From Tony Durkin 

FAMILY DOUBLE: The popular Hireme family – Maria and Lawrence – have scored a rare husband-and-wife double at Headland, each winning September Monthly Medals within the space of three days. Celebrating a dozen years as members of their very first golf club, Maria (nett 68) won the Women’s B Grade Medal on Thursday and Lawrence went one better on Saturday, netting 67 to win the Men’s C Grade Medal. “It’s my first one, and Maria has three,” beamed Lawrence, who is currently undergoing chemo treatment for colon cancer. But while his bout of illness may have affected his golf – his handicap has increased from 12 to 18 in the past 12 months – it has not curtailed his enthusiasm for the game. “My doctor told me to have as much exercise as I can, and recommended I play golf. So, Maria and I try to get in as many rounds a week as we can, and often play other courses.” The recently-retired scaffolder had a mixed round on Saturday with a birdie, six pars, seven bogeys, two doubles and a triple on his card. But he still returned the best nett score of the day in the field of 213, and the best gross in C Grade by six shots. Matt Prince (68 nett) won the A Grade Medal, Barry Hudson (69) won B Grade and Sean McGill, who eagled the par-five tenth, returned the best gross with par 72. Janelle Heaney (69 nett) won the Women’s Saturday Medal and Kate Wilkie (86) scored the best gross. 

MORE HUBBY HELP: When Maria Hireme won a Vets’ Division One Single Stableford back in June, she praised her husband Lawrence for his help with her putting. And although Lawrence – obviously – was not in her group when she won Women’s September B Grade Monthly Medal on Thursday with 68 and the best nett score of the day, he again won her plaudits. “We played together in the Vets at Gympie on Tuesday and I had a shocker,” she revealed. “Lawrence said I was trying to hit the ball too hard, and before I left home on Thursday, he reminded me to slow down my swing, and relax. And it worked.” Maria and Lawrence play as many as three days a week, and enjoy the course and the camaraderie. “And I had a really wonderful day on Thursday, playing with my friend Carmel Visser, who won the C Grade Medal,” Maria reiterated. Maria finished her round of 92 in a blaze of glory with a birdie at the par-three 18th – her tee shot finishing an agonisingly 7cm short of the pin, which meant that as well as the Monthly Medal, she collected $60 in prizemoney plus $12 for the pin shot. Josie Ryan (nett 70) won the A Grade Medal, and returned the best gross score of the day.

KEN STILL CAN: Headland icon Ken Anderson has returned to golf following a 12-month hiatus, and has won Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford despite wiping his final hole. The 83-year-old, who has equalled or beaten his age at Headland an amazing 22 times, scored 43 points to win A Grade, with three birdies – in five holes – and nine pars on his card. And while happy to be back playing golf after a forgettable period in which he lost his wife and stepson, and suffered health issues himself, Ken was not impressed that he played from a handicap of 13. “That is my highest handicap since I started golf a million years ago,” he quipped. “At my first club I started on 27, and within 12 months was playing off two. The club was so suspicious of my form, they forced me to play with officials to make sure there was no skulduggery.” Ken’s last win before Wednesday was in the second round of the Club Championships in August last year, when he fired 78 to win the B Grade gross. Anthony Larchin (39 points) won B Grade and Meegan Walker (38) finished top of the C Grade ladder.

HANDICAP HELP: It may have been her first win in a Single Stableford event for more than 12 months, but 2024 Headland Women’s Champion Josie Ryan was deflecting any talk of glory. “I was playing off a handicap of 13, which I have not done since I arrived at Headland in 1992,” stressed Josie after scoring 39 points to win Monday’s Invitation Day for Women. “I had 83 off the stick for goodness sake, 10 over par.” Still receiving chemo treatment for her 20-month battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer, Josie three-putted the first and second greens for double bogeys, but otherwise had a steady card of 10 pars and six bogeys. “The course is in beautiful condition, and there was a lot of run which meant I could reach most of the greens in regulation, a rarity during the wetter, winter months,” she said, after winning Division One. Eleven visiting clubs were represented at the Invitation Day, which is the first held at Headland since Covid. And visitors won Divisions Two and Three – respectively, Chris Buganey (Mt Coolum) with 37 points and Ann Hancock (Pelican Waters) with 38. The day also raised a substantial amount for Sunnykids. NOTE: Josie continued her good form on Thursday, winning the Women’s A Grade Monthly Medal (70 nett) and the best gross (83), from the Championship tees. 

WOBBLES BEATEN: Despite a spate of the ‘wobbles’ from holes four to six on Tuesday, Phil Kornmann was able to steady the ship and win the Single Stableford for Men – and $110.  Starting on the tenth, the former Townsville Architect assembled his equal best score on the back nine – 24 points – and added six more to start the front nine before striking trouble. “As happened, I sometimes lose concentration during a round, but was pleased to finish with successive three-point holes,” said Phil, who is somewhat disappointed his GA handicap has drifted out to 26. “Ideally, I’d like to be playing off 18, but at my age that may be a dream,” quipped the 17-year member who regularly plays three days a week. But Phil, who turned 81 two weeks ago and plays golf primarily for the exercise, enjoyment and camaraderie, described Tuesday’s conditions as beautiful, and said he had a ‘great day’ in the sunshine. Phil scored 40 points to win the event, one short of his best-ever Headland result.

FOURBALL CHAMPS: Cathy Roberts and Robyn Muir have the opportunity next Sunday to become the first female pairing to win Headland’s Fourball Best Ball Matchplay Championship. The Honour Board event, sponsored by Michael Thomas of Zenfind Accounting, has reached the final with Cathy and Robyn to meet Barry Newton and Gary Martin after they accounted for Bob Lane and Terry Grogan (3&2) in Sunday’s semi-final. Barry and Gary scraped through to the final, edging another women’s team, Leeanne Ptak and Vicky Sheridan (1-up).

‘TWO’ GOOD: In one of her most consistent rounds of golf since graduating from SWING in 2016, Joy Bullock won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women with an impressive 42 points. And in doing so, Joy penned 11 two pointers on her card, with nine in succession from holes four to 12. Scoring 98 from her 31 handicap, Joy was particularly chuffed with her 67 nett. “I don’t play stroke events very often because I find them difficult, so it was nice to play six better than my handicap,” she said. Joy was also chuffed with her four-point par at the difficult 15th hole, as well as the five three pointers which also appeared on her card. And to top off one of her better days as a Headland member, Joy smashed the rest of the field, winning by a massive five points.

RESTRICTED WINNER: Bill McKinstrey is still a restricted member, despite joining Headland in September last year and having last week paid his second membership fee. But the retired coal mining Head of Operations, who moved to Cotton Tree from Newcastle in March, 2023, is simply ecstatic to be able to play the course. “I love the course. It certainly isn’t boring, and serves up a challenge every time I play it,” said Bill, who ‘tested’ many of the Sunshine Coast courses before joining Headland. And while he has not played any serious golf for the past 35 years because of a busy career, Bill is keen to lower his handicap – from the 25 on Thursday when he won the Men’s Single Stableford with 41 points, to his new GA of 23. “My goal is to get to 18, so I can play bogey golf,” he said, after scoring a four-point birdie at the par-three 14th, as well as two other four pointers and four three-point holes in his winning round. Because of his restricted membership, Bill has only played five competition rounds in 11 months, but intends playing at least three times a week, albeit socially until he becomes a full member.

SUNDAY DOC: Because of his professional commitments, Lake Kawana GP John Matson is only able to play golf on Sundays. But when he does, he makes sure he enjoys the round, and the company, as he did on Sunday when he scored just his second win as a four-year Headland member. In the midst of Covid, when Pelican Waters announced its course would be closing for a major makeover, John and three other members moved to Headland and for the past 12 months have also endured some renovations at their new course. And even though John – handicap 20 – concedes he is no budding golf champion, he describes Headland as ‘always difficult, but an enjoyable challenge’. That challenge presented itself on Sunday when, after parring the par-four first hole, John scored a triple bogey eight on the second. But he then steadied with pars at the next two difficult holes before finishing with 38 points, winning on a countback from Ryan O’Halloran. 

WEEKLY RESULTS: 

Monday, Headland Women’s Invitation Day, Single Stableford (86 players) – Division One, Josie Ryan (39 points), Sandy Whittle (37), Christine Parkinson (37); Division Two, Chris Burganey (37), Lesley Foran (37), Judith Elks (36); Division Three – Ann Hancock (38), Helen Sedgman (37), Ree Condon (37). 

Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (36 players) – Joy Bullock (42 points), Louise Armstrong (37), Anne Hayward (36).

Men (80 players) – Phil Kornmann (40), Brian Balocca (40), Joseph Watrinet (38).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (219 players) – sponsor, Nelson and Lachlan Valderrama, Absolute Building Solutions – A Grade, Ken Anderson (43 points), Stewart Clover (42), Bevan Horsnell (38); B Grade, Anthony Larchin (39), Craig Driscoll (37), Robert McCann (37); C Grade, Meegan Walker (38), George Stoopin (38), Darryl Chapman (37). 

Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal (54 players)- A Grade, Josie Ryan (70 nett), Sue Jones (70), Fiona Munro (72), gross – Josie Ryan (83); B Grade, Maria Hireme (68), Cathy Roberts (70), Bev Barnes (72), gross – Maria Hireme (92); C Grade, Carmel Visser (73), Ellen Bloxsome (76), Liz Halyday (76), gross – Carmel Visser (105).

Single Stableford (33 players) – Christine Hall (39 points), Cheryl Kitson (38), Lesley Johnston (37).

Men, Single Stableford – sponsor, Mal Galletly, AJ Steel – (79 players) – Bill McKinstrey (41 points), Earl Hicks (39), Mick Kinnear (37).

Saturday, Monthly Medal, Women – sponsor, Jodie McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – (22 players) – Janelle Heaney (69 nett), Kate Wilkie (72), Marg White (73); gross – Kate Wilkie (86).

Men – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (213 players) – A Grade, Matt Prince (68 nett), Sean McGill (69), Stephen Hudson (72); B Grade, Barry Hudson (69), Tony Waddington (70), Brad Reddan (70); C Grade, Lawrence Hiremi (67), John Mannix (68), Terry Forsyth (68). Best gross – sponsor, Brian Kesby – Sean McGill (72). 

Juniors, Nine-hole Stroke – Matthew Bothma (35), Dominic Manning (42), Finn Darlison (44), Ty Swartz (46), William Springall (49), Nash Hoger (51).

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (45 players) – John Matson (38 points), Ryan O’Halloran (38), Sam Fichera (37).

Fourball Best Ball Matchplay Championship, semi-finals – sponsored by Michael Thomas, Zenfind Accounting – Barry Newton and Gary Martin beat Leeanne Ptak and Vicky Sheridan (1-up), Cathy Roberts and Robyn Muir beat Bob Lane and Terry Grogan (3&2).

Vets, Living Choice Classic, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsors, Living Choice and Perry and Oster – (46 players) – Julie Lewis and John Alsbury (44 points), David Munns and Peter Norris (43), Jo McDougall and Mal McDougall (41), Lesley Hart and Doug Hart (41).