From Tony Durkin
PATRON FORM: Continuing their recent run of good form, Robyn Muir and Barry Newton have combined to win Patron’s Day Mixed American Foursomes at Headland on Sunday. The victorious pairing, with a handicap of 10.125, scored 79 for a nett 68.875, with one birdie, nine pars, six bogeys and a double – from a three-putt – on their winning card. “We combined well, as always must be the case to win a Foursomes event. Robyn putted superbly,” said Barry, who revealed the winners had never previously played together. “We started on the 16th with a birdie, so our confidence was up from the get-go.” Runners-up, and sharing the best gross score of 77, were 2024 Mixed Champions Sharon Purnell and Adam Richards (70.25) with two birdies, nine pars and seven bogeys. And backing up her brilliant round from the previous day, Fiona Munro shared a 77 with Peter Perrett, for 70.625. They shot three birdies, eight pars and six bogeys, but were punished for a double at the par-four ninth. Club Patron Simon Whittle was extremely generous in his support of the annual event, with the victors each winning $150, second placegetters $100, third $80, fourth $60, fifth $40, sixth $30 and seventh $20. And ‘patron platters’ were also provided during the presentations. In wet and unusually cool October conditions, 54 pairs hit off in the event.
MAGIC MATT: Not only has Matt Fisher won his second Monthly Medal at Headland within four months, he has also returned the best gross in the field for the second time. Matt won Saturday’s Medal with one-over 73 from his handicap of four, giving him 69 nett and a one-shot victory over the consistent Barry Newton. And while it is not his best round on the course where he once played as a scratch marker – that was four-under 68 in a Sunday competition two years ago – the Palmview State Primary teacher was delighted with the effort. “It might be my last round of golf for a while,” said Matt, who enters hospital this week for surgery. “I’m not sure how long I could be out of action, so it was pleasing to finish – for a while anyway – with a good round.” With two birdies and 13 pars on his card, Matt lamented his two three-putt bogeys, particularly as he has been putting well of late. The victory added $155 to his House Account, and Matt thanked fellow A Grader Brian Kesby for the generous sponsorship of the best gross prize. Matt’s previous ‘double’ was in June when he shot 67 for 62 nett, on the shortened course. Tristan Scott (68 nett) won the B Grade Medal, Gary Jamieson (71) was best in C Grade and Lawrence Hiremi finished top of the Single Stableford competition, with 40 points.
FLOATING FIONA: Describing her golf on Saturday as akin an out-of-body experience, Fiona Munro has shattered her previous best score at Headland by three strokes. “Everything just worked. I have been hoping, and waiting, for this for a while now,” she said after winning both the gross (76) and nett (64) in Saturday’s Monthly Medal. A Headland member for eight years after ‘working her way north’ from Indooroopilly, Nudgee and Pelican Waters, Fiona said that while her recent form was okay, she had often been bombing out on one nine. “And even though I was just one over after 13 holes on Saturday and then had a bogey and a double, I finished with two pars and a birdie in my final four holes, which was very satisfying,” she beamed. Fiona penned four birdies on her Medal-round card – a rarity, she says – and as a result her new GA handicap is down to 8.2, just a shot away from her lowest mark. The former Pharmaceutical HR Manager, who was once B Grade Champion at Nudgee Golf Club, won Headland’s 2024 Women’s Open Day back in June, shooting 83.
FIRST MEDAL: Former Tax Accountant, Clive Glover, says being able to keep those ugly ‘eights, nines and tens’ off his card was the reason for his excellent score, and win, in Wednesday’s Monthly Medal. And not only was it Clive’s first Medal win in his six years as a Headland member, but 97 from his 33 handicap, for 64 nett, is his first-ever victory at the club. “I need to thank the really nice guys I played with, for helping me find my ball,” said Clive, who suffers from Macular Degeneration. “I have rejoined for the next 12 months, but my sight is worsening and that may be the end of me and golf.” But Clive intends making the best of what time he has left and wants to build on his exceptional round on Wednesday, which contained nothing worse than a double bogey, with just the one plus hole on a card that was eight under his handicap. Having spent a decade growing macadamias near Lismore after he finished his tax career, Clive moved to Buderim specifically to play golf at Headland. Col Thomas (69 nett) won the A Grade Medal and Peter Francis (66) saluted in B Grade.
PINGED OFF: Sharon Thomas was obviously thrilled when her husband Michael recently bought her a new set of Ping golf clubs. But when she failed to produce the form that last year won her every Headland Honour Board trophy on offer to female members, she became anxious. “I just couldn’t hit them, and discovered that the loft was incorrect,” Sharon explained after winning Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women. “Apart from the Women’s Foursomes Championship, this is my first win this year,” revealed Sharon, who has won 12 Headland Honour Board events. “But life gets in the way, and numerous personal issues have taken priority this past year.” Her 39 points on Tuesday, playing with a ‘great group of regular partners’, featured seven three-point holes from the white tees, and has whet her appetite for better things to come. “I was very happy with the result,” said Sharon, who was Women’s Club Champion last year after being a five-time runner-up.
DOCTORED CARD: GP Scott Masters, who specialises in Musculo-skeletal Medicine, says he would give up practising medicine and join the Seniors’ golf tour if he had an answer to a bizarre seven-day turnaround in his form. Scott became a Headland ‘pioneer’ when he won Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, the first time men were offered the opportunity to play Stableford on Mid-Week Medal Day. “I decided to take what might seem the easier option because the previous Wednesday I managed just 15 miserable points,” revealed the three-decade member. “The difference in my golf in a week was ridiculous, and I have no idea whatsoever how it happened.” Playing from the white tees, on a handicap of 15, Scott scored 44 points, with a birdie, nine pars and six bogeys on his card. His only mishap was a wipe at the par-four 12th, when he ‘visited’ the dam twice. And revealing that when he scored his last win – around 12 months ago – Scott said he also won the next week. “So, I’m looking forward to next Wednesday,” he jested. NOTE: The option of playing Stableford rather than Stroke on Mid-Week Medal Day was played for the first time on Wednesday, as a two-month trial.
HEART STARTER: Two years ago, Mark Ludbrooke learned he had been living for 61 years with a ‘dodgy’ valve in his heart, and had it replaced. Then, in June this year, Mark underwent open-heart surgery which – if his golf scores are an indication – has finally solved his problem. “I had a three-month break from golf, and have come back as good as gold,” he quipped, after winning Mondays’ Medley Single Stableford celebrating the King’s Birthday. “I was second two weeks earlier, so I seems the surgery has been successful in more ways than one.” Mark’s previous win was in October last year, 12 months after he had joined and, ironically, almost a year to the day of Monday’s victory. And the win came following an inglorious start – just one point after two holes. He then steadied, with nine three-point holes, to score 39 points and collect a handy $125 for his House Account. A keen kite surfer, recently-retired Mark lives at Bokarina Beach, and despite his lay-off from golf, has been able to slice three shots from his handicap in the past 12 months.
VIDEO PROOF: As a nine-season QCA umpire, Garry Holmes did not have the luxury of the video DRS (Decision Review System) used at the elite level of cricket. But a video of his golf swing, taken by a mate, has forced him to make a decision which he reckons has helped immensely. “I could not believe how ungainly my swing was, and how I was not turning my body through the stroke,” revealed Garry after winning Tuesday’s Single Stableford round, with 40 points. “The video was a real revelation and since I have viewed it, and worked on my swing, my game has improved.” The victory was his first since June last year when he scored his initial victory as a Headland member, after joining in April the previous year. Back then his handicap was 15 – on Tuesday he played off 17. “Without making excuses, I have been overseas on a trip, and recently had an issue with my shoulder. But obviously the biggest impediment was my out-of-sorts swing,” he said. Gary scored a birdie, five pars, two bogeys and two doubles in his winning round, and hopes it is the forerunner to better days.
BOB’S FIRST: After moving from Sydney almost four decades ago, Bob Lane bought a block of land adjoining Headland’s seventh fairway, and built a house. And on Saturday, 37 years after deciding to join Headland and start playing golf, Bob scored his first hole in one. For the 78-year-old former business owner, it was one of his great sporting thrills, even though he did not actually see the ball disappear in the hole. “I hit an eight-iron from the white tees. It landed on the right bank and rolled onto the green. But while I didn’t see it go in, I gathered by the cheering from the people on the verandah that it was an ace,” he said. Not only did Bob score five points on his Single Stableford card for the shot, he collected $30 for the ace, $31 for the NTP and a further $35 for finishing second in the Stableford field. “And, to top off a great day, I won $52 in Lotto on Saturday night,” he revealed. Bob, who now plays off a handicap of 24 but has been as low as 12, congratulated Headland management for introducing alternate Stableford competitions on Medal days. “I love my golf, but find it difficult, and sometimes embarrassing, playing from the Championship tees and occasionally holding up my playing partners,” he said. “I have played in the Stableford event for the past two weeks, and enjoyed my round so much more.”
FIRST FOR JOSH: Headland’s two-time Junior Champion, Josh Holbrook, has celebrated his first cut in a PGA Tour event. The final-year Caloundra Trainee Professional finished tied 48th in the CKB WA PGA Championship played at Kalgoorlie over the past four days, with scores of 68,73,78,73 but, more importantly, made his first cut after just his second attempt. His final score of 292 was four-over par. Josh’s next event will be the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club, from October 31. His first PGA Tour event foray was the PNG Open at Port Moresby in August, at which he celebrated his 21st birthday.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Medley Single Stableford (60 players) – Mark Ludbrooke (39), Wayne Taylor (38), Bruce Heseltine (37).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (43 players) – Sharon Thomas (39 points), Susan Stratford (38), Vicky Sheridan (37).
Men (68 players) – Garry Holmes (40 points), Sergio Nogarotto (39), Terry Lawlor (38).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stroke – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth, Men’s Mid-Week Medal – (142 players) – A Grade, Col Thomas (69 nett), Tony Pattinson (69), John Harris (69); B Grade, Peter Francis (66), Steve Rose (69), Scott Ingham (69); C Grade, Clive Glover (64), Simon Lowing (68), Jonny Clarke (69). Best gross, Brian Kesby (77).
Medley Single Stableford (54 players) – Scott Masters (44 points), Ross K Thompson (38), Terry Grogan (38).
Thursday, Women’s Monthly Medal – sponsor, Jodie McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – cancelled because of weather/course conditions.
Men, Single Stableford – cancelled because of weather/course conditions.
Saturday, Monthly Medal, Women – sponsor, Jodie McDonell, Century 21 on Duporth – (30 players) – Fiona Munro (64 nett), Trish Marsden (68), Kirsten Kaergaard (71); best gross – Fiona Munro (76).
Men, sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (179 players) – A Grade, Matt Fisher (69 nett), Barry Newton (70), Jeff Davis (71); B Grade, Tristan Scott (68), Mark Wittholz (69), Mick Kinnear (69); C Grade, Gary Jamieson (71), Skip Antony (71), Haenga Pirini (73); best gross – sponsor, Brian Kesby – Matt Fisher (73).
Single Stableford (43 players) – Lawrence Hiremi (40 points), Bob Lane (37), Lang Pryor (36).
Juniors, Nine-hole Fourball Best Ball Stroke, Finn Darlison and Peter Hall (38 nett), Finn Darlison and Nash Hoger (39), Dylan and Dominic Manning (42), Max Faulkner and Keaton Fox (44), Charlotte and Blake Rydwanski (45).
Sunday, Patron’s Day, Mixed American Foursomes – sponsor, Simon Whittle – (108 players) – Robyn Muir and Barry Newton (68.875 nett), Sharon Purnell and Adam Richards (70.25), Fiona Munro and Peter Perrett (70.625), Tracey O’Connor and Steve Rose (72.125), Kerry Longworth and John Robertson (74.625), Pik Chong and David Phillips (74.75), Lynn Deacon and Andrew Bint (74.875).
