From Tony Durkin
SYD LIFTS LID: When HH contacted Syd Shilling on Sunday morning to discuss golf, the recently-retired business owner was taking part in a charity walk tagged ‘Lift the Lid’. But a day earlier, the 16-year Headland member lifted the lid on his second individual victory in ‘about a decade’. A regular Wednesday and Saturday golfer, usually in the same group as Club President Peter Raymond, Syd shot 85, seven better than his daily handicap of 20, to score 43 points, and win the C Grade Men’s Single Stableford on a countback from drinks cart chauffeur, Sam Henricks. He penned a four-point birdie, seven three-pointers, eight twos and two singles, with consistent nines of 21 and 22 points, respectively. “It was one of those days we have on the course when things went my way. The ball bounced away from the bunker when it looked like going in, and the putts that normally hit the edge of the cup and lip out, dropped in,” Syd summarised. Syd last won back in September last year, when he scored 40 points in a Sunday Medley event. Rhett Charlton won A Grade on Saturday with 40 points, and Don Caldwell (41) led in the B Grade field. NOTE: The ‘Lift the Lid’ walk is a national initiative, kicked of a decade ago by Mooloolaba Rotary Club, to raises awareness of youth mental illness across Australia. Just on $500,000 has been raised from the walks, and 40 Rotary clubs are now supporting the cause.
CLUBS FOR SALE: For the past four decades, Kathy Atkins says she has been playing golf under the misapprehension she needed 14 clubs in her bag. But after scoring 42 Stableford points in Thursday’s three-clubs-plus-putter event, the 1996 Headland Club Champion jokingly announced she has 11 clubs for sale. “Do we really need all those clubs in our bag,” Kathy quipped after shooting an 11-over round 83, playing the front nine twice on Thursday. She elected to play three-wood, six-iron and pitching wedge, and executed one of her best rounds in ages. Her remarkable card revealed a birdie, six pars, 10 bogeys and one double, and the final six holes read par, bogey, par, par, par, par. “I played very well, but the ‘hit and hope’ aspect of the renovated greens helped, and we did play from the yellow tees,” she said, somewhat deflecting from her excellent round. The highlight was being just four-over par the second time round, although she did concede the $85 winning prizemoney was a ‘nice bonus’. Bec Francis (39 points) returned the next-best score of the day, and won Division Two. NOTE: Kathy was at it again on Saturday, again scoring 42 points, and again winning the Women’s competition. But, three aspects of her round were different – she played from the red tees, off 20, rather than 17 from the yellows on Thursday; played the full-course 18 holes; and she estimates she used ‘six or seven’ (plus putter) of her permissible 14 clubs, rather than the three on Thursday. And, for the second time in 48 hours, Kathy scored four-over 40 on the front nine, this time for a remarkable 24 points.
BIRDIE, BIRDIE: Warren Chapman and Brendan Southey finished Wednesday’s Medley Two-Person Ambrose with successive birdies, to beat regular mid-week playing partners Barry Newton and Bevan Horsnell by a stroke. “And we gave them a bit of stick after we finished too,” quipped Warren, who said he and Brendan shared the glory on the day. Playing the front nine twice because of current green renovations, the Wednesday afternoon ‘regulars’ penned five birdies without a bogey, scoring 62.25 nett. “We played as good as each other and teamed well, which is always handy in an Ambrose,” Warren revealed. “And finally, with some sand on them, the Headland greens were forgiving.”
NO STAR JUMPS: She was delighted with her winning score, thrilled at beating the men and chuffed that she had no ‘star jumps’ on her card. But Anne Callanan was disappointed her 41 points in Tuesday’s Medley Single Stableford did not reduce her GA handicap. “I have had a couple of good scores lately, but not enough to affect my handicap,” revealed Anne, who is desperate to lower her mark from the current 20.7 to 18, giving her a shot on each hole. “My lowest handicap in recent years has been 16, but 18 would be satisfying.” Her 41 points on Tuesday, playing the back nine twice because of course renovations, is the second time she has returned the same score in two months. And her card revealed a consistent round of three pars, 12 bogeys and three doubles. But the highlight for her was that, on the second time around, she either equalled or bettered her earlier score. “Our group decided before we teed off that anyone who had a worse score on the second nine had to do 10 star jumps,” she revealed. “Luckily, my strategy worked and I was star-jump free.” Her second nine reaped 22 points after scoring 19 first time around.
EQUAL BEST: After almost a decade as a member, 17-handicapper Stephen Woolcott can now lay claim to shooting six-over par at Headland, albeit in two separate rounds. The ex-Canberra Public Servant shot three-over 39 on the front nine on Thursday on his way to his best-ever score of 44 points, to win the Men’s Single Stableford event. That is the same score he returned on the back nine in February last year when he scored 39 points to win a similar event. “It has taken a while, and although I have never put those low scores together in the one round, it felt good to equal my best-ever nine,” he said. Playing the front nine twice on Thursday, Stephen shot two birdies, seven pars and eight bogeys, with a wipe at the par-three fifth the second time around ruining what could have been an exceptional card. “I hit my drive at the first in the bunker, and thought ‘here we go again’. But I recovered with a bogey there, and then had four pars in a row,” he explained, conceding some ‘lucky’ putts had saved him several times. Stephen has recently recovered from torn shoulder tendons, and is back playing twice a week, with his confidence considerably boosted by Thursday’s superb round.
JOSIE’S MEDAL: Despite almost three years of chemotherapy, and deteriorating golf, Josie Ryan has won the over-70s ‘gong’ at the Australian Senior Amateur Championships on her 19th visit. Headland’s most-decorated golfer returned from the annual championships at Monash Country Club on Sydney’s northern beaches with her ‘surprise’ medal, adding to her major wins in 2003 and 2013 when she was crowned Australian Senior Women’s Champions, beating all comers. Her medal last week mirrored her triumph five years ago, in the 65 years division. “I was delighted to win this year specifically because three of my mates, and much better golfers, who played with me in the Trans-Tasman series in 2018, will turn 70 before next year’s titles,” she said. “So, with my deteriorating golf, this was basically my final chance.” Josie rated Monash the most difficult course she had played in any of the Senior Championships, and compared its layout to Headland. “It was presented in absolutely peak condition, the greens were very tricky, and a known defence,” she said. The 2026 Australian Senior Amateur will be held at Bribie Island.
ADAM FAILS: He was the absolute star of the show at Headland the previous weekend but, despite shooting five under par Adam Rydwanski was beaten into second place on Sunday. After winning the 36-hole Headland Match Play (Saturday) and teaming with his wife Emily to claim the Patron’s Trophy (Sunday), Adam fired seven birdies in his round of 67 in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford for 40 points, only to be beaten on a countback by 12-marker Dave Mansley. Notwithstanding a homeward nine of four-under 32 for 21 points Adam, playing off a handicap of plus one, was unable to hold off Dave who finished with 11 points in his final four holes, against Adam’s nine points. “I feel really bad about beating Adam, but that’s why we have handicaps,” said Dave, whose company Mooneys Insurance Brokers is a Headland sponsor. “I haven’t had a score over 36 points for a long time, so I’m happy with the way I played, and the result.”
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Medley Single Stableford (57 players) – Anne Callanan (41 points), Brian Balocca (40), Stewart Douglas (40).
Wednesday, Medley Two-Person Ambrose – (120 players) – Warren Chapman and Brendan Southey (62.25 nett), Barry Newton and Bevan Horsnell (63.25), Andrew Edwards and Lee Heyes (63.75).
Thursday, Women, Three-Clubs-and-Putter Single Stableford – sponsors, Rebecca Masters, Mouna Humzy and Di Gilmour (61 players) – Division One, Kathy Atkins (42 points), Debbie Bennetts (38), Di Gilmour (38); Division Two, Bec Francis (39), Pam Andrews (38), Roz Brandt (36).
Men, Single Stableford (48 players) – Stephen Woolcott (44 points), Peter Moodie (41), John Robertson (38).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (28 players) – Kathy Atkins (42 points), Jo McDougall (38), Lynn Deacon (38).
Men (183 players) – A Grade, Rhett Charlton (40 points), Geoff Sawyer (39), Brian Callaghan (39); B Grade, Don Caldwell (41), Paul Clarke (40), Patrick Walsh (39); C Grade, Syd Shilling (43), Sam Henricks (43), David Ashwin (42).
Juniors – Six-hole Stroke, Matthew Bothma (26 nett), Finn Darlison (29), Max Faulkner (31), Nash Hoger (37), Emme Coburn (43), Isaac Stone (49).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (57 players) – Dave Mansley (40 points), Adam Rydwanski (40), Mitch McFarland (40).
