From Tony Durkin
ADAM WINS: Adam Rydwanski is justifiably proud to have won his second Headland Club Championships on Sunday, but maybe not as chuffed as his home-schooled kids, Blake and Charlotte. “I reckon Blake will be telling all the juniors at golf coaching tomorrow that his dad is the new Club Champion,” quipped Adam, who stormed home from two shots behind in the final round to win by three strokes from overnight leader Ben Duncombe. Adam had two birdies, 12 pars and four bogeys in his final round of two-over 71 for what he claimed was a somewhat ‘unexpected’ victory. “I have been playing decent golf of late, but nothing special,” said the one marker who last won the Headland Championship in 2016, and has been runner-up four times since, to four different Champions. “Starting two shots behind today, I knew it would be tough to beat Ben who has been in such good form, but I was pretty determined not to make it five losses to five different opponents.” After winning seven years ago and following the birth of his children, Adam put golf on the backburner slightly, making Pennants the exception, and a priority. “And, as important as this win today has been, it will be in the background for the time being as I make our Pennant final next weekend the priority,” he said. NOTE: The 2023 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse A Grade Pennant final, between Headland and Beerwah, will be played at the Palmer Coolum Resort on Sunday week (September 10).
SHARON’S TRIFECTA: Sharon Thomas on Thursday completed Headland’s major ‘trifecta’ for 2023 when she teamed with Annabel Harris to win the Women’s Foursomes Championship, sponsored by Steve Blampied of Lifestyle Buyers Agency. The pair stormed home with a birdie, seven pars and a bogey on their final nine (par 35), to beat runners-up Josie Ryan and Lisa Ramen by three shots. After 18 holes, the new Champions were in fourth place, trailing Josie and Lisa by three strokes, but Sharon – a six-time Foursomes winner – said the ‘putter ran hot’ on the final nine. Earlier in the year Sharon was crowned Headland Women’s Champion for the first time and she also won the Mixed Foursomes with her son Chris. It is the tenth victory in a Headland Honour Board event for the two-decade member – and the first for Annabel – but incredibly, neither was planning to play in the Foursomes this year. “My regular partner, Dominique Paice, is currently overseas, so I decided not to play this time,” Sharon revealed. “And Annabel wasn’t playing either, because her mum celebrated her 95th birthday on Thursday.” But encouragement from Josie Ryan resulted in the pair teaming together, and claiming victory from Headland’s most decorated women’s player. Sharon (handicap 11) and Annabel (13) scored 125 for the 27 holes (48-42-35), to nudge Josie (9) and Lisa (7) by three shots (45-42-41, 128). Diane Gilmour and Cathy Roberts (105.25) won the 36-hole nett.
AT LONG LAST: Almost four decades after joining Headland, ‘leftie’ Ross Itzstein has won his first Club Championship. “I tried A Grade, I tried B grade and finally I have been promoted to my level of proficiency,” joked Ross, who won the C Grade Championship by three strokes after struggling through a final round of 92 on Sunday. “I was leaking oil in the final round, but I suppose that is expected from a 74-year-old.” Another long-term member, 56-year-old biscuit maker Scott Bromfield, is Headland’s new Senior Champion. Scott joined Headland in 1996 and his only previous Championship victory was a Men’s Foursomes ‘a long time ago’. Joining Ross and Scott on the 2023 Headland Championship podium was recently-retired FIFO worker Gary Clarke, who also struggled on Sunday but held on to win the B Grade Championship by two shots, while the ever-improving 13-year-old Sunshine Grammar School student, Sam Fichera, shot four consistent rounds in the 80s to be crowned Junior Champion.
MATT DRIVES: Seemingly unable to hit the fairway in months, Matt Hetherington found the answer to his prayers on Saturday – a borrowed Stealth driver from Shane Muller from the Pro Shop. Matt shot 76 from his 10 handicap in the third round of the Club Championships, a score bettered in the field by only five players, and finished with the equal best nett score of the day, 66, to take the B Grade double. “I have been playing terrible golf lately, and this round came right out of the blue,” said Matt, who moved from Parkes in 2010, joined Headland in 2015 and has been a regular Pennant player for the past seven years. “Before I went out on Saturday, I borrowed a driver from Shane and hit it so good that it is now in my bag.” His only slip up was a double at the newly-designated third (the par five-second), while the three birdies on his card have been a long time coming. Matt’s nett 66 was matched by Les McClymont, Michael Gregora and Chris McArdle.
STEALTHY BAZ: Barry Newton could not understand why his 18-month-old TaylorMade Stealth driver had suddenly deserted him and then, on the eve of the Club Championships, he discovered a crack in its face. “Buff (Head Pro Adam Norlander) ordered me a replacement, but unfortunately, it didn’t arrive in time to use it in the first two rounds of the Championships,” revealed seven-handicapper Barry whose rounds of 81 and 78 had him 10 shots behind the leader in the Senior Division. The driver lobbed last Tuesday, a day before Barry shot two-over par 71 to score 41 points in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, with two birdies, 10 pars and five bogeys on his card. “I actually took the plastic protector off the driver just before I hit my first drive,” he explained, thrilled that TaylorMade had gifted him the very latest model. His first two drives went left, then right, but from then on, he never missed a fairway. His 41 points was the best in the big field by two shots, with Tony Pearson (38) winning B Grade, Mick Morris (39) winning C Grade and the husband-and-wife team of Meegan and Drew Walker scoring 47 points to collect top billing in the related Fourball event.
MORE EAGLES: For the second successive week eagles have become almost as common as birdies at Headland. A Grade Pennant team members Sean McGill (12th hole) and Shane Muller (13th) both scored eagles in Saturday’s Championship round, while on Wednesday, Josh Myers – on his sponsored day – became the first to ace the par-three 18th since the new bunkers have been in play. Jack Pyke followed his outstanding win the previous Wednesday by potting his tee shot at the 127 metre 1A hole a week later, and Steve Blampied made it three for the day with an eagle at the lar-four first hole. The week prior, Paul Henricks, Kerry Longworth and Robyn Muir also scored eagles.
VALE GLENN: Highly-decorated PGA member Glenn Joyner, who served as a popular Marshall at Headland in recent years during his semi-retirement, has passed away following a courageous battle with bowel cancer. A former winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia and until recently a regular member of the PGA Legends Tour, Glenn passed away last week, a few days before his 59th birthday. Despite being diagnosed with cancer just on 12 months ago, he continued competing saying ‘I will continue showing up, and just keep playing while I still can’. A winner of 153 tournaments and Pro-Ams in Australia and throughout the world, Glenn competed against some of golf’s greats, finishing third behind Greg Norman at the 1996 Australian Open, third to Lucas Parsons and Michael Campbell at the 1994 Queensland Open and runner-up at the 1989 New Zealand Open. He also had two top-three finishes on the Asian Tour in 1995 and was third behind Rodger Davis, Kiwi Frank Nobilo and American John Morse at the 1991 New Zealand Open. He joined the Legends Tour in late 2014 and won 40 times, his biggest victory coming at the 2016 South Australian PGA Seniors Championship. As late as last July, he shot seven-under 65 to lead Senior Open qualifying, just missing the cut for Gleneagles as the effects of his illness started to take hold. His last game was at McCracken Golf Club in his native South Australia, in April. Glenn is survived by his wife Carolyn, his twin sons Marcus and Brad, and parents Barry and Margaret. A shattered Carolyn posted on social media on Saturday ‘it has been an honour and a privilege to be your caddy, both on the course and in life’. Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (120 players) – Phil Kornmann and Gary Rugless (47 points), Steve and Chrissy Eggins (47), Stephen Woolcott and Nev Kenzler (45).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor, Josh Myers, RM Developments (233 players) – A Grade, Barry Newton (41 points), Leon Faulkner (39), Tex Teixeira (38); B Grade, Tony Pearson (38), Brett Stephenson (37), Steve Blampied (36); C Grade, Mick Morris (39), Graham Clarke (38), John Wettenhall (38). Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Drew and Megan Walker (47 points).
Thursday, Women’s 2023 Foursomes Championships (27 holes) – Steve Blampied, Lifestyle Buyers Agency – (96 players) – Champions, Sharon Thomas and Annabel Harris (125), runners-up, Josie Ryan and Lisa Ramen (128); 27-hole nett, Diane Gilmour and Cathy Roberts (105.25), Ree Condon and Valerie O’Brien (107); 18-hole gross, Vicky Sheridan and Fiona Munro (85); 18-hole nett, Julie Halliday and Jenny Ingham (74); nine -hole gross, Pik Chong and Robyn Muir (42); nine-hole nett, Vicky Maynard and Julie Lewis (33.5).
Overflow, Single Stableford (22 players) – Dianne Kean (37 points), Kath Kingston (36), Linda Cannon (35).
Saturday, Men’s Championship, round three – sponsor, Tim Reid, NeuBau Group – (152 players) – A Grade, gross, Adam Rydwanski (70), Ben Duncombe (72); nett, Brian Callaghan (67), Ciaran Fenton (68); B Grade, gross, Matt Hetherington (76), Garry Marr (79); nett, Les McClymont (66), Chris McArdle (66); C Grade, gross, Kevin George (87), Tony McDonough (87); nett, Michael Gregora (66), Dennis Farmer (69).
Leaders in the Club Championship after round three were: Ben Duncombe (215), Adam Rydwanski (217), Justin Nicholson (217), Wayne West (221), Sean McGill (222).
Overflow, Medley Single Stableford – (70 players) – Mark Postles (42 points), Narelle Hollowood (42), Stu Ennever (41).
Juniors, Parent and Child seven-hole Stroke – Freddy and Michael Lambert (orange line, 28 strokes), Benjamin and Stephen Cox (green, 28), Max and Leon Faulkner (green, 29), Liam and Aaron Kerley (green, 29).
Sunday, Men’s Championship, final round – sponsor, Tim Reid, NeuBau Group – (136 players) – A Grade, gross, Adam Richards (69), Chris Goundrey (70); nett, Matt Prince (68), Jack Nicholas (68); B Grade, gross, Andrew Ebb (78), Braden Anderson (79); nett, Terry Ward (68), Gary Savill (70); C Grade, gross, Stephen Woollcott (86), Nick Reed (90); nett, John Anderson (65), Dennis Farmer (71).
Club Championship top 10 – Adam Rydwanski (73,74,70,71-288), Ben Duncombe (76,67,72,76-291), Matt Prince (71,73,78,74 -296), Justin Nicholson (73,72,72,79-296), Wayne West (73,70,78,77-298), Adam Richards (74,79,78,69-300), Dan Diachkoff (75,71,77,79-302), Sean McGill (76,69,77,81-302), Michael Zeckomske (74,76,78,76-304), Dave Rattray (75,77,73,79-304).
Overall 2023 Championships results: Club Champion – Adam Rydwanski (73,74,70,71-288), runner-up – Ben Duncombe (76,67,72,76-291); A Grade nett – Jack Nicholas (273), runner-up – Matt Prince (276); B Grade, Champion – Gary Clarke (81,81,82,86-330), runner-up – Ian Farrington (81,81,83,87-332); nett, Braden Anderson (274), Terry Ward (285); C Grade Champion – Ross Itzstein (88,88,90,92-358), runner-up Bruce Heseltine (89,89,90,93-361); nett, Lindsay Blair (290), runner-up Roger Van Ginkel (292); Senior Champion – Scott Bromfield (78,73,78,76-305); Junior Champion – Sam Fichera (88,84,82,87-341).
