From Tony Durkin
ADAM’S BEST: After seeing his father Brian shoot his age seven days earlier, five-time Headland Club Champion Adam Richards kept the family streak going by playing the round of his life on Saturday, scoring nine birdies in a blemish-free 60 to win the November Monthly Medal. In the best form of his career, Adam has recently won Headland’s Match Play Championship for the sixth time, the Men’s Foursomes and gone back-to-back in the Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse District Open and Closed Championships. But despite having won 20 Headland Honour Board events in his 36 years as a member, the rising 50-year-old rates Saturday’s brilliant round the highlight of his illustrious career. “It was fun,” said Adam, who also scored nine birdies when he shot his previous best round of seven under 65 back in 2005. “I don’t think I hit it that great, but did roll in some pretty good putts.” And he admits to feeling the nerves while standing on the 18th tee, with the verandah overlooking the green packed with spectators who were mindful he needed a birdie to break 60. “I missed the 16th, 17th and 18th greens, so had to get up-and-down each time for par,” he said. “I was a little disappointed that the magical 59 didn’t eventuate, but still very proud of that score and the fact I held my nerve coming home.”
SPONSOR IN AWE: South African-born Ryan Tomlinson has just enjoyed one of the most memorable sporting weekends of his adult life – and it wasn’t just because the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup early on Sunday morning. As regular sponsor of Headland’s Monthly Medals, the principal of Century 21 on Duporth invited Adam Richards to play in his group on Saturday and said he was witness to one of the most incredible rounds of golf he has ever seen. “Just to watch how easy he makes golf look was an absolute pleasure,” said Ryan, whose 84 off the stick from his 10 handicap was a reasonable effort, but paled beside the brilliant 60 from the scratch marker. “Each of us in our group knew he needed a birdie – and no mistakes – on those final few holes, and I think we were playing his game more than our own as we headed home. I doubt I will ever see anything like that again.” Thanks partly to Ryan’s sponsorship, apart from his Medal Adam had $228 added to his House Account – $90 for his A Grade win, $75 courtesy of member and former Club Champion Brian Kesby for the best gross, and another $65 for the Pro Pin and the sixth.
LISA AGAIN: She may have won her third Monthly Medal of the year, and her second in back-to-back months, but Lisa Ramen deflected all attention to Adam Richards for his phenomenal round of 60. “I have 100 per cent admiration and respect for that man and cannot wait to give him a hug when I next see him,” quipped Lisa, who joined Headland a year after a 13-year-old Adam became a member. “I’m sure everyone else is like me – we just dream of a score like that.” But Lisa’s round of 78, for 70 nett, was not without its significance, even though her best this year has been 74, and her best-ever at Headland par73 – twice. She shot two-over 37 coming home and, like Adam, took the Medal double – both the nett and gross victories. And, as a result of her win, Lisa now holds a GA handicap of 7.1, the lowest of all regular Women competitors at Headland.
DAD STARS: Standing in the shadow of his magnificent Saturday golfing exploits was Adam Richards’ recollections of seven days earlier, when his dad Brian shot his age for the very first time. “Don’t go overboard with my round. Dad shot his age last weekend, which equates my 60 today to a 49. That is a super effort,” said an admiring Adam. Two weeks ago, 78-year-old Brian Richards, playing from a 15 handicap – his biggest since joining Headland in 1987 – shot 79 for 42 Stableford points and a win in the B Grade Single Stableford, but his effort to shoot or beat his age was thwarted by successive double bogeys at holes 16 and 17. Seven days later the septuagenarian made amends. Playing from a shot less – 14 – he scored a birdie, eight pars, eight bogeys and just the one double to pen 78, and become one of those rare golfers who can claim they have shot their age. “I am very proud of him. We have a great relationship, but are always competitive,” confessed Adam, who was chuffed his dad had achieved a long-term goal.
NO SHANKS: Steve Ridley says it has been ‘forever’ since he had a decent round of golf, and even longer since he has beaten his talented teenage daughter, Charlotte. But not only did he achieve both results with a win in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford event, he also ridded himself – permanently, he hopes – of a ‘hideous’ case of the dreaded shanks. “The best I have hit it, and chipped it, for as long as I can remember,” said Steve when commenting on his 42 points, with 23 of them coming on the second nine. Three years ago Steve moved from Pelican Waters to Buderim when the Greg Norman-designed course closed for major redevelopment, and joined Headland with a view to Charlotte improving her game. And that goal has certainly been attained, with the 14-year-old now one of the lowest-handicapped female golfers in the club on 11.5. And even though Steve (handicap 21) scored six more points than Charlotte on Sunday, she still managed to again beat him off the stick – 83 to 84.
IRISH DELIGHT: Despite returning her best score in 22 years as a Headland member and having a ‘record’ $80 added to her House Account, Sue Wake was adamant the best thing about victory in the Women’s Irish Foursomes on Thursday was having fun. “We had the best time. We laughed and joked all the way round,” said the retired nurse who teamed with Deb Prince, Lee Hesletine and Lesley Pinn to score 96 points, and claim victory by a point in the big field of 116. The two best Stableford scores on each hole count in an Irish Foursomes event and the group – playing together for the first time – had one eight-point hole and two-seven-pointers on the card, with the meekest result a three-pointer. And while Sue’s 41 points, which included a wipe, was the best individual score of the day, she deflected any praise, saying all four team members contributed at vital times. “And thanks to the generous sponsorship of the former teachers, I can now buy a few wines after play,” she joked after scoring her biggest pay day. Paul Stephens, Patrick Carmody, Sergio Nogarotto and John Marrington, with 95 points, won Thursday’s Irish Foursomes for Men.
FORM REVERSAL: Before he scored 42 points to beat 212 other competitors in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, Steve Blampied assembled a miserable 19 points in his previous round at Headland. “Don’t ask me how I turned it around,” said Steve, a three-year member whose business – Lifestyle Buyers Agency – has agreed to sponsor Headland’s Women’s Foursomes Championships for the next five years. Despite a triple-bogey seven at the par-four 16th hole (15th), ex-Victorian Steve shot 76 from his 13 handicap, his best-ever round at Headland, with another first – three birdies – on his impressive card. “I looked at my score, then choked on the 16th. But on the long buggy drive from that green to the 17th tee I regathered myself, and finished birdie, par. I generally played well, but it was my putting that did the damage. I think I only missed one putt within two metres,” said Steve, who won B Grade. Peter Gablonski (40 points) won A Grade, Chris Swan (38) saluted in C Grade and regular Wednesday playing partners, Peter Keane and Peter McMillan, scored 49 points to win the associated Fourball event.
TWO BETTER: Playing two better than their respective handicaps was good enough for both winners of Tuesday’s Single Stableford events, albeit both snaring victory by virtue of a countback. Despite two wipes on her card, 2019 SWING graduate Joy Murray (handicap 27) penned six three-pointers and a four-point par on her card for 38 points, and a win in the Women’s event, while David Simmons (16) also had a wipe, but added seven three-pointers to also score 38 and win the Men’s division. Joy prevailed over Valerie O’Brien, while David had to survive two countbacks, with Gordon O’Neill finishing second ahead of Surfers Paradise visitor, Bryan Ranger.
CHAMPION VETS: Headland has won the annual Sunshine Coast District Veteran Golfers’ Association Four-Person Ambrose, courtesy of the team of Bruce Reid, Tony Coad, Warren Selvage and Terry Grogan. Played recently at the par-68 Nambour Golf Club, 25 teams from 10 clubs within the district contested the event with the Headland quartet burning up the course, scoring 11-under 57 off the bat for a nett result of 51.825, and victory by three shots. There were no bogeys on the impressive card which revealed an eagle, nine birdies and eight pars. “As is usually the case in an Ambrose, everyone contributed in some way, but I must concede that Terry Grogan was on fire,” revealed Vets’ Captain, Bruce. A second Headland team of Steve Nash, Jock McLaughlin, Dennis Taylor and Frank Coleborn finished fourth on the day, with a nett score of 55.25.
BIRTHDAY BASH: Few golf enthusiasts can claim to have enjoyed their birthday in a more pleasant manner than Nev Kenzler recently celebrated turning 74. The former banker, who once served ice cream to Headland Assistant Pro Mitch Jacobson in his Emerald Ice Creamery, tabled the equivalent of 43 Stableford points when he scored plus seven in last Tuesday week’s Single Par event for Men. And apart from finding absolute disaster at the par-five third (second) hole and penning a wipe on his card, Nev’s round was – he reckons – his best in ‘probably 15 years’. “I’ve been playing pretty consistently lately, and was in a really relaxed birthday mode,” mused the 10-marker, who joined Headland six years ago. His winning card revealed three birdies, 10 pars and four bogeys, with his only minus at the third, and a nett score of seven below his handicap. And, to enhance the celebrations, he collected $70 for his win.
JAY THE ACE: It may have taken him 18 years, but Headland Groundsman Jay Gourlay could not have been more excited when he recently aced the par-three 15th (14th) – his first hole-in-one since he joined the club as a junior. “A soon as I hit it, I knew it was on target,” said a thrilled Jay, who hit a pitching wedge to the 145 metre-pin. “It bounced twice, and dropped in the hole.” Jay, who has a handicap of 10 and plays three times a week, said he hit his tee shot to within one centimetre of the 18th hole three years ago, his previous closest. In his round, which scored him 37 points, he parred the other four par threes.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Sunday, Patron’s Day – sponsor Simon Whittle – Mixed American Foursomes (96 players) – Leeanne Ptak and Jon Welch (66.125 nett), Dora and Rod Habgood (67.75), Jackie Walkington and Tim Gahan (68), Laura Mason-Baierl and John Anderson (68.125), Lynn Deacon and Andrew Birt).
Tuesday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Headland Veterans – Women (47 players) – Joy Murray (38 points), Valerie O’Brien (38), Bec Francis (36).
Men (71 players) – David Simmons (38), Gordon O’Neill (38), Bryan Ranger (38).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (213 players) – A Grade, Peter Gablonski (40 points), Leon Faulkner (38), Mark Selig (36); B Grade, Steve Blampied (42), Jim Aspinwall (40), Toby Zaremba (38); C Grade, Chris Swan (38), Peter Norris (38), Ken Maynard (37). Fourball Best Ball Stableford, Peter Keane and Peter McMillan (49 points).
Thursday, Irish Foursomes, Women’s Teachers Day – sponsors, Kirsten Kaergaard, Norma Hobson, Wil Sprake, Pam Vincent, Valerie O’Brien, Kath Barford, Sue Bolton, Rhonda Biggs, Emelia White, Leigh Derigo, Althea McLean and Denise Hutchinson (116 players) – Deb Prince, Lee Heseltine, Sue Wake and Lesley Pinn (96 points), Jane Fitzgerald, Carolyn Schwarz, Melissa Coulthard and Wendy Derrick (95), Maria Hireme, Chrissy Higgins, Carmel Visser and Tove Larsen (95).
Men – sponsor, Mal Galletly, AJ Steel (88 players) – Paul Stephens, Patrick Carmody, Sergio Nogarotto and John Marrington (95), James Snowball, Alf Gloster, Bob Hunter and Greg O’Connor (91).
Saturday, Monthly Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson Century 21 on Duporth – Women (22 players) – Lisa Ramen (70 nett), Gail Young (70), Liz Dunford (71), Best gross – Lisa Ramen (78).
Men (202 players) – A Grade, Adam Richards (60), Ian Farrington (67), Scott Bromfield (69); B Grade, Denis Orr (64), Barry Hudson (68), Karl Aldrich (68); C Grade, Richard Ryan (63), Zac Boland (64), David Parker (66); Best gross – sponsored by Brian Kesby – Adam Richards (60).
Juniors – Parent and Child Nine-hole Stroke – Benjamin and Stephen Cox (34), Freddy and Michael Lambert (34), Blake and Adam Rydwanski (35), Matthew and Clinton Bothma (36), Hurley and Paul Johnstone (36), Nate and Matt Duggan (36).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (44 players) – Steve Ridley (41 points), Max Pasterfield (39), Tony Pearson (38).
Fourball Best Ball Matchplay Championship – sponsor Michael Thomas, Zenfind Accounting, first round – Tim Gahan and Ian Hepburn beat Margaret Smith and David W Smith (2-up), Chris Klazema and Terry Grogan beat Wayne Cassidy and Gary Savill (5&4), Damien Moelands and Nick Donovan beat Narelle Hollowood and Joe Stotscheck (1-up); Alex Dwyer and Lachie Moffat beat Terry Ward and Dean Jones (6&5), Andrew Stirling and Grant Martyn beat Chris Schultz and Daniel Brooks (1-up), Kirsten Kaergaard and Marg White beat Darren Walters and Darren Macleod (6&5), Simon Richardson and Peter Richardson beat Wyndham Tibbits and Paul Anderson (walkover), Neven Daniel and James Daniel beat Kate Wilkie and Danny Shaw (walkover).
