From Tony Durkin
PERSONAL BEST: Not only did Lachie Keenan shoot his PB at Headland on Saturday, but the 30-year-old Financial Planner won A Grade, collected $115 and played in the sponsor’s group, which meant he paid no comp fees, and was shouted beers and food afterwards. “But in all honestly, the best part of the day was winning the match play against Lachie Moffat and Alex Dwyer,” declared the victor, who partnered Brisbane visitor Alex Beaumont in the Men’s Single Stableford, sponsored by Lachie Moffat and his dad John, of Moffat Family Pharmacies. “We were six-down at the turn, and won at the last after Moff missed a vital putt.” Playing with a new set of Srixon irons fitted by Head Pro Adam Norlander – a gift for his 30th birthday – Lachie shot 77 for his first individual victory as a Headland member, after moving from Pelican Waters back in 2020. “Obviously, winning a comp for the first time at Headland is a thrill, but winning the matchplay side bet is always the victory the boys rate the most,” he said. Lachie’s only slip-up was a double bogey at the first, with a birdie, 12 pars and four bogeys contributing to his winning score of 42 points, the best in the field of 186. Lliam Molan (37 points) won B Grade, and Errol Greiner (39) won C Grade.
WAIT IS OVER: A relative newcomer to the Sunshine Coast, Bron Davis is no longer ‘waiting’ – for membership, or for a win. After being on the Headland wait list for more than two years, the former Melbourne Events Manager has now scored her first and second wins at her new club, both coming within two days. “Everything feels like it is finally starting to fall into place,” she said after her 37 points won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women, and two days later she backed up to score 41 points. But it has not been all plain sailing for Bron, who once ‘promised’ herself she would try to play three times a week. “I had a terrible round last Thursday week, but then played well in a social round on Sunday. That convinced me to bite the bullet and play in the competition on Tuesday,” she said. And buoyed by that win, Bron backed up on Thursday, returned her best-ever round, logged the winning score in Division Three – 41 points – and the highest in the Women’s big field of 93. Although conceding she is by no means a serious golfer, Bron did confess to being a YouTube golf student and believes her good scores this week may well be the product of her TV ‘lessons’. Kirsten Kaergaard won Division One on Thursday with 37 points, and Tracey O’Connor collected the spoils in Division Two, with 40 points.
IN A PICKLE: When he ended his 13-year career as a FIFO sparkie in October last year, Andrew Ebb was undecided about how he would spend his newly found spare time. “I have taken up Pickleball, and am really enjoying it,” Andrew revealed after winning his first event at Headland since July three years ago. “I wondered what I was going to do with myself in retirement, and was thinking I would be playing golf three or four times a week. But it’s now Pickleball three days a week, and golf on Wednesdays.” Andrew scored 40 points in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford to win A Grade, with his second nine – the front – a steady eight pars and a bogey, for 22 points. “I putted well on the renovated greens, which is probably a result of my early days on the sand greens back in Central Queensland,” he said. But Andrew reckoned his back nine of two birdies, three pars, two bogeys and two doubles was a more accurate reflection of his recent golf, which has been lacking consistency. Headland Men’s Captain Col Pledge returned from a week’s golf on the Gold Coast for 39 points and a win in B Grade, with Alan Reed (also 39) winning C Grade.
KANGAROO WIN: With a kangaroo as our emblem, it seems fitting that Headland Women have once again won the annual Kangaroo Challenge, played against Caloundra. Contested on a Fourball Match Play basis, Headland recaptured the trophy on Tuesday when three of the club’s five pairings saluted in the 51st playing of the event. Kate Wilkie paired with Debbie Bennetts and scored a 4&3 win, Leeanne Ptak and Odette Day won 3&2, and Kirsten Kaergaard and Jill Nixey beat their opposition, 2&1. The remaining pairs – Annabel Harris and Jan Langdon and Narelle Hollowood with Tracey O’Connor – were not required to finish their matches which were, at the time of Headland posting victory, closely contested. The Caloundra visitors commented favourably on the condition of Headland, despite the recent greens’ renovations.
HOW’S THAT: As a QCA umpire for almost a decade, Garry Holmes turned down many more appeals than he gave. But after a fruitful round at Headland on Thursday, he was certainly entitled to shout ‘how’s that’. Not only did Garry win the Single Stableford for Men with 39 points, but he snared the NTPs at both the eighth and 18th holes, for a cash bonanza of $108. And the former wicketkeeper reckoned the fact the wind blew strongly during his round had aided his score. “I have a really low ball flight, so on days like today the wind doesn’t knock mine down as much,” he said. “It’s a case of the field coming back to my level.” The 12 handicapper matched two birdies with two doubles, scoring seven pars and seven bogeys on the remaining 14 holes for a round of 81. But, regrettably for Garry, neither of his birdies came on his NTP holes.
COURSE SMASHED: Belying their handicaps, two Headland Vets absolutely obliterated the course on Monday. And one of them, retired doctor Janette Ritchie, was simply continuing her recent rich vein of form. Both Jannette and ex-Barbecues Galore Sunshine Coast king, Dave Ashwin, scored 45 points, and annihilated their respective fields. For Janette, it is her third visit to the dais this year and with previous scores of 39, 38 and 35 points compounding her 45 on Monday, her new GA handicap has shrunk to 32.7. “My goal is to get below 30 this year,” she said, after revealing that she has been practising her golf at home – on the tennis court. “I’ve been chipping over the nett, and hitting plastic balls against a retaining wall. And, it seems to be working.” Surprisingly, Janette had a wipe in that score, but her card was well fuelled by one five-point hole, three fours and six threes. For former Kawana Barbecues Galore store owner, Dave Ashwin, his 45 points had a negligible effect on his handicap. “An earlier 45-point round fell off,” he quipped, referring to another freakish round back in November. And like Janette, Dave has also had a golden run of late following a near-decade break from the game. Since his 45 points in November, Dave has had scores of 42 twice, and 39, but his eight pars, seven bogeys and three doubles on Wednesday rates alongside his most consistent golf since his return. “I holed some good putts, and chipped well,” he said, adding it was ‘a good day for a hacker’.
SHOULDER ARMS: Having not played regularly ‘for quite a while’ because of a new shoulder and some recent holidaying, Rod Hamilton admits to being surprised by his win in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men. “It was a fluke,” jibed the former eight handicapper who played from 20 on Tuesday, but is hopeful of getting back into the low teens. “I had a shoulder replacement last year, so the return to golf has been slow. But Tuesday’s win is a positive sign.” And Rod has had another distraction, with his long-time playing partner, Ray Dempsey, recently passing away. “I reckon we played together regularly for 25 years, and shared a cart for the past 20,” said Rod, who for many years served in the Pacific Islands as a Government Advisor. “Ray was 90, and he passed peacefully.” Rod still clearly remembers a day in October 2021 when he and Ray scored 50 points in a Fourball, with 11 three-point holes on their card. And although those imposing numbers were not the case on Tuesday, Rod still managed a four-point par at the 15th, and six threes in his winning score.
NICOLA AGAIN: Three weeks ago, when Nicola Whitmore won her third event for the year, she acknowledged she was starting to figure out the intricacies of golf. As a former tennis player, Nicola confessed she had been trying to hit the golf ball hard, as she had done on the tennis court. And her golfing education is apparently continuing, with the third-year Headland member winning her fourth event of the year, scoring 39 points in Saturday’s Single Stableford for Women. Playing from the red tees on her daily handicap of 26, Nicola penned two four-point holes, four threes and eight twos on her card, with a wipe at the 15th her only blemish. And, after starting on a handicap of 38 when she joined in 2023, her new GA is down to 21.7. To date in 2026 Nicola has had winning scores of 40 points, 39 and 37, with a Par Plus victory of plus three. And, she has also secured a second placing with 38 points. Nicola beat the also 2026 consistent Gwen Nancarrow, on a countback.
BIZZARE GOLF: Wayne Taylor does not consider himself any great whiz on the golf course, but he prides himself on being reasonably consistent most days. That’s why the expat Victorian, who has been a member for two years, cannot fathom his two rounds over the weekend, and particularly his two nines in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford. Playing from the white tees off a five handicap, Wayne shot four pars and five bogeys on the front nine to turn in 41, with just 16 points on his card. He then went birdie, birdie, par, birdie followed by five pars for 33 on the back, and 23 points, to finish with 39 points, and win the competition. That was on the back of 25 points, for 18 holes, a day earlier. “It has been bizarre, but at least today it felt good to finally hit it okay at the end.,” he said. Wayne, who played Pennants for Headland in his first year, concedes there is some work to be done. “Late last year my GA was two – it’s now 6.9,” he said. Sunday’s victory is the first individual win for the Cabinet Maker since he snared the final A Grade Medal of the year last November.
EAGLES NEST: Following a glut of eagles in January – at the rate of almost three a week – Headland’s February nest had remained almost empty until Saturday, the final day of the month. Eagles to former Club Champion Brian Kesby (at the par-five second) and Michael Zeckomske (tenth) during the Men’s Single Stableford upped the monthly number to four. Earlier big birds landed were an ace at the 14th by Rod J Berger on Sunday, February 8, and a three at the par-five tenth by Wayne West during his superb round of 69 two weeks ago. Rod’s hole-in-one was his third as a Headland member, and now just the par-three eighth awaits his skill. At the end of each month during 2026, HH will acknowledge all our eagle hunters for their special golfing feats.
SIMPLY THE BEST: For the third time this year Jack Hourn has shot the lowest round of the week to be named the STB winner. Playing off scratch in Saturday’s Men’s Single Stableford, Jack penned two-under 70 for 38 points, with six birdies and four bogeys on his card. He went out in 37, came home three-under the card, for 21 points. On Wednesday the FIFO worker fired a one-over 73, with four birdies. Each week in 2026, HH will name our ‘Simply the Best’ golfer, an ‘award’ introduced to recognise the club’s low-handicap members.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (34 players) – Janette Ritchie (45 points), Leigh Derigo (39), Stella Macklin (36).
Men (75 players) – Division One, Michael James (36 points), Dennis Taylor (35), Warren Selvage (35); Division Two, Dave Ashwin (45), David Parker (38), Jock McLaughlin (37); Division Three, Graham Pitt (37), Phil Martin (36), Robin Hardy (35).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (37 players) – Bron Davis (37 points), Trish Marshall (37), Lesley Wilson (36)
Men (52 players) – Rod Hamilton (38 points), Alnon Christian Paggabao (38), Justin Carroll (37).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (218 players) – A Grade, Andrew Ebb (40 points), Jarred Roker (39), Brenton Liaropoulos (38); B Grade, Col Pledge (39), Michael Phillips (38), Tony Mitchell (38); C Grade, Alan Reed (39), Karra Hoger (38), Graham Miller (38).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsors, Shirley Eggleton, Kaye Simmons and Libby Hall – (93 players) – Division One, Kirsten Kaergaard (37 points), Althea McLean (35), Jill Nixey (35); Division Two, Tracey O’Connor (40), Bev Kelly (39), Raewyn Bissett (37); Division Three, Bron Davis (40), Colleen Sarquis (38), Trish Marsden (37).
Men (53 players) – Garry Holmes (39 points), Mick Garske (38), Richard Mallinder (37).
Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsors, John and Lachie Moffatt, Moffat Family Pharmacies – Women (12 players) – Nicola Whitmore (39 points), Gwen Nancarrow (39), Sue Briffa (34).
Men (186 players) – A Grade, Lachine Keenan (42 points), Chris Goundrey (41), Andrew Hay (38); B Grade, Lliam Molan (37), John Cleary (36), Dennis Taylor (36); C Grade, Errol Greiner (39), Tony Briffa (39), Lachie Moffatt (38).
Juniors, Nine-hole Parent and Child Two-Ball Ambrose, Jack and Josh Lane (35), Matthew Bothma and Derek Woodin (36), Emme and Josh Coburn (37), Ziggy and Brad Williams (38), Isaac and Richard Stone (44), Leo and Julie Stone (46).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (22 players) – Wayne Taylor (39 points), Graham Smith 37), Ben Brown (36).
