From Tony Durkin
WOMEN’S MATCHPLAY: Lisa Ramen has defied an elbow injury to win her second successive Headland Women’s Matchplay Championship, and capture her first Club Champion-Matchplay Champion double. Lisa, struck down by the mystery ailment during the week, was in obvious pain throughout the final on Saturday, eventually beating Kate Wilkie 4&3 after the pair halved holes 14 and 15 with pars. “Lisa was very brave. It was obvious she could not follow through properly, but her abbreviated swing was still effective,” said HH on-round ‘reporter’, Josie Ryan. Lisa won the opening hole with par, and was never headed despite Kate being up for the fight. After a tight early hole-by-hole tussle, Lisa turned 2-up after nine, then led 3-up after 13 and held on for a brave victory. “Kate was her own worst enemy,” said Josie. “Her putter let her down, and even Lisa conceded Kate had keen ‘kind’ to her on the day.” Lisa, who injured her left elbow while practising during the week, admitted she was somewhat fortunate to get the job done. “I was full of drugs, and I struggled, particularly hitting the driver. But I was pleased to finally win the Matchplay,” she said. The Championship gives Lisa her 12th Honour Board entry. In B Grade, after a tight struggle, the usually steady Gwen Nancarrow three-putted both 16 and 17 to hand Jenny Ingham a one stroke lead, which then converted to victory by parring the par-three 18th. The win handed Jenny her third Headland Championship. And in C Grade it was the long-hitting former Pelican Waters member, Debbie Bennetts, who prevailed, thrashing Sue Briffa 6&5. The Women’s Matchplay Championships were sponsored by club member Dave Talbot, of iPlumb Australia, who lives adjacent to the women’s tee on the seventh fairway.
FLYING HIGH: Air Force Engineer Dennis Mikolic has endured some unexplained turbulence on the golf course in recent times, but after a win on Saturday hopes his absent form has returned. “Everything – my driver, my chipping, my putting – was just that little bit better today,” said Dennis after his 41 points won Saturday’s A Grade Single Stableford. “My driver, in particular, has been off for a while, so hopefully that round is the start of better things to come.” And it was an impressive round from the 10-handicapper, who broke 80 (77) for the first time since a round at Caloundra several months earlier. He carded a birdie at nine, 12 pars, four bogeys and a lone double for his first win in 12 months following what was a memorable introduction to Headland. Dennis joined in 2016 and within his first four years won five Monthly Medals/Mugs, as well as the 2019 Gold Mug. “I’m not sure why, but since Covid my form has dropped. I’m only playing once a week, but looking forward to more golf,” he said after revealing he was soon to retire. Mark Dolan (40 points) won B Grade, Mick Morris (39) won C Grade and Helen Fraser (35) won the Women’s event.
ECLECTIC WIN: With a well-planned day two attack, Leanne Ptak has emerged winner of the 2025 Headland Senior Eclectic, played on Monday and Tuesday of last week. Leeanne finished with an excellent overall score of 48 points, leading both the male and female fields by three Stableford points. “I worked really hard to better my one-point holes from day one,” revealed Leeanne, who tallied an impressive 39 points over the opening 18 holes, despite six one-pointers on her card. On day two she converted three of those holes into three pointers, one into a two and the other remained a one, delighting the 22 handicapper with a score of 35. “I played well on both days, and had really helpful support from my playing partners who realised I was well positioned for a good result,” she said. Leeanne won a golf bag as her prize, but is hopeful of ‘doing a deal’ with Head Pro Adam Norlander to add a nine-wood to her collection of Callaway Elyte clubs she bought earlier in the year. And the new clubs have certainly worked, despite Leeanne bowing out of the Women’s Matchplay in the semi-finals last weekend, beaten by Jenny Ingham. Narelle Hollowood was Women’s Division One Overall Eclectic winner with 45 points, while John Prosser (44) won Men’s Division One. Division Two winners were, respectively, Trish Arden (44) and Tim Nunan (46).
GET A GRIP: When Pro Shop Assistant Shane Muller handed Mark Postles his re-gripped clubs early on Wednesday morning, he quipped ‘they now have the magic touch’. And while Shane’s prediction was spot on, those sneaky millimetres between a successful and missed putt also helped Mark to his first win since April last year, and his second Medal as a Headland member. The eminent Sunshine Coast Chiropractor, whose business Coast Chiropractic is a new club sponsor, shot 86 from his handicap of 20, for nett 66 and the best score of the day in July’s Mid-Week Medal. “It seems that for the past few months every putt that looked like going in, missed by a millimetre. Today, they went in, and that makes all the difference,” mused Mark. “I have not been playing well lately and my handicap has expanded from 15 to 20, so to play much better was very satisfying.” Mark’s card revealed seven pars, eight bogeys and three doubles, the doubles resulting, he said, from those few ‘millimetre’ putts which did not drop. Lindsay Blair scored the rare gross/nett double of 77/68 to win A Grade, and Drew Walker (69) was the C Grade winner.
OBEDIENT WINNER: “She did exactly as she was told,” jested Jenny Ingham after she and partner Lyn Mansfield prevailed in Thursday’s Women’s Two-Ball Ambrose. In a big field of 110, Jenny (handicap 18) and Lyn (37) scored a very creditable nine-over 82 from their handicap of 13.75, to table 68.25 and win by a shot and a quarter. “It was a slow day, we were last in and had no idea we had played well enough to win. We were quite surprised, actually,” said Jenny, whose form over the past few weeks has improved markedly. “But Lyn was very receptive to some advice during the round, and she chipped and putted beautifully.” The victory was Lyn’s second as a Headland member, alongside her maiden victory in a Wednesday Medley event last year when, ironically, she won $115, the same as Thursday’s purse. And, as fate would have it, while Lyn and Jenny had never previously paired together, they did play in the same group when Lyn and her husband Leigh made their Headland debut four years ago after moving north from Tasmania. Sharon Thomas and Lisa Ramen, with three-over 76, returned the best gross.
EAGLE PROS: Two young Sunshine Coast professional golfers went eagle hunting at Headland on Wednesday, and found success. Returning from the Australasian PGA qualifying school at Victoria’s Moonah Links, Josh Holbrook (handicap plus 4) and Blaike Perkins (plus 6) rolled through Headland from the black tees with scores of 68 and 66 respectively. And although their professional status – and handicaps – prevented them from featuring in the Mid-Week Medal standings, both won some cash for their eagle exploits. Blaike collected $30 for eagles at holes two and 10, while Josh, a two-time Headland Junior Champion, pocketed $15 for his eagle at the sixth. Between them, the pair also snared eight birdies.
MAIDEN VICTIORY: A retired Pharmacist who now stocks shelves at his family business, has scored what he reckons is his first individual win as a decade-long Headland member. “I recall winning a Fourball event a few years ago, but I actually don’t think I have ever won anything else,” revealed Ian Lewellin after scoring 39 points, and a victory, in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford. The co-owner of Currimundi Whole of Life with his son Dean, Ian said the absence of wipes on is card was the difference between this, and recent rounds. He penned two four-point holes, four three pointers, seven twos and five singles, winning C Grade with the best score in the field of 103 players. A ‘newbie’ at golf when he joined Headland after moving from Victoria, Ian played cricket until his late 40s and says he still plays a mean cover drive. “Unfortunately, I now play them on the golf course,” he joked. Brett Stephenson (37 points) won A Grade and Jim Saunderson (36) won B Grade.
FOURBALL MATCHPLAY: When asked by HH if she and partner Robyn Muir would be defending their Fourball Matchplay Handicap Championship, Cathy Roberts quipped ‘you are kidding, aren’t you?’. Last year the dynamic duo became the first female pairing in the seven years of the Championship to win the Honour Board event, and will ‘absolutely’ be backing up again when the qualifying round is held next Saturday (July 26). “The date has been in our diary for 12 months,” a proud Cathy stressed. Sponsored since its inception by Michael Thomas of ZenFind Accounting, following Saturday’s qualifying round the knockout event will be played over four successive Sundays, with the final to be played on August 31. Inaugural winners of the popular event in 2018 were Mick Kinnear and Mick Kelsey, followed by the fathers-and-sons combinations of Matt and Jack Fisher (2019) and Anthony and Sam Fichera (2020). Then followed Geoff Bland and Dan Diachkoff (2021), Sergio Nogarotto and John Marrington (2022), Alex Dwyer and Lachie Moffatt (2023) and Cathy Roberts and Robyn Muir last year.
DINNER WINNER: Decade-long retired businessman, Patrick Carmody, decided to acknowledge those who support him with his winnings from Thursday’s Single Stableford for Men – the club, and his wife Gaye. “We had dinner at the club on Friday night,” was Patrick’s cheery reply as to how he would spend his $120 booty. A member for eight years following an absence from Caloundra Golf Club, Patrick scored 39 points in his first ‘decent’ round in ages. “Over the past four months my handicap has blown out from 21 to 27, for a few reasons,” he said. “My health is not the best, and I’m not sleeping well. But on Wednesday night I had a great sleep, so I will credit that as being the elixir.” And, he added, on Thursday he concentrated on ‘swinging, not hitting’. A four-point birdie at the tough par-four fourth hole was the highlight of his round, which also included five three-point holes and nine twos.
STILL HAPPY: Despite a tough past 12 months when his GA handicap has gradually crept out from nine to 14, Insurance Broker Dave Mansley says he has still been enjoying his golf. “Who wouldn’t enjoy playing at Headland,” quipped the 12-year member. “The course is challenging, and in magnificent condition, and the members, in general, are terrific people. This is a great club.” And for Dave, Headland became just that little more enjoyable on Sunday when his 39 points won the Medley Single Stableford. A club sponsor through his company Mooneys Insurance, Dave said his driver at last worked a treat in his mixed round of three birdies, eight pars, four bogeys, a double and two wipes. “At long last, I was happy with my round. Even the wipes were more a result of poor decisions, rather than bad golf,” he said. While Dave had a day out, runner-up Jason Childs – beaten on a countback – is starting to wonder what he needs to do to win on a Sunday. For the past three Sundays the seven-handicapper has finished third (40 points), second (39) and second (39).
MEN’S PENNANT: Headland scored three impressive wins in the 2025 Men’s Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse Pennant competition on Sunday, with two teams now into next Sunday’s semi-finals. A Grade scored an emphatic 5-2 victory over the strong Maroochy River at Caboolture, with 15-year Junior Champion, Sam Fichera, snaring his first top-grade Pennant victory, 3&2. Captain Sean McGill (2&1), Adam Richards (1-up), Glenn Walker (3&2) and Brenton Liaropoulos (1-up), were the other victors, while Shane Muller (4&2) and Jack Hourn (1-down) were beaten. Both the Masters (3½-2½) and B Grade (4½ -1½) teams registered wins over Peregian at Twin Waters, and will play semi-finals next Sunday at Tin Can Bay. For Masters, the Fourball teams led the way, with Mark Henricks and Col Pledge (4&3) and Peter Dunn and Wayne Cassidy (8&7), scoring strong wins. Rob Van Delft (5&4) also won, while Chris Pace squared his match, with Scott Bromfield and Wayne Taylor, both beaten 2&1.
No.1 B Grade player, Brendan Duncan, starred by putting his tee shot at the tough par-three 17th to within 30cms for a birdie and a 2&1 result; Damian Moelands (7&5), Steve Bell (4&2) and the Fourball pairing of Matt Hetherington and Sam Schefe (4&3) all won; but the other Fourball team of Brad Williams and Ryan Tomlinson lost 1-down, and James Daniel squared his match.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Headland Seniors Eclectic, day one – Women (54 players), Division One, Kirsten Kaergaard (39 points), Kathy Atkins (36); Division Two, Leigh Derigo (37), Lee Heseltine (34).
Men (71 players) – Division One, Jeff Jones (36), Steve Rose (36); Division Two, Ted Banaszczyk (37), Terry Lawlor (34).
Tuesday, Headland Seniors Eclectic, day two –– Women (54 players) – Division One, Libby Hall (37), Jill Nixey (35); Division Two, Denise Hutchinson (37), Shirley Eggleton (37).
Men (70 players) – Division One, Gary Savil (38 points), Steve Blampied (37); Division Two, Brett Beaumont (36), Dennis Schloss (36).
Overall Eclectic Winner, Leeanne Ptak (48 points).
Women, Division One, Narelle Hollowood (45 points), Rebecca Masters (44); Division Two, Trish Arden (44), Chrissy Eggins (44).
Men, Division One, John Prosser (44), Ross Kelly (43); Division Two, Tim Nunan (46), John Marrington (43).
Wednesday, Men’s Mid-Week Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (128 players) – A Grade, Lindsay Blair (68 nett), Rhett Charlton (70), Matt Hetherington (70); B Grade, Mark Postles (66), Brad Reddan (68), Mark Gersbach (70); C Grade, Drew Walker (69), Bill McKinstrey (72), Bob Lane (73). Best Gross, Lindsay Blair (77).
Medley Single Stableford (103 players) – A Grade, Brett Stephenson (37 points), Paul Clarke (36), George Stoufis (36), b Grade, Jim Saunderson (36), Gordon Russell (35), Graham Clarke (34); C Grade, Ian Llewellin (39), Phil Martin (37), Stu Ennever (35).
Thursday, Women, Two Ball Ambrose – sponsors, Di Molineux, Helen Martin, Bec Francis, Kathy Petrie, Wendy Burnie, Suzanne Pledge, Lee Heseltine and Deb Prince –– (110 players) – Jenny Ingham and Lyn Mansfield (68.25), Leeanne Ptak and Gwen Nancarrow (69.5), Catherine Petersen and Denise Hutchinson (69.5).
Men, Single Stableford (87 players) – Patrick Carmody (39 points), Wayne Hutcheson (38), Des McNee (38).
Saturday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor, Greg Edgar, Rapid Equipment Hire – Women (25 players) – Helen Fraser (35 points), Vicky Oxley (34), Monica Knowles (33).
Men (206 players) – A Grade, Dennis Mikolic (41 points), Brett Stephenson (40), Darren Macleod (38); B Grade, Mark Dolan (40), Kirk Hardy (39), David W Smith (38); C Grade, Mick Morris (39), Geoff Kimmitt (39), Leigh Mansfield (38)..
Women’s 2025 Match Play Championship – sponsor, Dave Talbot, iPlumb Australia – finals – A Grade, Lisa Ramen beat Kate Wilkie (4&3); B Grade, Jenny Ingham beat Nancarrow (1-up); C Grade, Debbie Bennetts beat Sue Briffa (6&5).
Juniors, Nine-hole Stroke, Matthew Bothma (44), Nash Hoger (46), William Springall (51), Noah Sergeant (59), Jasper Harding (60).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsors Ross and Bev Kelly and Terry and Sandra Murphy (47 players) – Dave Mansley (39 points), Jason Childs (39), Rob Cunningham (38).
