From Tony Durkin
ADAM’S BEST: Adam Richards has turned in his best score from the blue tees – three-under 69 – since the third round of the Club Championships back in late April, yet could not figure in the placings in Saturday’s Monthly Medal. The reigning Headland Club Champion, who played off plus one in Saturday’s event, scorched around the back nine in four-under par 32 for a nett 70, and fourth place in A Grade. Standing in as Club Captain for the past month while Men’s Director of Golf, Peter O’Brien, journeyed to Europe for the British Open, Adam thought his two bogeys on a ‘somewhat sloppy’ front nine had ruined his round, but turned things around on his brilliant back nine which was highlighted by a tap-in eagle at the par-five tenth. The five-time Headland Champion has been in outstanding form in 2022, breaking par on five occasions, but nothing near his course record round – at the time – of 65, in 2005, when he shot six-under 30 on the back nine. His 69 on Saturday was the best gross score of the day, while Dennis Mikolic (68), John Clearly (67), Steve Brown (67) and Monica Knowles (72) won the A, B, C Grade and Women’s Medals, respectively.
SECOND ANNE: Three second placings in six days seems like a hard-luck story, but Anne Callanan holds no grudges. And neither she should – she has collected $146 in the process. Anne finished second in Saturday’s Monthly Medal (73 nett), second in Thursday’s Monthly Medal (71) and runner-up in the Vets Stableford on Monday (37 points), snaring a total of $65 in the process. But her windfall came on Thursday when she snared the Pro Pin, worth a cool $81, located on the par-four third for the first time. “I always pay the $1 for the Pro Pin, but was unaware it had changed from the sixth hole, to the third shot at the third,” she said. Anne’s run of seconds actually started three weeks earlier, when she was runner-up on the first two days of Headland’s Senior Eclectic, yet that too had a silver lining. The former long-serving executive at Coolum’s Hyatt Regency Resort won the overall event for women, collecting a $200 Pro Shop voucher in the process.
HOT JONNY: He’s from Northern Ireland and he’s a golfer, but despite his outstanding 62 nett to win Sunday’s Monthly Medal, Jonny Clarke says he is no Rory McIlroy – yet. Even before Jonny and his wife Stef arrived on the Sunshine Coast in December 2020, he had already made inquiries about joining Headland and was extremely impressed with the professional and welcoming advice he received. A soccer player for much of his life, Jonny had just taken up golf two years before he left his country of birth and arrived with a handicap of 19, which had ‘grown’ to 22 before Sunday’s emphatic win – by a massive seven shots. His best round since joining Headland included a birdie at the par-four ninth as well as six pars and nine bogeys in his gross score of 84. Despite tearing his ACL playing soccer for Kawana in October, The National Sales Manager missed only a few weeks of golf and says recent lessons from Head Pro Adam Norlander had given him the edge he took into Sunday’s round.
MAGPIE MAGIC: She hasn’t won 11 in a row like her fast-finishing AFL team Collingwood, but Robyn Muir feels her game is coming together following a six-month lay-off last year. Robyn won the A Grade Monthly Medal on Thursday – her first at Headland since she joined in 2004 – with a nett 69 from her 18 handicap. Her round included birdies at the sixth and 14th, with three pars, 10 bogeys and three doubles also on a card that ‘could have been better, but is the result of some recent improvement’. A recently-retired nurse who played much of her earlier golf at Dalby and Middle Ride (Toowoomba), Robyn has had an impressive record – five holes-in-one and an albatross at the par-five 10th hole (now the first) at Middle Ridge almost three decades ago. Mary Young (68 nett) won the B Grade Medal, Penny Copper (70) won C Grade and Raewyn Anderson (74) saluted in D Grade. NOTE: Robyn’s love of the Collingwood Magpies may not have helped her when she backed up in Saturday’s Monthly Medal. A late-night finish combined with an early-morning tee-time resulted in a nett 76.
PURPLE PATCH: Two rounds of 82, an eagle and almost an ace in the space of four days at Headland has convinced sporting fanatic John Langdon that he is experiencing a purple patch in the sport he has played competitively for just three years. Once an A-1 squash player who intends running his 22nd marathon next year at 70 years of age, John (handicap 14) won Monday’s Vets Single Stableford – from the blue markers – with 40 points from his round of 82. And while Wednesday’s identical round, from a reduced handicap of 13, did not win him the B Grade Monthly Medal, it was again from the blue tees and the nett 69, for third placing, continued his run of good form which started with a social round the previous Sunday in which he eagled the par-five 13th and almost aced the 18th. “It has been a great few days,” said John, who will scale back his golf next year as he prepares for the landmark marathon, more than likely on the Gold Coast in July. But he has another goal to reach before then. “I’m hoping to reduce my handicap to 10 before the end of the year,” said the ex-business owner who started on a 22 handicap when he joined Headland in December 2018 following his retirement.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: A double bogey at the par-four fourth hole on Tuesday scarred what was the best round of golf from Julie Halliday since she last won back in January. Currently playing off 15, Julie has struggled throughout the year and, as a result, her handicap has ballooned from 11 at the start of 2022. “I had some good rounds early in the year, but for the past four to five months my golf has been awful,” said Julie, who won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for women with 38 points. While not looking for excuses, Julie said she was still recovering from an auto immune issue – which she suffered in 2019 and cost her 18 months of golf – and continues to find the second nine of a regular round quite tiring. But her six pars, 11 bogeys and the lone double on Tuesday is a positive sign that things might be coming back together. Lisa Ramen, with 37 points, won Monday’s Vets event for women.
BUDGET TIME: He may be faced with the onerous task of preparing Headland’s upcoming budget, but Finance Director Sergio Nogarotto refuses to allow that stress to interfere with his love of golf. And he proved that on Tuesday, when his 42 points – which included a wipe at the 11th – won the Single Stableford for men. “The biorhythms were right on the day,” jested Sergio, who says that although it has been nine months since his last win, he enjoys every single round of golf he plays at Headland – often three times a week. But he did help his own cause, keeping the ball on the fairway and in play, and putting ‘reasonably well’. A former accountant working in Sydney in the food industry, Sergio joined Headland in 2019 and has been in charge of the club’s finances for the past 2½ years. “The course is in wonderful condition, but because of the work needed on the bunkers our next budget will be a tough one,” he forecast.
NORMAN DINNER: Paul Garth has never had huge ambitions for his golf game, but he can boast he once played team golf against Greg Norman and shared a dinner table with the Great White Shark. And, after Wednesday, he can claim he has won two Monthly Medals during his almost decade-long membership at Headland. Paul, who played three years for Tasmanian juniors (under 21) but gave the game away after the Tasman Bridge disaster in 1975 created a two-hour round trip to his club, scored 68 nett to win the B Grade Medal but cursed his three successive bogeys to end the round when he had ‘great’ chances for pars. Once a four handicapper when he was a teenager, the ‘leftie’ is now on 14, enjoys the game he started as a member of Royal Hobart Golf Club and plays at least two days a week. And despite his satisfaction playing the Headland layout, the former banker now cautiously traverses the area between the 17th tee and the 16th green, where he slipped two years ago and broke his left ankle. Jay Gourlay (70 nett) won A Grade and Tim Nunan (67) won C Grade, with the best score of the day.
MEN’S PENNANT: Headland’s A Grade team has finished the 2022 Sunshine Coast Men’s Golf Zone Pennant competition in top spot, completing their run with a 4-3 win over Peregian at Mt Coolum on Sunday. The crack team takes its unbeaten run into the semi-finals next weekend, playing Mt Coolum at Maroochy River on Sunday. Teenager Ben Duncombe continued his unbeaten run, winning 3&2 against Peregian’s Mike Tripp. Adam Rydwanski (7&6), Adam Richards (5&3) and Sean McGill (6&5) also scored impressive wins, while Steve Hudson (2&1), Wayne West (4&2) and debutant Shane Muller (3&2) were beaten. Also unbeaten were Headland Roos in Masters Division, after playing a drawn cliffhanger against Headland’s No.1 Masters team. Roos’ winners were Brett Adamson (1-up), Dennis Mikolic (1-up) and team captain Warren Selvage (4&2), with Neil Oxley (3&2), Brett Stephenson (7&6) and Terry Grogan (3&1) winning for Headland. The drawn match between Mark Henricks and Peter Richardson made the final score 3½-3½, and the Roos will meet Maroochy River, at Maroochy River, in next Sunday’s semi-final. Needing to win and have other results go their way to gain a finals berth, B Grade bowed out despite an impressive 4½ -2½ victory against Tin Cay Bay at Peregian. Brendan Duncan won 3&2, as did Steve Bell (1-up), skipper Matt Hetherington (2&1) and Michael Thomas (7&5), Ryan Tomlinson (3&2) and Tom Burnett (3&1) were beaten, and Will Millroy squared his match. NOTE: With two Headland teams in the finals at Maroochy River, the club has urged members to show their support to their fellow members by attending Sunday morning’s semi-finals. The Masters team tees off from 9.30am and the A Grade at 10.20am.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (38 players) – A Grade, Lisa Ramen (37 points), Anne Callanan (37), Rebecca Masters (37); B Grade, Jill McAndrew (36), Noleen Gooding (33), Trish Arden (33). Men (76 players) – A Grade, John Langdon (40), Jock McLaughlin (38), Huki Matenga (37); B Grade, Gordon Russell (37), Jon Welch (37), Bob Hunter (36); C Grade, Ken Scanlan (39), Stuart Miles (38), Stuart Dykstra (37).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (47 players) – Julie Halliday (38 points), Liz Halyday (38), Linda Cannon (38). Men (71 players) – Sergio Nogarotto (42), Don Caldwell (42), Warren Gee (41).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal – sponsor Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (211 players) – A Grade, Jay Gourlay (70 nett), Chris Duig (70), Peter Gablonksi (70); B Grade, Paul Garth (68), Quentin Poulsen (69), John Langdon (69); C Grade, Tim Nunan (67), Terry Forsyth (68), John Siddons (70); Overall gross – sponsor Roger Van Ginkel, Thomassen Australasia – Ben Duncombe (73).
Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal – sponsor B BY HALCYON BUDERIM; Medal sponsored by Ken and Vicki Maynard – (103 players) – A Grade, Robyn Muir (69 nett), Sharon Thomas (73), Louise Harriott (75), gross – Sharon Thomas (81); B Grade, Mary Young (68), Anne Callanan (71), Gail Young (72), gross – Mary Young (87); C Grade, Penny Cooper (70), Christine Hall (71), Trish Murphy (72), gross – Trish Murphy (104); D Grade, Raewyn Andersen (74), Bec Francis (75), Emilia White (75), gross – Helen Martyn (112).
Men, Single Stableford (76 players), Tony Pattinson (40 points), Fred Muller (39), Graham Myers (39).
Saturday, Monthly Medal – sponsor Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – Women (13 players) – Monica Knowles (72 nett), Anne Callanan (73), Monica Antony (74), gross – Sharon Thomas (87).
Men (178 players) – A Grade, Dennis Mikolic (68), Darren Macleod (69), Jay Gourlay (69); B Grade, John Cleary (67), Gary Martin (68), David O’Mahoney (69); C Grade, Steve Browne (67), Wyndham Tibbits (70), Emmett Walsh (72); Overall gross – sponsor Brian Kesby – Adam Richards (69).
Sunday, Medley Single Stroke (50 players) – Jonny Clarke (62 nett), Carolyn Schwarz (69), Simon Boughey (69), gross – Glenn Kelly (76), Helen Pascoe (76). Junior Medal, Charlotte Ridley (71).
