From Tony Durkin
WHITE DECISION: Chris Goundrey was ‘slightly’ sledged by his mates on Saturday for playing from the white tees, but it proved to be a smart decision. “For me, on my GA handicap of 3.2, the variance was just one shot. But the difference in the distance was much greater,” revealed sparkie Chris, who won A Grade with 40 points. “Because of all the recent rain and the fact there was no run, I decided before we hit off that I would play from the whites. The guys had a slight dig at me, but I was okay with my decision.” Chris said he hit ‘lots of wedges’, which was evidenced by his five birdies and 10 pars, in his round of two-under 70. But, conceding he becomes very nervous closing out a good round, he became particularly anxious after successive bogeys at 14 and 15. However, he steadied with a par at the 16th from the 15th fairway, a superb birdie at 17 and a closing par, to score a rare recent win. A Headland junior playing off two as a 15-year-old, Chris gave the sport away for a dozen years before being cajoled back by good mate Glenn Kelly. “And suddenly, I fell back in love with golf,” he confessed. “But playing off such a low handicap, wins are always hard to come by.” Steve Rose, also with 40 points, won B Grade, Bradley Bacon (38) saluted in C Grade and Robyn Boreham (29) won the Women’s event.
EASTER BABY: Todd Petrie and his son Cory on Sunday teamed to win their first Fourball together, and in doing so celebrate the addition of another family member. On Easter Monday Cory’s partner Rhiannon gave birth to their second son, Jagar, with the FIFO miner home to celebrate the arrival. “So, we thought we would team up in the Fourball today, and hopefully make it a really special celebration if we could win,” said plumber Todd, a fanatical Eels’ NRL fan. And it was the new dad who starred in the victory, scoring 29 of the 44 winning points, including birdies at holes 11 and 13 on the way home. “He putted the lights out – his putting was amazing,” beamed the proud grandfather, who revealed it had been ‘a long, long while’ since either had scored a win. “Cory is home two weeks, and back at the mines for two weeks, so we don’t get too many opportunities to play together. This, today, was pretty special,” he said. NOTE: The father-and-son combination obviously still had plenty in the tank after their win. When HH contacted them on Sunday evening, they were at Maroochy River – with the family – playing mini golf.
JOSH FALTERS: Two-time Headland Junior Champion Josh Holbrook, who has won his Australian PGA Tour card for 2025-2026, was headed for another super Headland round on Saturday until he found trouble at the par-three 18th. Josh was sitting on five-under when he teed it up at the last, but took double bogey after over-shooting the green and leaving his ball ‘on the hill’. “My finish was no good,” said a dejected Josh, who has reverted his membership back to Headland after finishing his ‘time’ as a trainee at Caloundra at the end of last year. Even though he had scored five birdies and 12 pars until his problems at the last, Josh was still not happy with his round. “I could not hole a putt,” he lamented, even though he said the greens were in magnificent condition. “I just couldn’t read them.” His round of three-under 69, playing off a handicap of plus four, was the lowest of the day.
A CIVIL WIN: Quentin Poulsen was a tad embarrassed to admit he played from the red tees on Wednesday, but was not too uncomfortable to claim his best-ever front-nine score. “It might be shorter from the front tees, but in many respects it is a different golf course,” assessed the Civil Engineer, who is in the first group off the tee every Wednesday morning with three work colleagues. “We (Toby Zaremba, Ian Farrington, Anthony Larchin, and Quentin) started this routine back in the Covid days when working hours were very flexible, and have continued ever since. It has been terrific.” And terrific was his front nine on Wednesday – two-under 34 with three birdies and five pars, spoiled by a bogey at the ninth – for 24 points from his handicap of eight. While the back nine was not as flashy – three pars, two bogeys and two doubles – it finished in a blaze of glory with a birdie at the 18th. Quentin started golf as a junior in Emerald, then took it up seriously again when he moved to the Sunshine Coast after University, to start his working career with Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers, who last week sponsored the 2025 Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open Championships. “Juddy will tell you he taught me everything I know,” he jested. Quentin won A Grade with his 41 points, and collected $125 for his victory plus another $37 for NTP at the fifth. Recently butcher, Greg Wareham (37 points) won B Grade and Jack Daniels Sales Manager, Ben Itzstein (38), son of 38-year member Ross, won C Grade.
KEEPING FAITH: Despite his handicap ‘expanding’ from 20 to 24 since he joined Headland just on two years ago, Ben Faith continues to trust his decision to make golf his new sport. A cricketer for most of his life, Ben won Monday’s Medley Single Stableford with 38 points, adding to a Monthly Medal in June last year and victory with a paltry 32 points two weeks ago. “My form has been inconsistent, but considering I have no golfing background I’m fairly content with how things are progressing,” he said. But consistency was not an issue on the front nine on Easter Monday, with the former Maroochydore fast bowler penning eight consecutive two pointers before finishing with a four-point par at the ninth, for a return of 20 points. Although he described his putting as ‘poor’, Ben is confident his game can improve, especially after tips on the ‘little things’ in golf, from Head Pro Adam Norlander. And the Project Manager for a Civil Engineering company seemingly has an affinity with Monthly Medals. “I won my first Medal last year as a Provisional Member, and finished second in the April Medal earlier this month,” he confided.
THANKS TWIGGY: Adrian Goyne ‘dips his lid’ to mining multi-billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest for his victory in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men, and a collect of $80. A FIFO miner in the WA Pilbara region, Adrian is usually back home on the Sunshine Coast for one week in three, limiting his opportunity to play golf. But, thanks to the generous boss of Fortescue Metal Group, Adrian has been granted six months Primary Carer’s Leave now that his wife has returned to work following the birth of their second child. “So, I’m looking forward to at least three games a week while the kids are in day care,” he quipped after his 38 points gave him his first win since December last year. And it was his day-care responsibilities which forced Adrian to leave Headland early on Tuesday, thinking his score was not good enough to win the day. “I started well with three successive pars but, as is usually the case, I mixed some good with some bad. When I played good though, it was pretty good,” he said. A Headland member for two years after having not played golf for more than a decade, Adrian says his plan during his ‘free’ six months is to again pick the brain of Head Pro Adam Norlander. “I need some more lessons,” he said. With 35 points, Barb Marrington won the Women’s event on Tuesday.
THERE’S A WIL: She did not particularly care how she did it, or what her score was, Wil Sprake was just happy to win Thursday’s Single Stableford for Women. “It has been 18 months since my last win, so I was ready to take any score, under any conditions,” Wil reflected after her 36 points was the best in the small field of 23 players, radically reduced because of the weather and the heavy course conditions. “I have never previously won with 36 points, but I will most certainly take it.” Wil, whose GA handicap has drifted from 15.7 to her current mark of 18.5 in the past 12 months, concedes she has not been playing well, and not as often as she would like. And while she may have had five one-point holes on her card, there were no wipes, but five three-pointers and eight twos. “In those conditions, the only way to play is to focus on every shot as if it’s the only shot you are playing that day – and stay out of the bunkers. And, considering my recent form, I was very happy with the result,” she said. The difficult conditions were also reflected in the Men’s Division – Jonny Clarke winning with just 33 points.
VALE IAN McRAILD: Headland lost one its oldest and longest-serving members when Ian McRaild passed away on April 14, 10 days short of his 95th birthday. Ian, who joined Headland more than 65 years ago, played his last competition game in May last year, but continued to maintain his membership until his death. He was laid to rest at a private family ceremony on Thursday (April 24), ironically, his birthday. A carpenter/joiner on the Sunshine Coast before retirement, Ian was pre-deceased by his wife Jean in 2022, and leaves three children, sons Drew and Ross, and a daughter, Lyn. Headland’s official membership list reveals that Ian, along with John Edwards, Dr Gary Shaw, Amy Pincott and Simon Whittle, all joined on the first day of January, 1960. Ian had just moved up to the Sunshine Coast to join Jean, whom he met when she was visiting his hometown of Melbourne. Back in November 2022, Ian (handicap 33) came close to shooting his age, with his 43 Stableford points coming from a round of 98, seven more than his age at the time. And in January last year, again as a spritely 93-year-old, Ian was crowned Headland POPs’ Player of the Year for 2023, winning the Mick Driver Plate. It was the third time Ian had won the shield, having previously saluted in 2024 and 2019. Another piece of golfing glory at Headland, was his one and only hole-in-one. NOTE: Initially formed in 1973, POPs (Poor Old Pensioners) is a social group within the Headland membership, with members – who must be over 65 – playing nine-holes every Friday afternoon.
JUNIOR PENNANT: For the first time in many years, Headland has fielded three teams in the Sunshine Coast Junior Pennant competition, and on Sunday – in their first round – scored a win, a draw, and a loss. The No.1 Headland team, playing in Division Two, squared its match against Peregian (2-all), with Lewis Matheson thrashing his opponent 9&7, Sam Fichera and David Groom both halving their matches, and Seth Riley beaten one-down. The other Division two team thrashed new team Gunabul, 4-nil, with impressive victors Matthew Bothma (10&8), Finn Darlison (7&6), Max Faulkner (7&6) and Dom Manning (4&3). The Division Three team lost 3-1 to Woodford, with Peter Hall winning his match 4&3, but Nash Hoger (6&4), Keaton Fox (2-down) and Will Kisby (3&2) on the negative side of the result. Next Sunday Headland’s three teams will play at Noosa.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Medley Single Stableford (55 players) – Ben Faith (38 points), Brenton Liaropoulos (37), Michael McEwan (36).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (40 players) – Barb Marrington (35 points), Gwen Nancarrow (32), Jill Nixey (32).
Men (58 players) – Adrian Goyne (38), Dave Sims (37), Trevor Simpson (36).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor, Justin Scattini, Ord Minnet Private Health, Buderim – (227 players) – A Grade, Quentin Poulsen (41 points), Warren Chapman (40), Adrian Barr (39); B Grade, Greg Wareham (37), Gordon Russell (36), Johnny Clarke (36); C Grade, Ben Itzstein (38), Erik Larsen (36), Luke Fluerty (36).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsor, Sunlife – (23 players) – Wil Sprake (36 points), Mouna Humzy (34), Jill Nixey (34).
Men (16 players) – Jonny Clarke (33), Nicholas Benion (32), Mike Williams (32).
Friday, Diggers Trophy (course closed, no competition).
Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Alex Dwyer, Dwyer Quality Homes – Women (17 players) – Robyn Boreham (29 points), Naomi Doyle (28), Kirsten Kaergaard (28).
Men (172 players) – A Grade, Chris Goundrey (40 points), Tom Burnett (39), Will Millroy (38); B Grade, Steve Rose (40), Don Harris (37), Mark Ludbrooke (36); C Grade, Bradley Bacon (38), Wayne Harriott (37), Mark Dolan (37).
Sunday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsors, Bev and Ross Kelly, Sandra and Terry Murphy (60 players) – Todd Petrie and Cory Petrie (44 points), David Cekulis and Joe McGuirk (43), Peter Perrett and Doc Fleming (43).
