From Tony Durkin
HANDICAP VICTORY: Friendship prevailed over family on Sunday when friends since pre-school, and current Rugby teammates Alex Dwyer and Lachie Moffat, won the final of Headland’s Fourball Best Ball Match Play Championship, an Honour Board event sponsored by Michael Thomas of Zenfind Accounting. The Maroochydore Rugby Union teammates beat the father-and-son combination of Neven and James Daniel 2&1, winning the honour on the second-last hole with a bogey. The match was close throughout, with Alex and Lachie winning the sixth hole, then losing the ninth to be again all-square. They then won hole 10B, gave the lead back at 14, but won the next two holes to snare the trophy which is in its fourth year of competition. In a jocular swipe at his partner, Lachie said he was particularly happy that Alex would finally have his name on the Headland Honour Board. “Mine is already there – I won the C Grade Championship last year,” he joked.
PROUD BEV: Winning her first Medley event at Headland and beating her husband Ross – as well as ‘all the other men’ – has capped off a successful and enjoyable recent period of golf for Bev Kelly. Bev scored 39 points to beat 62 others in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford, scoring five three-pointers and finishing her round with a birdie at the par-three 18th. “I usually don’t play the back nine very well, so it was good finishing with a birdie, and four points, to give me the winning points,” said 22-year member Bev. She and Ross again played the Wintersun Vets’ Carnival in North Queensland during August, and they teamed to win a Foursomes event at Proserpine. “That was my first win in quite a while,” she said.
CUNNING ROB: Headland Finance Director Rob Cunningham did not have to refer to a spreadsheet to calculate his winning score in Saturday’s Wood Duck Challenge – his 71 off the bat is his second-best score at the club. With minus seven in the Medley Single Stroke event, Rob was one of 18 players to beat their handicap and share in the bountiful prizemoney offered by sponsors James Kidd (EKO Finance) and Chris Klazema (Mod Bathrooms), with each winning $70. “I just hit ‘em straight, and putted well,” said the 65-year-old, who hit 14 of the 18 greens in regulation. Back in June Rob shot 68 at Headland, his best-ever round, with a birdie, 15 pars and two bogeys on his card. On Saturday it was two birdies, 12 pars and four bogeys. “I’m loving my golf, and loving my role as Finance Director,” said the obviously contented former banker.
SUPER SCORE: Liz Goodhew does not often play competition golf, which makes her round this past week all that more noteworthy. The former Sydney lawyer won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women with one of the most amazing scorecards viewed at Headland in recent times -43 points with five four-point holes and two wipes on her card. It may not have been as illustrious as that of Adam Richards, who penned nine birdies in his round of 60 a month earlier, but is something of which any club golfer can be mighty proud. “I don’t play a lot of competition golf, but on Tuesday, for some reason, I was relaxed,” explained Liz, who graduated from Swing in 2021. Her remarkable back nine of 25 points read – in Stableford points – 3,4,4,3,4,2,1,0,4. Liz won B Grade and Rebecca Masters (36 points) won A Grade.
NOT ‘A’ GRADE: Despite returning the best score of the day in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, Michael Thomas believes he should not have won A Grade. “I understand the club’s decision to spread the big fields evenly on a handicap basis, but I have always been of the belief only those with a single-figure handicap should be in A Grade,” said the 11 marker, who has been below 10 for most of his golfing career. But apart from his final six holes on Wednesday when he ‘wobbled a bit’ and had five bogeys and one par, the 2023 B Grade Match Play Champion certainly played like an A Grade golfer. He had three birdies, five pars and four bogeys on his card until the par-five 13th, and started his round with a bang – a birdie, five pars and a bogey in his first seven holes. And as well as collecting $100 for winning A Grade with 41 points, Michael also snared the Pro Pin at the 12th, for an additional $47.50, and ‘a good afternoon out’. Darcy Brown (39 points) won B Grade, Greg Smith (39) led in the C Grade field and Darcy Brown and Gary Marr (49) scored the most points in the associated Fourball.
SANDY PREDICTION: Sharing a cart with Sandy Jamieson on Tuesday, Peter Wood was buoyed by the pre-game prediction ‘you will win today’ from the Scotsman. “He told me ‘I always seem to play with the winner’,” revealed Peter, the long-retired IT business consultant who relocated to the Sunshine Coast from Sydney with his wife and fellow member, Sylvia. And Sandy was correct – Peter won the Men’s Single Stableford with 41 points, his second win since joining Headland 2½ years ago. “I started with three three-pointers in my first four holes, with the highlight of the round a four-point par at the tough 15th hole,” revealed Peter, a former member of Sydney’s Muirfield Golf Club.
A WIN, FINALLY: Headland’s most decorated golfer, Josie Ryan, has ended the longest drought of her glittering career – but not in the fashion most would probably expect. With her name on the Honour Board an incredible 38 times, Josie has endured major health issues for the past 12 months and, not unexpectantly, her golf has suffered. But she returned to the winning list on Thursday, teaming with ‘good mates’ Julie Halliday, Sandy Whittle and Colleen Berger to win the Women’s Ambrose with 59.25 nett. “We had a lot of fun, and as is usually the case in an Ambrose, it was a team effort,” said a jovial Josie, who revealed her golf had improved to a ‘reasonable’ standard in recent weeks. “We started brilliantly, with Sandy chipping in for birdie on two of the first four holes.” NOTE: Josie, who is being treated for Multiple myeloma, stressed she was extremely grateful to all the plasma and blood donors for her regular monthly infusions, which she hopes will soon kick her into remission.
JAMMO TOO: Ironically, another Leukaemia sufferer and Headland member, won on Thursday – and it was also in an Ambrose event. John Jamieson, affectionately known as ‘Jammo’, teamed with Graeme Warne and Hannah brothers, Peter and David, to lead in the 78-strong field contesting the Four-Man Ambrose. Jammo revealed his illness – Chronic lymphocytic leukemia – is a mild form, from which he has suffered for the past four years, and as a result has lost 10 kgs. “But I was very lucky to have access to a drug which became available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in September. It now costs $6.30 a month; previously it was $7000. Honestly, I now feel a million dollars,” he chirped. And in relation to his golf win – the team scored 51.375 nett to win by almost five shots – he said he was only included in the foursome for his handicap. “But I did sink a couple of putts,” revealed Jammo, who said it had been ‘a few years’ since his last trip to the victory dais.
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (55 players) – A Grade, Rebecca Masters (36 points), Vicky Sheridan (36), Kym Mason (34); B Grade, Liz Goodhew (43 points), Jane Boaler (39), Denise Hutchinson (37).
Men (65 players) – Peter Wood (41), Paul Stephens (38), Lindsay Blair (37).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (219 players) – sponsor, James Brownsworth, Innovative Planning Solutions – A Grade, Michael Thomas (41 points), Brendan Southey (40), Andrew Trenery (39); B Grade, Darcy Brown (39), Kate Wilkie (39), Mike Radmall (38); C Grade, Greg Smith (39), John Miller (39), Robert Gillespie (38). Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Darcy Brown and Gary Marr (48 points).
Thursday, Four-Person Ambrose – sponsor, Adam Norlander – Women (101 players) – Julie Halliday, Josie Ryan, Sandy Whittle and Colleen Berger (59.25 nett), Ruth Broderick, Vicky Maynard, Vicki Oxley and Marg Smith (59.875).
Men (78 players) – Graeme Warne, Peter Hannah, David Hannah and John Jamieson (51.375), Ian Moore, Barry Newton, Neil Oxley and Mick Kinnear (56.5), Robert Jones, Denis Orr, Bradley Bacon and Des McNee (56.875).
Saturday, Medley Single Stroke, Wood Duck Challenge – sponsors, James Kidd (EKO Finance) and Chris Klazema (Mod Bathrooms) – (243 players) – Rob Cunningham (minus 7), Barry Newton (-5), Andrew Nairne (-5), Syd Shilling (-4), Quentin Poulsen (-4), Aaron Shaw (-3), Robyn Boreham (-3), Mark Gersbach (-2), Geoff Bland (-2), Ian Moore (-2), John Kingston (-1), Kathy Atkins (-1), Peter McNeven (-1), Greg Smith (-1), Wayne West (-1), Bernie Duncan (-1), Brad Reed (- ), Tom Hewitt (-1).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (63 players) – Bev Kelly (39 points), Tony Kelleher (38), Gavin Tuck (37).
Fourball Best Ball Match Play Championship – sponsor Michael Thomas, Zenfind Accounting, final – Alex Dwyer and Lachie Moffat beat Neven Daniel and James Daniel (2&1).
