From Tony Durkin 

OH BROTHER: When Paul Henricks was three under the card after 13 holes on Wednesday and facing a two-metre birdie putt, his thoughts turned to his older brother Mark.  “He shot two-under back in July, his best golf round, and I was keen to get him,” Paul confessed. “His score was most definitely in my thought process.” But despite winning the A Grade Medley Single Stableford with 40 points, Paul fell just short thought of the ‘family record’. After starting his round on the back nine, he turned two over following a birdie, a bogey and a double, then parred the first hole and birdied two, three and four, to be three under facing the two-metre birdie putt at the par-three fifth. “I missed that putt, hit it over the back of the green from 70 metres at the next and took bogey, then missed another gettable birdie at the seventh, and bogeyed the eighth. I finished one under on the front, for one over in my round.” It was not his best round at Headland for the talented sportsman, who owns Bowler’s Paradise at Mooloolaba Bowls Club. The former Sunshine Coast rep cricketer who has been captain of the Sunshine Coast Suns men’s rep bowls team for the past two years, has previously shot rounds of 72 and 71 in recent years. “I had my chances today, but Mark certainly remains in my sights,” he chirped. Terry Lawler (41 points) won B Grade while Duncan Watts, with a table-topping 42, won C Grade.

GUILTY VICTOR: Despite having her best round ‘in such a long time’, Marg Howard said he felt ‘terrible’ driving home after her outstanding victory on Thursday. “I just wish it had been a few weeks, or even months, later,” said the winner of Division Two in the Women’s Single Stableford event. Marg, you see, felt she was encroaching on the equally-impressive win by her husband Rob, who scored 42 points 10 days earlier for his first victory in – well, Rob could not remember how long ago that was. “I knew that the first thing he would ask me was how I had played, and I did not want to rain on his parade. But, as I expected, he was happy for me,” she conveyed. Not only did Marg inform Rob she had also won, but that she had outscored him – her 43 points coming from a card that revealed eight three-point holes and a four-point birdie at the par-four 11th. “Rob was very thrilled for me – I think,” quipped Marg, who added that the positive reaction from her fellow Headland members had exemplified the outstanding camaraderie she enjoyed so much at the club. “I played well, but I was surprised I stayed focused for so long.” Karen Wilson (38 points) won Division One, and Janette Mason (42) won Division Two.

ELECTRIFIED: Having been a plumber for most of his working life, Kevin George is accustomed to running water. And because he has also worked closely with sparkies, electricity has never concerned him either. So, on Thursday when an electrical storm hit Buderim as Kevin (handicap 18) was midway through his Stableford round, he was prepared to allow nature to take its course – that was until a siren sounded, ordering all golfers from the course. “I was filthy,” said Kevin who, after 11 holes, had already massed 29 points, and that score included a bogey and two doubles. He had ‘carved up’ the back nine, with seven pars, a birdie and a bogey for his first even-par nine-hole score at Headland. “I was in the zone, but maybe I was thinking of grander things when we turned, and then double bogeyed holes one and two,” he revealed. Naturally, Kevin was keen to continue his stellar round, and when the storm cleared and the competition continued, he parred the third hole, giving him 32 holes, with six still to play. “But the siren sounded again, and that was it for the day,” he said. NOTE: With his only blunder on the back nine, Kevin ‘just missed’ his par putt at the 17th, and then made a miraculous recovery to manage a point on the first after hitting his drive out of bounds.

TREASURE TOVE: “I never, ever win,” was how Tove Larsen reacted to her topping the leaderboard at Headland in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women. In fact Tove, who has been a member for 13 years, is not certain that the win may even be her first. “It was amazing, and the girls I played with were so supportive, and excited for me,” she said. “I can honestly say, I don’t know how that happened.” What did happen was that Tove, handicap 31, started on the back nine and shot the light out. And her score was an alliteration of the numbers two and three. She amassed 23 of her winning 40 points on the back, with progressive scores of 3,3,3,2,2,3,3,22. “Then I wiped the first hole, and thought ‘well that’s it, and I will probably score my usual 30 points,” she quipped. But Tove went on to add another 17, win the event by a point from Althea McLean, and add $40 to her House Account. But there was more. In a truly memorable day for the popular member, she collected the NTPs at both the fifth and eighth holes. “And my husband Erik, who is a great cook, made a beautiful pasta dinner to help me celebrate,” she revealed.

THE WOODIES: Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodford may well be Australia’s greatest tennis doubles combination but, after Sunday, Craig Firns and Victor Villanueva hold the Headland title. Both accomplished tennis players before joining Headland, Craig and Victor met for the first time before teeing off in the Medley Fourball Stableford and combining to score 48 points, and victory. “We were randomly matched, and did not know anything about each other,” said Craig, who was once the No.1 ranked junior tennis player in Western Australia. “But we complemented each other well, with Victor scoring two really important four pointers, including a par, with two shots, and the 15th.” Craig, who last won in October 12 months ago when he scored 41 points from his best-ever round of 79, also played his part, with seven three-pointers on the winning card. And 12-month member Victor, who played A Grade tennis in Sydney before moving north, was pressured in to sinking a bogey putt on the 18th hole to win Sunday’s event. “We were tied on 46 points with another group before teeing off at the last, and I told Victor he had to get his putt, which was worth two points. And he did,” said Craig.

WEEKLY RESULTS: 

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – sponsor, Living Choice – Women (24 players) – Julie Lewis (36 points), Margot Easton (35), Marg Smith (34).

Men (55 players) – Division One, Col Pledge (38), Nick Cox (38), Jim Saunderson (37); Division Two, Alan Reed (35), Chris Byrnes (34), John Marrington (34).  

Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (32 players) – Tove Larsen (40 points), Althea McLean (39), Kym Mason (37).

Men (69 players) – Jesse Archer (43), Bruce Livingston (41), Brad Williams (40). 

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (212 players) – A Grade, Paul Henricks (40 points), Wayne Taylor (39), Scott Ingham (39); B Grade, Terry Lawlor (41), Nick Cox (40), Graham Myers (40); C Grade, Duncan Watts (42), Errol Greiner (38), Lib Bonel (37). 

Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – (102 players) – Division One, Karen Wilson (38 points), Cathy Roberts (36), Liz Dunford (35); Division Two, Marg Howard (43), Linda Cannon (36), Sue Briffa (35); Division Three, Janette Mason (42), Sue Bolton (38), Susan Stratford (35).

Men (competition cancelled because of electrical storm).

Saturday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge – (competition postponed because of weather conditions).

Juniors – Nine-hole Stroke, Finn Darlison (41), Peter Hall (43), Dominic Manning (44).

Sunday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (62 players) – Craig Firns and Victor Villanueva (48 points), Ben Faith and Lincoln Palmer (46), Cooper Hulsman and Harry Hulsman (45).