From Tony Durkin

MEDAL FOR LIZ: Fifteen years ago, Liz and Tony Dunford joined Headland after they moved north from Forbes, with the club since becoming a significant part of their social life. And on Thursday, career-nurse Liz joined her husband as the winner of one of the most sought-after events on Headland’s annual golfing calendar. She scored 67 nett to win the coveted Medal of Medals, open to the 27 women who have won either a Thursday or Saturday Medal during the year. And ironically, just 12 months earlier, Tony won the Men’s equivalent – the Weekend Gold Medal. “I’m playing with a genuine confidence in my game,” said Liz, who has graduated to A Grade this year and won her first-ever Medal – in A Grade – back in June, after never having played the sport before she joined Headland. “My round was very steady. I hit it up the middle, putted well and encountered just one bunker. And to make the win even sweeter, my 85 is my best-ever gross score.” Mary Ann Sanderson, who also scored 67 nett, won the Rabbits Cup, which is open to Women who have not won a Medal during the year.

HANDI MICK: Sixteen-handicapper Mick Prince has been crowned Headland’s Men’s Handiskins champion for 2023. Mick won three of the 18 skins on offer in Saturday’s final and collected $450 in prizemoney. Brett Beaumont ($330) finished second with two skins, while Dennis Roberts ($210) collected one skin and although Andrew Stirling ($210) went skinless, he collected $60 for the NTP at the fifth hole and shared in the accumulated booty after holes 12 to 18 were drawn. In an enthralling final, 12 of the 18 holes were drawn, while no-one hit the green on 18 for the $60 bonus. All four Headland members have qualified for the National Handiskins final, to be played at Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast in May next year.

SMART START: ‘Absolutely ridiculous’ is how Matt Smart described his first round as a Headland member – a round that included four birdies, a front nine of one under 34 and a winning B Grade score of 44 points in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford event. On the Sunshine Coast to arrange settlement on the Eudlo home he and his wife have recently purchased, new member Matt was playing his first competition round at the club after being on the waitlist for more than 12 months, and birdied holes one, 1A and two before adding another at the par-four ninth. A former member at Mangrove Mountain on the NSW Central Coast, Matt has been playing ‘serious’ golf for only three years after starting on a handicap of 18, but when he returns with his furniture in two weeks, his GA will be 11. “I seriously cannot believe how well I played,” quipped the builder, who had $100 added to his House Account after just one round. Graham Smith (38) continued his good form of late to win A Grade, Andrew Hempsall (42) won C Grade, and joined with Bruce Reid to collect the spoils in the Fourball, with 48 points.

WORTHY WIN: ‘Risk and reward’ was the definition Charlie Worthy used for his winning round on Thursday, when he scored 40 points to win the Men’s Single Stableford event and collect $115 in prizemoney. “When I found myself in trouble, I was able to play myself out of it. Twice I elected to gamble and go through the trees, and both times I finished on the green,” boasted former cabbie Charlie, who has had three countback losses since his last victory in September last year. But despite his win and the two close seconds, Charlie is cautions about the MiScore method of scoring. “Before, with the cards, you never really knew how many points you had. But now it’s there to see, so I sometimes become nervous when I know I might be chance of winning,” he confessed.

WAYNE’S WORLD: Rather than forfeit his first round of the Fourball Best Ball Matchplay last Saturday week when his partner Gary Savill was unavailable to play, Wayne Cassidy took on Chris Klazema and Terry Grogan on his own, and lost 5&4. And instead of looking on the result as a defeat, the former two-decade FIFO worker gained confidence from his bold showing and that showed on Saturday when he returned the best score of the day to win B Grade in Saturday’s Single Stableford for Men. “I was pleased with the way I played against Chris and Terry, and turned up today feeling positive. I was consistently pretty straight too, which is not usually the strong point of my game,” explained Wayne, who farmed 41 points from his 78 off the bat. Tim Diedricks (40) won A Grade and Richard Ryan (also 40) continued a recent hot streak to take the $115 prizemoney in C Grade, the winning purse for all three victors courtesy of sponsors Graham and Jack Nicholas, of Hometree. Veterans John Christmas and Darryl Chapman penned a five-point birdie and two four-point birdies in their score of 50 points, to win the associated Fourball.

VICTORY WEEK: Helen Fraser concedes she had been playing golf like a ‘dork’ for at least six months, but turned things around with two victories this past week. On Monday last year’s B Grade Champion scored 39 points to win Vets’ A Grade, then continued her good form to top the Women’s Single Stableford leaderboard on Saturday, with 36 points. “I had certainly lost my way, and have absolutely no idea how I have turned things around. But I will thankfully take the reversal in form,” quipped Helen, whose splendid back nine of a birdie, two pars, five bogeys and two doubles on Saturday garnered her 21 points.

WINNING CHEMISTRY: Retired Pharmacist Bob Keogh has scored 40 and 43 points in his past two rounds of golf, but says he will not be holding his breath expecting a golfing comeback. “My last win before today was more than 12 months ago in a fourball at a Chemist Golf Day at Nudgee, but prior to that I have absolutely no idea when I have even played to my handicap,” revealed Bob, who won Monday’s Vets Single Stableford for Men with 43 points. The previous Thursday he scored 40 points in the Irish Foursomes, but his team of three finished well down the list. “We were off the front tees today, so the course wasn’t too difficult, and I slowed everything down,” he said after scoring seven three-pointers and a four-pointer for his win the Vets B Grade competition. Jock McLaughlin (38) won A Grade, Helen Fraser (39) won Women’s A Grade and Jo McDougall (36) led home the B Grade field.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Leigh Mansfield decided to back up from an ‘average’ round of golf on Saturday, to play on Sunday with his wife Lyn who has been steadily recovering from a raft of health issues. And it proved a smart decision for the former Tasmanian real estate agent with three earlier decades in the rag trade – he won the Medley Single Stableford event with 41 points. “Lyn and I moved here 2½ years ago to retire and have both had a few health problems, so it was terrific for us to play together and have some success,” he said. Leigh had previously played off a handicap of 14 before falling from a ladder three years ago and seriously injuring his back. “It’s taken me a while to get back to playing something like the golf I once did,” he added. With a handicap of 26, Leigh managed five three-point holes plus a four-pointer in a round equivalent to 64 nett. Lyn, meanwhile, was playing her first competition round in 15 months, and is keen to improve on her 19 points.

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – sponsor Living Choice – Women (37 players) – A Grade, Helen Fraser (39 points), Jan Langdon (37), Carmel Visser (36); B Grade, Jo McDougall (36), Maggie Fitzpatrick (36), Bec Francis (36).

Men (60 players) – A Grade, Jock McLaughlin (38), Bruce Horton (36), Lawrence Hireme (36): B Grade, Bob Keogh (43), Graham Pitt (36), Glenn Weekes (36).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (231 players) – A Grade, Graham Smith (38 points), Tony Pattinson (38), Peter Gablonski (38); B Grade, Matt Smart (44), Todd Petrie (40), Craig Driscoll (40); C Grade, Andrew Hempsall (42), Terry Forsyth (40), Graham Miller (40). Fourball Best Ball Stableford, Bruce Reid and Andrew Hempsall (48 points).

Thursday, Women’s Medal of Medals, and Rabbits Cup – (67 players) – A Grade, Liz Dunford (67 nett), Lynn Deacon (68), Monica Antony (69); B Grade, Kym Mason (69), Bev Barnes (69), Tracey O’Connor (70); C Grade, Mary Ann Sanderson (67), Deb Prince (68), Lynn Forbes (69). Medal of Medals winner – Liz Dunford (67); Rabbits Cup winner – May Ann Sanderson (67).

Men, Single Stableford (87 players) – Charlie Worthy (40 points), Neil Oxley (39), Fred Muller (39).

Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Graham and Jack Nicholas, Hometree – Women (28 players) – Helen Fraser (36 points), Josie Ryan (35), Robyn Boreham (34).

Men (215 players) – A Grade, Tim Diedricks (39 points), Dave Mayes (39), Glenn Kelly (39); B Grade, Wayne Cassidy (41), Bruce Reid (40), Dean Jones (40); C Grade, Richard Ryan (40), Lincoln Harris (39), Clive Glover (39); Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – John Christmas and Darryl Chapman (50 points).

Juniors – Eight-hole Stroke – Matthew Bothma (orange line, 36), Toby Halliday (yellow, 37), Max Faulkner (green, 39), Blake Rydwanski (orange, 39), Flynn Lambalk (green, 39).

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (51 players) – Leigh Mansfield (41 points), John Holbert (40), Jack Swanepoel (38).

– Fourball Best Ball Match Play Championship – sponsor Michael Thomas, Zenfind Accounting, quarter final – Tim Gahan and Ian Hepburn beat Chris Klazema and Terry Grogan (2-up); Alex Dwyer and Lachie Moffat beat Andrew Stirling and Grant Martyn (2&1); Neven Daniel and James Daniel beat Damien Moelands and Nick Donovan (3&2); Simon Richardson and Peter Richardson beat Kirsten Kaergaard and Marg White (19th hole).