From Tony Durkin
MIXED CHAMPIONS: In winning her eighth Headland Mixed Foursomes Championship on Saturday, the incomparable Josie Ryan will have her name added to the Headland Honour Board for the 56th time. A septuagenarian and grandmother of four, Josie teamed with new first-time dad Sean McGill to win the 36-hole event by a single shot from Vicky Sheridan and Adam Rydwanski, with Annabel Harris and Ben Duncombe two strokes further back. Josie and Sean led by four shots after the morning 18 holes, then struggled in the next nine with two doubles and three bogeys in their seven-over 43. But the pair fired on the back nine, canning three birdies coming home. The win was Josie’s eighth Mixed Championship, and her fourth title with Sean. She first won 24 years ago with David Baring, then in 2009 paired with teenager Ben Wedmaier before teaming with Sean in 2012, 2018, 2020 and now, 2025. She also won in 2015 and 2016, ironically with Adam Rydwanski who just fell short on Sunday alongside Vicky Sheridan after the pair had led by two shots at one stage during the afternoon round. Josie and Sean also returned the best 36-hole nett score – 144 – but competition rules stated they were unable to be awarded both events. The nett prize went to Margot Easton and Barry Hudson (145). Told last month she was in ‘partial remission’ from her two-year battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer, Josie felt ‘pretty good’ about the win. “I played okay, but Sean was fantastic. His short game was sensational,” she said. And Sean likewise lauded Josie, who had spent four hours in hospital on Friday receiving treatment for her cancer. “She is just so competitive. It is always such a pleasure to play with her,” he said.
TREVOR TERRIFIC: Enjoying a rum and coke a few hours after the golf round of his life, retired Radiographer and Practice Manager Trevor Gourlay was totally in awe of his Sunday golf. Trevor scored a phenomenal 46 points to win the Medley Single Stableford event, despite a wipe and a one-pointer on his card. “Just about everything went my way,” said a delighted Trevor, who has been a Headland member for 32 years. “That is easily my best-ever round. I reckon I might have had a score in the high 30s once or twice, maybe about 15 years ago.” Playing from a handicap of 29 from the white tees, Trevor’s impressive card revealed three four-point holes, seven threes and six twos. “I still can’t believe it,” he said. “In fact, many people at the club questioned whether it was my card, or Jay’s (his son, who played off 12 on Sunday, and finished fourth with 38 points).” But, as the putts rolled in, he said he knew it was his day. “On the 18th, my five iron ran through the bunker, finished a few metres form the pin, and I rolled in a birdie putt,” he confessed. And, to add to the best day of his golfing career, Trevor pocketed a handsome $110 for his victory.
UNHAPPY EEL: Still in ‘a world of hurt’ three days after Parramatta’s shellacking at the hands of the Storm in the first round of the NRL for 2025, Matt Prince found some solace with a ‘pretty solid’ round at Headland on Wednesday. The fanatical Eels supporter shot two-over 74 for 41 points in the Medley Single Stableford event, to return the best score in the field of 234 players, and win A Grade on a countback from Brendan Southey and Toby Zaremba. Ironically, Brendan is a fervent supporter of the Cowboys, who were also hammered in round one. But Matt put the footy distress behind him, and apart from a double bogey at the par-four third – after being just off the front of the green for two – his round was one of his best following a recent lean trot. He matched his two bogeys with two birdies, and scored 13 pars, coming home in one-under 35 on the back nine, for 22 points. “It was unexpected – a bit like an Eels’ win I suppose,” he jested. “But I have been working on my game, trying for more ball control rather than distance. And, if I find myself in trouble, my primary aim is to get the ball back in to play.” Peter O’Brien (37 points) won B Grade and Stuart Miles (39) beat home the C Grade field.
TRIPLE TREAT: When Catherine Peterson arrived at Headland on Thursday to play her March Monthly Medal round, she expected very little in the way of results. “I’d won on the previous two Tuesdays, so considered my luck had run out,” she recounted after returning the best Medal score, and winning B Grade with 69 nett. After more than 12 months in the golfing doldrums, Catherine said her current good form had come from nowhere, with 39 and 34 points respectively, to win the Tuesday Stableford events in successive weeks. “For no apparent reason, I am feeling relaxed out on the course, and not worrying about the result,” she quipped. A graduate from the original Headland the SWING group in 2013, former Phys Ed Teacher Catherine started on the front nine and fired three pars and six bogeys for a nett 32, but struggled early on the back nine. She started double bogey, double bogey, triple bogey, bogey, but held her game together with three pars and two bogeys though demanding holes 14 to 18. The Medal was Catherine’s third as a Headland member, but the first in a ‘long, long time’. Annabel Harris (86-74) returned the best gross and nett to win the A Grade Medal, Jenney Pirini (75) collected in C Grade, and Wendy Derrick (36 points) won the associated Single Stableford competition.
FIRST, AND BEST: Former chef, John Mannix, has scored his first win at Headland with his best round as a ‘serious’ 2½ year playing member. And he collected a handy purse of $105 for finishing atop the field of 78 with his 41 points in Saturday’s Overflow Medley Single Stableford. “It is my best round in about 30 years,” revealed the Head of Sales for a Brisbane-based food processing company Sugo tu. “I was Head Chef at Hope Island when I shot 77 around there back in the late 90s. Shortly after that, with the arrival of kids, I gave the game away until I joined Headland in 2016, but rarely played until 2022.” In those 30 months John has reduced his handicap from 24 to the 14 mark from which he played on Saturday, with nine pars – all three-pointers – on his card. And despite being a member at resort courses such as Hope Island and Bonville, where he previously worked, John is greatly-impressed with Headland. “I love the course. It is in mint condition and the staff does a great job,” he said. A regular Saturday player who also enjoys nine-holes early on Thursday mornings, John is planning to play more regularly in competitions.
COP THAT: While retired Police Officer Pete Dickens was rapt with his win in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men, and the resultant $70 added to his House Account, he was just as happy to see no double bogeys on his card. “Having a reasonably clean sheet is always satisfying,” he said after a birdie, seven pars and 10 bogeys gave him 39 points from his 12 handicap. “But the best thing was being back on the course after it had been closed for a few days because of Cyclone Alfred.” Pete putted well in his round of 81, one shot higher than his best round of 80 at Headland, which he has penned several times. A member since 2017 who started golf as a junior at Bankstown, Pete spent 26 years as a Police Officer at Caloundra before retiring. And now, apart from his two or three rounds of golf a week, he spends his spare time as a ‘dishy’, helping his son Ben at his Urban Lamb takeaway business at Buddina. Catherine Petersen, with 34 points, won the Women’s event for the second successive Tuesday.
BRIFFA VARIANCE: Husband-and-wife Headland regulars, Tony and Sue Briffa, both returned the equal best scores in their respective competitions on Thursday and, between them, had a total of $140 added to their House Accounts. Yet, because of an often-annoying edict in competition golf called the countback, Tony won $120, and Sue just $20. Tony scored 38 points to win the Men’s Single Stableford event, beating Les McClymont on a countback. Sue, on the other hand, scored 69 nett in the Women’s Monthly Medal, but was beaten on a countback in B Grade by Catherine Peterson, who won $60 – plus the Medal. Sue’s collect was $20. As unfortunate as the situation was for Sue, it proved true to the much-used maxim, ‘that’s golf’. NOTE: Tony finished second in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men, again with 38 points.
WOMEN’S PENNANT: Headland’s Weekend Women’s No 1 Pennant team has scored a strong 4-2 victory against Twin Waters in the third round of the 2025 Sunshine Coast and South Burnett District Women’s Pennant season. After a closely-fought 3½-2½ loss to Maroochy River at Maroochy River in round one, Headland hosted Twin Waters on Sunday and Narelle Hollowood (7&6), Cathy Roberts (7&5), Kate Wilkie (5&4) and Karen Wilson (4&2) scored convincing wins. Robyn Muir (3&2) and Carol Quin (3&2) were beaten. The previous week’s round two match against Twin Waters, at Twin, was cancelled because of Cyclone Alfred, and will now be played in April. On Tuesday, Mid-Week One scored a massive win, beating Peregian 6-nil at home. Team captain Kirsten Kaergaard scored her second successive big win, backing up her 4&3 victory against Maroochydore the previous week with a 7&5 thrashing of her Peregian opponent. Gwen Nancarrow won 5&3, Lisa Ramen 3&1 and Leeanne Ptak 2-up, while Helen Venter and Sue Briffa both scored 1-up victories. Mid-Week Two squared their match with visitors Caloundra, with Wendy Mosley (4&2), Sue Bolton (3&2) and Kath Barford (1-up) the victors, while Jenny Stokes (5&3), Ree Condon (5&4) and Carol Sinclair (2&1) tasted defeat.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (32 players) – Catherine Petersen (34 points), Robyn Muir (33), Janette Ritchie (32).
Men (57 players) – Pete Dickens (39), Tony Briffa (38), Peter Wark (37).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (234 players) – A Grade, Matt Prince (41 points), Brendan Southey (41), Toby Zaremba (41); B Grade, Peter O’Brien (37), Peter Leggo (37), Scott Simpson (37); C Grade, Stuart Miles (39), Steve Walters (38), Denis Clifford (38).
Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal – sponsor, Jodi McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – A Grade, Annabel Harris (74 nett), Narelle Hollowood (78), Colleen Berger (78); B Grade, Catherine Peterson (69), Sue Briffa (69), Debbie Bennetts (74); C Grade, Jenny Pirini (75), Jenny Stokes (76), Lyn Forbes (78). Best gross – Annabel Harris (78).
Single Stableford (37 players) – Wendy Derrick (36 points), Roz Brandt (33), Janette Ritchie (32).
Men, Single Stableford (90 players) – Tony Briffa (38 points), Les McClymont (38), Des McNee (37).
Saturday, 2025 Headland Mixed Foursomes Championship – sponsor, Eric and Tove Larsen, Cirlock (86 players) – 36-hole Champions, Josie Ryan and Sean McGill (160), Vicky Sheridan and Adam Rydwanski (161), Annabel Harris and Ben Duncombe (163); 36-hole nett, Margot Easton and Barry Hudson (145), Gwen Nancarrow and Scott Bromfield (147), Marg Smith and David Smith (148); 18-hole gross, morning, Sharon Purnell and Adam Richards (83); afternoon, Jenny Ingham and Darren MacLeod (85); 18-hole nett, morning, Narelle Hollowood and James Daniel (72); 18-hole nett, afternoon, Nicola Whitmore and Andy Whitmore (74).
Overflow, Medley Single Stableford (78 players) – John Mannix (41 points), Dan Diachkoff (40), Clint Adams (39).
Medley nine-hole Stableford (9 players) – Debbie Proud (21 points), Sam Schefe (17), Todd Petrie (17).
Juniors – Nine-hole Fourball Best Ball Stroke, Dominic Manning and Dylan Manning (38 nett), Max Faulkner and Matthew Bothma (38), Keaton Fox and Noah Sergeant (43), Nash Hoger and William Albury (47).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (82players) – Trevor Gourlay (46 points), Leon Faulkner (39), Reece Howell (39).
