldwell (2-down) beaten. B Grade found a tough opponent in Gympie, also at Cooroy, and was beaten 4-3. Winners were Damien Moelands and Michael Thomas, both 1-up, and team captain Matt Hetherington and debutant Druce Fielding squared their matches. Brendan Duncan went down 4&3, Will Millroy lost 3&2 and another debutant, Geoff Bland, was beaten 3&1.

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Two-Person Medley Ambrose (106 players) – Col and Suzanne Pledge (65.25), Ross and Bev Kelly (67.75), John Jones and Jim Saunderson (67.75).

Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsor Headland Veterans – (95 players) – Althea McLean and Lesley Wilson (45 points), Colin Cross and Matt Blundell (43), Ken Scanlan and Geoff Sawyer (42).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford sponsor – Justin Walsh, Walsh Consulting Engineers – (180 players) – A Grade, Alan Brooker (40 points), Colin Thomas (38), Ben Duncombe (35); B Grade, George Stoufis (37), Gary Ehsman (36), Jim Aspinall (36); C Grade, Jon Welch (40), Dean Oster (40), John Hammond (38).

Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsors Ellen Bloxsome, Kath Barford, Lynn Hayman and Di Molineux (107 players) – A Grade, Marg Smith (34 points), Helen Venter (34), Kate Wilkie (34); B Grade, Helen Fox (36), Del Whittaker (35), Diane Molineux (35); C Grade, Donna Rose (36), Wendy Burnie (35), Trish Murphy (33).

Men- sponsor The Follies (78 players) – Don Caldwell (37), Mitch Jacobson (37), Rick Bronson (35).

 Saturday, Single Stableford– sponsor Drew Grant, Safe T Electrical Services – Women (18 players) – Colleen Berger (38 points), Cathy Roberts (34), Leeanne Ptak (33).

Men (208 players) – A Grade, Terry Ward (39), Dan Diachkoff (39), Ben Duncombe (38); B Grade, Ross Kelly (44), Tony Pattinson (39), Ross Wedmaeir (38); C Grade, Stu Ennever (39), Andrew Murray (38), Russell Dowling (36).

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (51 players) – Jay Gourlay (38 points), Ty Pilcher (38), Rod J Berger (37).