From Tony Durkin
OPEN DELIGHT: Not only did Del Whittaker score her first win at an Open event in 27 years as a Headland member but, just as significantly for Del, she won her very first raffle. “I did not believe 37 points was good enough to win, then almost fell off my chair when my name was called out for the raffle,” she quipped. A strong field of 113 players, including visitors from Caloundra, Mt Coolum, Noosa, Twin Waters, Bribie Island, Maroochy River, Nudgee, Indooroopilly and St George, joined with Headland members for the annual Women’s Open Day on Thursday, again sponsored by Jodie McDonell of Century 21 on Duporth. Del won Division Two on a low-scoring day when the course was set up tough with limited run because of the recent rain. “I was tickled pink – had a birdie at the 18th and no wipes on my card,” said the 27 marker who also won the Senior Over 75 Division, and collected $110 in prizemoney. Twin Waters visitor Colette Sharpe (38 points) won Division One, with sponsor Jodie McDonnel (36) runner up, and Ree Condon (37) won Division Three.
BACK TO WORK: His first golfing victory on Saturday since January was a bitter-sweet moment for Electrical Fitter Mechanic and 21-year Headland member Russell Thistlewood. Made redundant two days before Christmas last year, Russell had plenty of time on his hands to hone his skills and in January scored a mammoth 46 points in a Single Stableford event, with a 10-under nett score of 62. A few weeks later, however, Russell signed a contract to work 32 hours a week, limiting his golf to around three rounds a month. On Saturday he made the most of a good day of putting, winning C Grade with the best score of the day, 41 points. “If I putt well, I usually score well,” said Russell who had two four-point holes and six three pointers on a card that revealed a very pleasing birdie the par-four 16th. Captain of Headland’s Masters Pennant team, Mark Henricks, won A Grade with 38 points and happily accepted his winning bonus of $105 from good mate and event sponsor, Chris Pace of McGrath Estate Agents, while Terry Lawlor (39) won B Grade.
PUTTER RULES: A dozen one-putt greens on Saturday played a crucial role in Kate Wilkie’s win the Women’s Single Stableford event, scoring 37 points. Kate birdied her second hole– the par three on the practise fairway – from 60 centimetres above the pin, and added six pars, each of which came from half of her single-putt greens. “The other half dozen helped limit the damage,” admitted Kate, who played early in the morning and said the dew on the fairways and running up to the greens was unusually heavy. With only 37 women in the field Kate’s winning purse was just $40, while her partner Alan Deller came home with $50 when he won the accompanying Fourball Stableford with Lindsay Blair.
DISAPPOINTED: Despite two wins, two ‘firsts’ and a healthy cash bonanza, Warren Chapman felt a tad disappointed after his round at Headland on Wednesday. The owner of Carpet Call at Noosaville, Warren scored 41 points from his best-ever gross Headland score of one-over par 68, scored five birdies in a round for the first time and won both the A Grade Medley Single Stableford and the accompanying Fourball event. “But it could have been even better – I bogeyed the last three holes,” revealed Warren, who three-putted the 16th and just missed both the 17th and 18th greens in regulation. The six-handicapper, who joined Headland a decade ago but had a two-year absence after becoming a member of Peregian where he now lives, said the ‘softness’ of the course following recent rain had made the greens much more responsive, which suits his game. Warren accompanied his five birdies with seven pars and six bogeys, and joined with regular playing partner Ian Russell for 48 points and a win in the Fourball, taking his booty for the excellent round to $140. Terry Lawlor (39 points) won B Grade and Denis McGrath (39 points) broke a lengthy losing drought to win C Grade, the day after returning from Honolulu where he celebrated his 80th birthday.
PERFECT MATCH: Headland’s Golf Operations Manager, Ian Hepburn, has finally displayed his golfing prowess with a win in Sunday’s Medley Fourball Stableford – and he made his mark while partnering his wife, Nicole, and in the company of Men’s Director of Golf Peter O’Brien, and his wife Valerie. After a 4½-year stint as Headland’s Course Marshall, the former Golf Operations Manager with Golf Queensland was appointed Golf Operations Manager at Mount Coolum in 2021, but returned to Headland in his new role in April. And while he and Nicole – a Mt Coolum member ‘because we live 400 metres from the club’ – have previously played together, Sunday’s win was their first as a team. Between them they had three four-point holes and eight three-pointers in their score of 46 points, with their only disappointment a wipe at the par three 1B hole. It was the first win at Headland for the club’s popular Golf Ops’ Manager.
WIPES OKAY: They had four wipes between them, but Gay David and John Kamm were still able to win Tuesday’s respective Single Stableford events with the meagre score of 35 points. Gay, handicap 18, mixed her seven pars – each for three points – with three wipes to win the women’s event, while John (handicap 13) penned two birdies, three pars, 11 bogeys and a double on his card, to win the men’s event. “I expected to win $5 in the rundown,” said John who explained the fields on Tuesday were much smaller than usual. Gay agreed. “It’s been about a year since I last won, so hopefully I’m on the way back,” she quipped.
DISTRICT WIN: Headland’s Annabel Harris and Kirsten Kaergaard have helped the Sunshine Coast Burnett District Women’s Golf team beat Brisbane District Ladies Golf Association in a new inter-district event played over the past two weekends. Each team comprised 12 players, with six playing off-the-stick and six playing from handicaps in the match play-format competition. The first event was at Keperra Country Club (Brisbane) and while Annabel lost her match 2-down (Kirsten did not play), SCBDWG was able to score an impressive 7½ to 4½ victory. Round two was played at Maroochy River and SCBDWG was even more convincing, winning 8½ to 3½, with Annabel scoring a decisive 7&6 win and Kirsten sinking a birdie putt at the 15th to win 4&3.
MEN’S PENNANT: Headland will go in to next Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash against Bribie Island chock full of confidence following their second successive 4-3 win in the 2023 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse Pennant competition. Former Headland Club Champion Adam Rydwanski was again the outstanding contributor at Caloundra, playing at No.2 and continuing his unbeaten record with a 6&5 thrashing of his Caboolture opponent. Teenager Ben Duncombe was also again to the fore, birdieing two of his final three holes to win one-up against Dane McArdle, while the ever-reliable Sean McGill also won his match, 2&1. Adam Richards and Shane Muller both halved their matches, but Dave Rattray (3&2) and Brad Butler (7&6) were beaten. Headland’s final match of the Pennant season, on Sunday week, will be against Noosa at Mt Coolum.
Tuesday, Single Stableford – Headland Veteran Golfers – Women (31 players) – Gay David (35 points), Lynn Hayman (34), Dora Habgood (34); Men (53 players) – John Kamm (35), Bill Spencer (35), Richard Dinkelmann (35)
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – (215 players) – A Grade, Warren Chapman (41 points), Ross Lee (37), Bill Bolland (37); B Grade, Terry Lawlor (39), Don Harris (38), Gary Savill (38); C Grade, Denis McGrath (39), Joe Stotschek (38), Peter Corney (38).
Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Warren Chapman and Ian Russell (48 points).
Thursday, Headland Women’s Open Day, Single Stableford – sponsor, Jodie McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – (113 players) – Division One, Colette Sharpe (38 points), Jodie McDonnel (36), Rebecca Masters (35); Division Two, Del Whittaker (37), Bev Barnes (37), Sue Bartlett (36); Division Three, Ree Condon (37), Sharyn Millers 36), Sharon Klaer (35).
Men, Single Stableford (89 players) – Tony Gay (38), Garry Holmes (37), Gordon (36).
Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Chris Pace, McGrath Estate Agents – Women (27 players) – Kate Wilkie (37 points), Dee Davidson (36), Kirsten Kaergaard (36).
Men – (215 players) – A Grade, Mark Henricks (38), Darren Macleod (37), Simon Whittle (37); B Grade, Terry Lawlor (39), Barry Hudson (39), Gary Rugless (38); C Grade, Russell Thistlewood (41), Bob Lane (39), Trevor Gourlay (39).
Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Alan Deller and Lindsay Blair (46 points).
Sunday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsors, Bev and Ross Kelly and Sandra and Terry Murphy – (64 players) – Ian and Nicole Hepburn (46 points), Michael Rutledge and John McMaster (45), Don Caldwell and Anne Jackson (45).
