From Tony Durkin
VICKY LEADS: For the first time in her five years as a Headland member, Vicky Sheridan will take a lead in to the second round of the Headland Women’s Championship. The Sales Director of My Weekly Preview magazine shot twin nines of 42 for a first-round 12-over 84 in the wet conditions on Saturday, to lead by a shot from Kate Wilkie (85), with former Champions Josie Ryan and Lisa Ramen three shots further back. “I was reasonably happy with my round, but there is definitely room for improvement,” said Vicky, who was suffering from a bout of the ‘flu. “A double bogey at my second hole was certainly not in the plans, but I kept my head down and played steadily for most of the round.” Vicky rolled in a rare birdie at the par-five 16th hole (the original 15th) to go with four pars, 11 bogeys and two doubles, and vowed to work on her putting before Thursday’s second round. “After all the rain we have had, the greens were very slow, and I didn’t adjust,” she lamented. Kate Wilkie (71) returned the best nett in A Grade, one better than Vicky. Two shots separate B Grade leaders Helen Fraser (96), Robyn Boreham (97) and Joy Murray (98), while Wendy Burnie (112) leads Ellen Bloxsome (113) and Ree Condon (115) in the C Grade Championship.
PIZZA VICTORY: Not only did Terry Ward win his first event at Headland on Saturday since an A Grade Monthly Medal 18 months ago, but he and playing partner Brad Downes also collected a pizza. “For the first time this year we managed to beat Matt Prince, so it was the first time in 2024 that he has had to cough up,” joked Terry following his 41 points to win the A Grade Medley Stableford. And despite finishing double bogey, bogey, Terry was chuffed with his round of 74, which started in dramatic fashion. “We teed off on 10, and I birdied the first two holes and lipped out for birdie at the 12th. And I was just two over the card before my final two-hole blunders,” he said. The Engineering Manager for Sunshine Coast district hospitals, Terry says his recent golfing drought is chiefly the result of a back issue, and on Saturday he experimented with a three-quarter swing. “I just went back a club, and it seemed to work a treat. Might be a lesson for lots of other old blokes will similar problems,” quipped the rising 62-year-old. Paul Morton (also 41 points) won B Grade, and Ben Reading (39) saluted in C Grade.
GOOD FORM: Kate Wilkie, who returned the second-best round in Saturday’s kick-off to the 2024 Headland Women’s Championship, took winning form in to the event after a victory at Nanango three days earlier. Competing in the second round of the nine-event Sunshine Coast and South Burnett District ‘Race to the Coast’ competition, Kate scored 39 points at Nanango Golf Club to win A grade by two points. She was accompanied to Nanango by four fellow Headland members – Narelle Hollowood, Rebecca Masters, Dianne Gilmour and Kirsten Kaergaard. Further rounds in the ‘Race to the Coast’ competition, which is sponsored by On-Course Golf, will be played at Beerwah (April 18), Woodford (May 15), Nambour (June 6), Cooroy (June 20), Gympie (July 17), Murgon (August 24) and Kingaroy (August 25).
WINNING ACE: Colleen Berger’s first thoughts when her ‘well-struck’ seven wood appeared to hit the green at the 11th (10A) hole on Thursday was ‘you beauty, that’s a unit’. But when she arrived at the green, her ball was nowhere to be seen and suddenly it was a case of ‘whoops, no I haven’t won a unit’. The usual search around the green was held and then, as a last resort, Colleen looked in the hole. “Seeing the ball at the bottom of the cup was a really fun experience,” beamed Colleen, who started her golf career at Headland when she joined 23 years ago. And not only was this her first hole in one, but her first five-point score in a Stableford event. Colleen started her round on the 10th, and with seven points after two holes she was well on her way to victory, which she achieved in the Single Stableford for Women with 35 points. “I felt like a bit of a cheat with five points on one hole so, really, I should have won. And even though it threatened to rain for most of the morning, I was determined I was going to finish my round,” she said. NOTE: Winning side bets for Women at Headland are calculated by the team scoring the most units, and hitting greens in regulation is rewarded with a bonus unit.
LESSON LEARNED: Chiropractor Mark Postles lobbed for golf on Wednesday having not picked up a club for almost two months. And he reckons his winning round of 40 points, which included a wipe, taught him a valuable golfing lesson. “One guy in our group had just bought a new club, someone else was experimenting with a new swing; and I just wanted to play golf again,” mused Mark, who had just returned from five weeks skiing in Colorado and Austria. “I knew I was underdone, but just wanted to relax and help my teammates in the Irish Foursomes event. Obviously, I need to play with that attitude more often.” Mark returned the best Single Stableford score of the day to win B Grade in the event, sponsored by The Happy Doctors group which named the day the Daniel Lane Memorial, in memory or their colleague and former member, who passed away last year. Mark had a four-point birdie and nine three-pointers on his card, and registered his third win for 2024. John Harris (39 points) won A Grade and Richard Ryan (34) won C Grade, while the ex-Maroochydore Cricket Club quartet of Paul Henricks, Tim Diedricks, Chris Pace and Jim Aspinwall, with 85 points, prevailed in the associated Irish Foursomes event. NOTE: Well regarded in his profession, Mark was guest speaker at Chiropractic conferences in London and Austria during his recent seven-week overseas sojourn.
DOUBLE HIT: Despite penning his second-best round as a Headland member on Thursday, Neil Oxley was filthy that a double-bogey had scarred a ‘pretty good’ card. After having five ‘tap-in’ putts during his round, Neil three-putted the par-four fifth hole (fourth on the original course) for a six, to sit beside 12 pars and five bogeys. “Yes, I was dirty with that. My first putt was like a shot out of a rifle,” he said. But his score of 39 points for his second win in a month was still satisfying for the 10-handciaper, who shot 76, one more than his best best-ever 75 for 40 points in early March. “My round was not spectacular, but very consistent. Keeping wipes and one-pointers off my card is my goal these days,” revealed the former champion tri-athlete. And Neil applauded the condition of the course on Thursday, congratulating the ground staff on their work. “To have the course in its current order, considering the massive amount rain we have had, is an amazing feat,” he praised. While Neil’s round, and 39 points, was the winner on the day, Assistant Pro Mitch Jacobson was the scene stealer. But again, a slip-up blemished a superb card. Playing off plus one, Mitch shot one-under 68 for 36 points, with two birdies, 15 pars and a bogey at 16.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford – Women (35 players) – Annabel Harris (31 points), Jenny Stokes (29), Cathy Roberts (29).
Men (100 players) – Neven Daniel (39), David Hannah (36), Alnon Paggabao (36).
Wednesday, Daniel Lane Memorial, Medley Single Stableford plus Irish Foursomes – sponsors, The Happy Doctors – (187 players) – A Grade, John Harris (39 points), Matt Fisher (38), Col Thomas (37); B Grade, Mark Postles (40), Michael Phillips (39), David W Smith (38); C Grade, Richard Ryan (34), Bernie Duncan (33), Max Maundrell (33).
Irish Foursomes – Paul Henricks, Tim Diedricks, Chris Pace and Jim Aspinwall (85 points).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsors Ali Lamond, Mary Dowling, Penny Cooper, Catherine Petersen, Ruth Broderick, Prue Byrnes, Julie Lewis, Lyn Keogh – (76 players) – A Grade, Colleen Berger (35 points), Robyn Boreham (35), Kerry Longworth (34); B Grade, Sue Keays (30), Ellen Bloxsome (30), Janelle Heaney (30); C Grade, Janette Ritchie (33), Helen Sedgman (31), Shirley Eggleton (29).
Men (74 players) – Neil Oxley (39), Mitch Jacobson (36), Lindsay Blair (36).
Saturday, Women’s 2024 Club Championship, Round One – sponsor, Jodie McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – (45 players) – A Grade, gross, Vicky Sheridan (84), Kate Wilkie (85), Josie Ryan (87), Lisa Ramen (87); nett, Kate Wilkie (71), Vicky Sheridan (72), Robyn Muir (74), Narelle Hollowood (74). B Grade, gross, Helen Fraser (96), Robyn Boreham (97), Joy Murray (98); nett, Joy Murray (69), Jenny Stokes (73), Helen Fraser (75). C Grade, gross, Wendy Burnie (112), Ellen Bloxsome (113), Ree Condon (115); nett, Wendy Burnie (81), Ellen Bloxsome (81), Ree Condon (85).
Medley Single Stableford – (167 players) – A Grade, Terry Ward (41 points), Scott Bromfield (39), Rob Van Delft (38); B Grade, Paul Morton (41), Doc Fleming (40), Ian Scobie (39); C Grade, Ben Reading (39), Ivan Fortmann (38), Phil Maron (27).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford – competition cancelled.
