From Tony Durkin
BRILLIANT WIN: Lyn Mansfield, who teamed with rookie Carolyn Fisher to street the big field by three points in Saturday’s Patron’s Day, has described the four-plus hours on the course as the best experience of her golfing life. “It was absolutely brilliant, and great fun,” gushed a stunned Lyn, who scored two five-point birdies in the team’s Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford score of 49 points. The pair blitzed the front with 27 points – Lyn contributing 22, highlighted by two five-point birdies, which included a 13cm NTP at the par-three eighth. But not to be outdone, Carolyn stormed home on the back with 15 points, adding her own five-point birdie at the par-three 14th. The good friends conceded their respective handicaps of 39 (Lyn) and 42 (Carolyn) had come in handy, but were totally besotted with the victory in such a big field (224), and in such a prestigious competition. “We realised it was a good score, but with so many players we weren’t sure if 49 points would be enough,” said Lyn, who joined Headland four years ago when she and her husband Leigh moved from Tasmania to retire. “It was a longish wait in the clubhouse until the final groups finished.” Carolyn, who is a provisional member, works fulltime in childcare and two weekends earlier ran the Sunshine Coast Marathon, recently decided to take up golf while ‘working towards retirement’. “But I love it so much, I’m now playing as often as I can,” said Carolyn whose husband Andrew and son Sam are also Headland members.
GIRLS’ WEEKEND: Lyn and Carolyn were not the only women members of Headland celebrating over the weekend. On Saturday, Margie White aced the par-three 14th, to score her fifth hole in one, and her third at Headland. And on Sunday, Nicola Whitmore and Laura Mason-Baierl progressed to the semi-finals of the Honour Board Fourball Best Ball Matchplay, beating their male opponents 4&2 after finishing the match at the 16th hole. But their adversaries were not just any opposition – Nicola helped dispose of her husband Andrew, and their close family friend, Darcy Brown. “Andy was obviously disappointed, but I think he was pleased for us,” said Nicola, who stressed that the larger handicap of the winners had been an advantage. “We have each only been playing golf for around three years, and even though we are both capable players, we can make a lot of errors.” Other teams to go through to next Sunday’s semi-finals are David W Smith and Bruce Reid, who beat Matt Fisher and Greg Stray (2&1) and Emmet Walsh and Kade Johnstone, who hammered Denis Orr and Steve Walters (7&6), while the impressive run of defending champions Robyn Muir and Cathy Roberts has come to an end, beaten 3&1 by Quentin Poulsen and Anthony Larchin.
POINTS GALORE: Former Kawana Barbecues Galore store owner, Dave Ashwin, has returned to Headland following a near-decade break, and scored a copious number of points coming home to win Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford. A member, and ex-sponsor, since 1996, Dave took a break from the game for nine years because of a combination of work commitments, a quadruple heart bypass and a dislocated elbow. “But I’m back now,” he chirped after scoring a phenomenal 27 points on his second nine on Wednesday, for a total of 42, the best of the day and a win in C Grade. “I had a super day, although my first nine (he started on hole 10) was not that great.” A five-point birdie at the par-three fifth was the scoring highlight, while pars at two of the par fives garnered him four pointers on a card which also revealed three wipes. Now retired, Dave – who once played off 14 and his current GA handicap is 31.8 – has been playing twice a week since he returned to golf back in March. A Beerwah member, Michael Warner, won A Grade with 39 points, the same score Mark Ludbrooke returned for his win in B Grade.
DELIGHTED ANNE: Feeling glum following almost 12 months of ‘very average’ golf, Anne Callanan decided to take a break from practising. And although most experts would more than likely suggest that was a negative reaction, Anne reckoned it has worked for her following a smashing win at Headland on Thursday. The 36-year member, who spent 12 years in the prestigious position as Executive Assistant to Maurice Holland at the elite Hyatt Coolum Resort, scored 41 points to win Division One in the Women’s Single Stableford event, scorching the field of 85 by three points. “I think that is the first time I have scored more than 40 points in a competition,” said a delighted Anne, who penned eight three-point holes and seven twos on her card. “I still had three shots in a bunker, lost a ball in the water and three-putted my first two holes, so I’m prepared to say I had a beautiful win.” Jenny Campbell (38 points) won Division Two and Leigh Derigo (36) won Division Three.
GOLF RESPONSE: It may not have changed the result of a loss four days earlier, but Gary Martin said winning Thursday’s Single Stableford for Men was ‘most enjoyable’. Beaten in the quarter-final of the Fourball Best Ball Match Play Championship, Gary (40 points) and playing partner Fred Muller (36) performed much better on Thursday. “We could not do a thing right on Sunday,” said Gary after he and Fred were beaten 5&4 by Denis Orr and Steve Walters in the Honour Board even. “But even though that was disappointing, it was nice to be able to put a good score together, finally.” Gary, whose business Direct Line Timbers is a club sponsor, says that while he does not keep tabs on when he last won, ‘it has been a long, long time’. He penned 88 from his 20 handicap, with a birdie at the par-four 11th garnering him four points, alongside his four three-pointers, which helped him reap 22 points on the back nine.
‘FUN’ GOLF: Club Champion Ben Duncombe (handicap plus 2) shot one of his better rounds at Headland on Tuesday – four-under 68 – and described the experience as ‘good fun’. The ‘fun’ ingredient came from the fact Ben played from the white tees – 395 metres shorter in distance than the black tees, from which he won the 2024 Club Championship. But, while conceding the course was ‘easier’ from the shorter distance, he said it was not as easy for him as some members might believe, and he needed to carefully strategise numerous shots. “A few holes are more difficult because the tee shot from the front tees needs a re-think,” he said. “At the second, for instance, the tee shot is much tighter for me. If I am too far down the right side with driver, my second shot is blocked. And the drive at the fourth, from the white tees, is really tight.” But, as indicated by his score, Ben had a day out, with five birdies, 12 pars and just the one blemish on his card – a bogey at the par-five second. He started on the tenth and by the 16th was already four under the card. And most importantly for Ben, who now works occasionally in the Pro Shop, the $85 for the victory was a handy earn.
KNEES UP: It was a case of ‘knees up’ for Lesley Wilson on Tuesday, celebrating her first golfing victory in more than five years. Lesley, a graduate of the 2016 SWING program, scored 40 points in the Women’s Stableford to beat club sponsor Narelle Hollowood (Skirt Sports) on a countback. And she is convinced her much-improved form has resulted from the replacement of both knees last year. “I had a year off following my surgery, and am playing much better since I returned,” she said. “My friends are also telling me my golf has improved, so maybe the shaky knees were the problem.” Lesley is back to playing twice a week since her return to golf in January, and Tuesday’s winning score could have been even better had it not been for two wipes on her card. However, she compensated for that with two four-point holes and five three pointers. Interestingly, Lesley was not tempted to take up golf until later in life despite the fact her parents – Peter and Isobel Wilson – were foundation members of Caloundra Golf Club.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (30 players), Valerie O’Brien (36 points), Di Stark (33), Sue Briffa (33).
Men (76 players), Division One, Jock McLaughlin (34 points), Roger Bryce (34), Bruce Reid (34); Division Two, Ross Itzstein (35), Terry Lawlor (34), Brian Hills (34); Division Three, Phil Martin (38), Steve Nash (35), Perter McMillan (35).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (49 players), Lesley Wilson (40 points), Narelle Hollowood (40), Lynn Deacon (39).
Men (64 players) – Ben Duncombe (38 points), Steve Walters (38), Graeme Warne (37).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor, Daniel Harding, Max Contact – (233 players) – A Grade, Michael Warner (39 points), Justin Scattini (39), Toby Zaremba (39); B Grade, Mark Ludbrooke (39), David Richards (38), Barry Potter (38); C Grade, Dave Ashwin (42), Peter Wood (41), Malcolm Valderrama (40).
Thursday, Women, Molly Dookers’ Day – sponsors, Althea McLean, Jan Langdon, Carol Quin and Sue Wake – (85 players) – Division One, Anne Callanan (41 points), Lisa Ramen (36), Monica Knowles (36); Division Two, Jenny Campbell (38), Sue Briffa (36), Sue Wake (35); Division Three, Leigh Derigo (36), Barb Marrington (36), Joy Logan (35).
Men, Single Stableford (84 players) – Gary Martin (40 points), Trevor Simpson (40), Kevin Howe (39).
Saturday, Future Fund Day, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsors, Jocelyn and Drew Walker and Phil and Mouna Humzy – (244 players) – Lyn Mansfield and Carolyn Fisher (49 points), Bob Trevor and Ross Itzstein (46), Sam Schefe and Damian Moelands (46), Dean Rae and Daniel Crabtree (46), Coralie Walsh and Don Follent (45).
Juniors, Nine-hole Stroke – Dominic Manning (39), Matthew Bothma (39), Max Faulkner (40), Dylan Manning (59), Emme Coburn (67).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (59 players) – Rod J Berger (40 points), Zach Williams (39), Jacob Mimnaw (38).
Fourball Best Ball Matchplay, sponsor Michael Thomas, Zenfind Accounting – quarter-finals, Laura Mason-Baierl and Nicola Whitmore beat Darcy Brown and Andrew Whitmore (4&2); David W Smith and Bruce Reid beat Matt Fisher and Greg Stray (2&1); Quentin Poulsen and Anthony Larchin beat Robyn Muir and Cathy Roberts (3&1); Emmet Walsh and Kade Johnstone beat Denis Orr and Steve Walters (7&6).
