From Tony Durkin
DRAPER WINS: During a top-flight tennis career that culminated in a world ranking of 42, Scott Draper beat some of the best players in the game including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker and Pat Rafter. Over the past weekend he beat a string of top-class golfers, including current Headland Champion Ben Duncombe and five-time Champion Adam Richards, to win the 2024 Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open at Headland, for the first time. Scott (Indooroopilly Golf Club), who won the NSW PGA Championship in 2007 with a score of 20 under, scored six-under 138 over the weekend to win by five strokes from Mitchell Salmond of Pacific Golf Club, with Ben Duncombe third. Ben (70, 75) was right in the contest on Sunday until he had two disastrous late holes, a double bogey at 16 followed by a triple at 17. Despite those two mishaps, which cost him five shots, Ben still finished one over for the 36 holes. Draper, who played as a professional golfer from 2005 to 2008 before a back injury ended his professional career, penned nine birdies and three bogeys over his two rounds, and said he was hugely impressed with the recent changes at Headland. “I have been coming here to this event for the past five years, and always enjoy the event,” he said. “The club has done a great job with the new bunkering, and the aesthetics of the course are terrific. I am a big fan.” NOTE: The 2024 Championship, again sponsored by Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers, had been postponed from the Easter weekend because of rain.
PROUD GAY: Not usually one to fight back after a disappointing start, Gay David was proud of the manner in which she did just that on Thursday. After wiping the par-four first hole – poor putting, she conceded – Gay then scored six bogeys and two pars to finish the front nine with plus four in the Women’s Singe Par event. “I had three plusses in succession after my wipe, and then added two more, at the sixth and ninth,” she enthusiastically declared. Although not quite as eye catching, the good form followed on her back nine, adding two plusses to eliminate one minus, and finish with an overall score of plus five, and victory in Division One. “I was feeling a little under the weather too, so beware the sick golfer,” said Gay, who joined Headland 24 years ago after falling in love with golf following a clinic hosted by former Head Pro, John Victorsen. The Women’s B Grade Match Play Champion in 2018, 24-handicapper Gay said Thursday’s two-stroke victory was her first in ‘about six months’. Marg White (plus 2) won Division Two and Colleen Sarquis (plus one) was victorious in Division Three.
REVERSED NINES: Denis Orr won Wednesday’s B Grade Mid-Week Medal with the equal best nett score in the field of 224, but the 2024 B Grade Match Play Champion was bemused, rather than excited. “I shot 44 on the front nine and parred the back, with a triple, two bogeys and two birdies on my card,” quipped Denis, who scored nett 67 from his 13 handicap to beat Peter Gablonksi on a countback. But despite his fluctuating scores, the former Maroochy State High Business Manager was just three shots away from equalling the best gross of the day – a 77 returned by four-marker Matt Fisher. A Headland member for three decades after moving from Gladstone in 1993, Denis took long service leave from the Department of Education before finally retiring in December two years ago, and now regularly plays Wednesdays and Saturdays. During that time, he has penned his best round – 76 – and as well as the B Grade Match Play, also won the B Grade nett in the recent Club Championships. “I hit my driver straight today, and reasonably long,” he explained in response to why he scored so well on Wednesday. Rob Van Delft (70 nett) won the A Grade Medal, and Archie Wilson (68) won C Grade.
SECRET GARDEN: Forget the walled, overgrown paradise in the Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s classic of the same name – 30-year Headland member Pam Andrews has a garden secret relating directly to golf. “I was weeding the garden a few weeks ago, and my back slipped out,” disclosed Pam, who scored 40 points to win Monday’s Vets Single Stableford for Women. Even though my back was still sore, a few days later I decided to have nine holes to test it, and surprise, surprise, I played really well. Obviously, the tenderness in my back is helping to eliminate some of those bad habits in my swing.” And on Monday, in her first competition round since becoming an octogenarian, Pam continued eradicating those swing issues when she scored three four-pointers and four three-pointers, to return the best score of the day by three points. “And had I been able to chip, I could have scored anything,” chirped an excited Pam, who revealed that she parred the par-five 15th for the very first time in three decades. Wayne Chugg (38 points) won Division One Men, while Peter Barbour (39) won Division Two.
PARTY TIME: David O’Mahoney won Thursday’s Single Stableford for Men – his first victory in four years – and left the course immediately after his round to celebrate the third birthday of his granddaughter Phoebe, with fish and chips. “She has me wrapped around her little finger,” confessed David, who had two other reasons to celebrate his rare win. “I have just retired after 38 years as a Paramedic, and I turned 62 yesterday,” he revealed after his 37 points was the best in a big field of 95 Thursday golfers, conferring him a very tidy $130. But while the score was nothing fancy, David was excited in the knowledge that his game was ‘turning the corner’. “Because of a deteriorating short game, my handicap has slipped from 14 to 18 in the past five months. But I watched a five-minute video on YouTube recently and the tips are starting to work,” he said. David started on the tenth with a double bogey, but scored three bogeys and five successive pars to turn with 22 points. A Headland member shortly after he arrived from England in 2008, David spent 22 years as a Paramedic in London and 16 years on the Sunshine Coast, at Caloundra and then Nambour.
VICKY’S SIXTH: She may have tabled her sixth victory of the year, but Vicky Sheridan’s win on Saturday has ended a three-month spell of ‘very average scores’. “It is easily the best golf I have played since I won earlier in the month, which broke a long dry spell,” she revealed after scoring 40 points to lead in the Medley Stableford field. “There were a few contributing factors, and one of those was a fast round.” Because of the Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open Championship over the weekend, players in the overflow teed off early, with Vicky’s tee time 7.30am. “I am a quick player, so not having to wait on any shots was great,” she said after hitting nine greens in regulation, for eight pars and a birdie. “And my putting was better too, and that always helps the scoring.” The Sales Director of My Weekly Preview magazine was one of only five women in the Medley field.
THE RUNNER: Dry weather, and the effect it has on the course, really suits retired sparky Bob Hayward. “I don’t hit it very far these days, so the drier the course, the more run, and the better my scores seem to be,” said Bob after scoring 40 points to win Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men. A member of Headland’s famed Vollies group, Bob had six three-point holes, 10 twos and two singles on his card, with an impressive 21 points on the back nine. “It is my best round for a long while, and everything just seemed to come together for me,” he said. Bob, who was formerly a member at New Brighton and Riverlands in Sydney, moved to the Sunshine Coast with his wife Anne in 2006 and both joined Headland. But his golf, and his private life, are about to experience a big change. Bob will enter hospital in the next few weeks for radical new nerve surgery on both shoulders, which he hopes will only keep him sidelined for a month. And by then the couple will be hoping they can move into their new apartment, which has been on the drawing board for almost three years. “We have been living like golfing nomads for most of the past three years,” he said. Lynn Deacon (37 points) won Tuesday’s event for Women.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (29) – Pam Andrews (40 points), Jane Boaler (37), Di Stark (34).
Men (70 players) – Division One, Wayne Chugg (38), Bruce Reid (37), Brian Richards (36); Division Two, Peter Barbour (39), Col Williamson (39), Phil Kornmann (35).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (39 players) – Lynn Deacon (37 points), Marion Dennis (36), Mouna Humzy (36).
Men (70 players) – Bob Hayward (40 points), Harry Hulsman (39), Mal McDougall (38).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stroke (224 players) – Men, Mid-Week Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – A Grade, Rob Van Delft (70 nett), Ian Farrington (71), Chris Pace (73); B Grade, Denis Orr (67), Peter Gablonski (67), Gary Savill (69); C Grade, Archie Wilson (68), Simon Lowing (68), Don Follent (70). Best gross, Matt Fisher (77).
Thursday, Women, Single Par – sponsors, Leeanne Ptak, Cathy Roberts, Vicky Sheridan, Linda Cannon – (92 players) – Division One, Gay David (plus 5), Lee Boyle (+3), Gwen Nancarrow (+1); Division Two, Marg White (+2), Ree Condon (+1), Kathy Petrie (square); Division Three, Colleen Sarquis (+1), Barb Marrington (square), Helen Siddons (square).
Men, Single Stableford (95 players) – David O’Mahoney (37 points), John Marrington (37), Shaun Sigley (36).
Saturday, Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open Championship – sponsor, Justin Walsh, Walsh Consulting Engineers – round one (120 players) – Division One, Scott Draper (68), Ben Duncombe (70), Mitchell Salmond (71), Adam Richards (73); Division Two, Warren Sorby (76), Darren Macleod (78), Matt Prince (78), Ben Gamble (79); Division Three, Gary Savill (83), Burgess Stephenson (87), Nick Cox (88), Peter O’Brien (88).
Overflow, Medley Single Stableford (44 players) – Vicky Sheridan (40 points), Clint Adams (40), Ted Banaszczyk (38).
Sunday, Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open Championship – sponsor, Justin Walsh, Walsh Consulting Engineers – round two (112 players) – Division One, Scott Draper (68), Mitchell Salmond (72), Billy McDonnell (73), Ben Duncombe (75); Division Two, Darren Macleod (80), Mark Garcia (82), Darren Walters (82), N. Bilson (82); Division Three, Chris McArdle (80), Jay Gourlay (81), Jesse Jones (86), Hayden Walters (87).
Overall results – Champion, Scott Draper (68,70-138), runner-up, Mitchell Salmond (71,72-143); nett, Jamie Holbrook (141), runner-up, Kyle Fairweather (145).
Division Two (handicaps 7-13), gross, Darren MacLeod (78, 80-158), runner-up, Matt Prince (78,83–161); nett, Brad Downes (143), runner-up, Darren Walters (144).
Division Three (handicaps 14 plus), gross, Chris McArdle (89,80–169), runner-up, Jay Gourlay (89,81-170); nett, Walter Johnson (145), Gary Saville (45).
Junior Champion, Sam Fichera (168); Senior Champion, Antony Baker (158); runner-up, Darren MacLeod (158).
