From Tony Durkin
CHAMP IS BACK: Two-time winner of Headland’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open, Scott Draper, is returning to defend his title over the coming Easter weekend. The former World No.42 tennis player, who is a member at Indooroopilly Golf Club, will be joined in the capacity field of 184 by his brother Mark (Keperra). Following three unsuccessful attempts, Scott (handicap plus five) won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025, and is the hot favourite to once again tame the tough Headland course after winning by four shots last year as the only player under par over the 36 holes. Forty clubs will be represented, with players coming from as far away as Melbourne, Sydney, Mackay, the Gold Coast and Brisbane, with 14 clubs from the Sunshine Coast district represented. Of the players entered, Just on 20 have a handicap of scratch or less, and they include five-time Headland Club Champion Dave Rattray (+2) who now plays out of Caboolture. Kingaroy legend Graham Hourn (+2) will join his sons Jack and Peter (both one handicappers) in the field, while Michael Lambert (+5) from the NSW Golf Club is the lowest handicapped player. Current Champion Adam Richards, past Champions Sean McGill and Adam Rydwanski, as well as the in-form Jack Hourn, will fly the flag as best chances for Headland. For the 27th successive year, the Championship will be sponsored by Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers.
NO DRAMA: “They said a sponsor couldn’t win his own event, but what was I supposed to do?” shrugged Nelson Valderrama after registering his first win as a Headland member. In fact, Nelson and his son Lachie almost quinellered Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, which was sponsored by their company, Absolute Building Solutions. Nelson scored a brilliant 45 points from his 14 handicap to win B Grade, while Lachie finished second in C Grade with 39 points. And between them they recouped $190 from their sponsorship pool. “My game clicked for a change,” assessed Nelson of his imposing card which disclosed a birdie, 11 pars and six bogeys, a gross score of 77, and nett 63 from the blue tees. “I have never won a comp at Headland before, and that is easily my best round, and my best score.” Before revamping his business on the Sunshine Coast in 2018 after leaving Canberra a decade earlier, Nelson had been a member of the Gold Creek Golf Club, but had taken a 14-year break from the game while his kids were at school, and playing junior sport. Headland Greenkeeper Ryan Sawell was also in fine touch on Wednesday, scoring 44 points to win C Grade, while Matt Prince won A Grade with 41 points. NOTE: Both Nelson and Lachie are Headland Corporate Members, after joining in 2022.
BIRDIE JUICE: Most Headland Women are conversant with the term ‘birdie juice’ – an alcoholic drink consumed on course by all four in the playing group following a birdie. And the winning team in Thursday’s Scrambled Ambrose, for Ovarian Cancer Charity Day, celebrated four times on their way to a gross score of three-under 70, for nett 60.625. “I can honestly say we all contributed,” declared Cathy Roberts whose team penned one bogey and 13 pars alongside their four birdies. Fellow team members were Jenny Ingham, Colleen Berger and Josie Ryan, and all four dropped a birdie putt, while Cathy – who had arrived back on the Sunshine Coast the night before after more than three months in Melbourne – revealed there were also a host of ‘wow, what about that?’ putts on their card. The victors won by two shots, collected $40 each and helped Headland women members contribute $3000-plus for Ovarian Cancer research. The event was named in honour of former member Lindy Gleeson, who passed away in 2010, just weeks before the first event, which she had helped organise. And ironically Josie Ryan, who has won almost every trophy available to Headland women, was a winner of the event for the first time on Thursday, and will now have her name engraved – with her fellow team members – on the seat adjacent to the eighth tee. The team of Huda Olsson, Annabel Harris, Narelle Hollowood and Natalie Pace (62.625) was runner-up.
SEAGULL VICTORY: Retired plasterer Les McClymont flippantly estimated his last win before Saturday may well have been back in the early 1970s. “Probably an A Grade rugby leaguer premiership with the Tweed Heads Seagulls,” the laid-back Les jested when asked by HH when his last win was. “But seriously, it is probably three years since I was last on the dais at Headland.” Les, who says age has caught up with him and he is losing ‘probably 50 metres from the tee’, scored 41 points from his 17 handicap to return the equal-best score in the big field of 231 in Saturday’s Single Stableford, and beat super shutter salesman Dave Mayes on a countback for the win in B Grade. It was a round of mixed fortunes for Les, with a birdie, eight pars, six bogeys, two doubles and a wipe, with 23 of his 41 points coming on the back nine. “And even though winning is less frequent, the enjoyment remains,” he said. “At least I’m getting out on the course, relaxing and having a good time. And right now, the course is in brilliant condition, which is an added bonus.” Wayne Bridgeman had three birdies in his round of 40 points to win A Grade, while the big-hitting Tony Vickers (also 40) won C Grade.
JUNIORS STAR: Six-handicapper Stewart Clover may have won Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford, but three Headland juniors were the shining stars of the afternoon. “And please give them a mention,” said Stewart when contacted by HH. “I played with a new member named Marnie Griffin, and I can vouch that she has a big future in the game,” said Stewart, who scored 41 points to beat reigning Headland Junior Girls Champion, Paige Prosser, on a countback in a healthy Sunday field of 71 players. Thirteen-year-old Paige equalled her PB at Headland with 86, and penned six three pointers, 11 twos and one single-point score on her card. And 10-year-old Blake Rydwanski, the son of multiple Headland Championship winner Adam, was another standout, breaking 100 for the first time, scoring 40 points and beating his dad in his proudest golfing moment. Blake finished third in the field while dad Adam, playing off plus one, finished back in 22nd place, despite parring the course.
A SCORE, FINALLY: “I’ve been hitting the ball okay, but not scoring,” said Pro Shop Manager Shane Muller after winning Tuesday’s Par Plus event with an excellent score of plus six. Usually, Shane jumps on the end of the field after working his shift in the Pro Shop, which he says is not always the ideal preparation for a round of golf. “It is what it is, and I’m not complaining. But it’s nice to know I can still get it done sometimes,” he said following his round of three-under 69, with an eagle and four birdies on his card. A trainee Pro 26 years ago, Shane recently realised that the testing Headland course, plus his admission of a lack of focus on the game, had combined for his highest GA handicap since his teenage years. “We played from the Championship tees on Saturday, and I had a five handicap on my card,” he said, noting that his current GA is 4.2. “That is not good.” Playing from the white tees on Tuesday, he played off a three handicap and was five under the card after his first five holes. “Hopefully I might have turned the corner,” he quipped. Ali Lamond, with minus one, was best in the women’s field.
CHILLED COACH: After five years coaching Rugby in Hong Kong, sexagenarian Justin Carroll has retired, returned home to the Sunshine Coast and is ‘chilling out’ playing golf at Headland. “I retired just three weeks ago,” Justin informed HH after winning Division One in Monday’s Vets. “I’ve been a member for six years, but only played here six weeks a year during the Rugby off-season.” That agenda has changed, and Justin – who scored 38 points on the ‘heavy’ course on Monday – now plans to get serious about his golf. Once a six marker at Brookwater, his current handicap goal is to be on 13 by June, but is keen to eventually ‘again give single figures a nudge’. “Because of the expense, the difficulty of getting a tee time and my coaching commitments at Valley Fort Rugby Club, I played very little golf while living in Hong Kong,” explained the current 18 handicapper. “But I plan to make up for lost time, and play three times a week.” He penned six pars and 10 bogeys in Monday’s round, and for good measure added an NTP at the 18th. Wayne Nixey won Division Two and Jan Langdon won the Women’s event, both with 35 points. NOTE: Playing off 16 the next day, Justin shot 84 for plus four in the Men’s Par Plus event, finishing second.
ROOSTER HELEN: “I was shocked I played so well,” quipped Helen Fraser, the winner of Saturday’s Single Stableford for Women, with 39 points. “I played some absolutely stupid shots on Thursday, and then came out today and won. I’ve gone from a feather duster to a rooster in just two days.” The winner of back-to-back B Grade Championships in 2021 and 2022, the septuagenarian had seven three-point holes and seven twos on her card, and credited her good Saturday score to a miserly 30 putts. A member since 1990, Helen started the new year in fine style, winning the first Monthly Medal in January, taking her overall Medal tally to ten. “The course is in really good condition at the moment and the greens are great,” she said following her fine putting display, which was did not include a single three putt.
START, FINISH: A triple bogey to start his round on Thursday had plumber Todd Petrie thinking he had washed away any chance of a win in the Men’s Single Stableford. “It was a shotgun start, we teed off on 12 and I had a seven,” the fanatical NRL Eels fan told HH. “My first thoughts were ‘well, that’s it for today.’” Hoping to at least play to his handicap of 15, Todd teed off on holes 10 and 11 looking for bogeys. “But I birdied 10, and then tree-putted 11 for a bogey, still not thinking 39 points would win,” he said. But win it did, albeit on a countback, and a $125 windfall, giving Todd his first victory since April last year when he teamed for a fourball win with son Cody. Todd, who rarely played golf before moving his business, Todd Petrie Plumbing, from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast 21 years ago, described Headland as his ‘peaceful place’. “Even though I enjoy the competition, I don’t really care too much about the result. I just love being out there with the boys,” he said. Apart from the triple-bogey start, Todd penned two birdies, four pars and 11 bogeys in his round of 84.
SIMPLY THE BEST: Popular Pro Shop Manager Shane Muller has won bragging rights for the next week as Headland’s STB golfer. Each week in 2026, HH will name our ‘Simply the Best’ golfer, an ‘award’ introduced specifically to recognise the club’s low-handicap members, and Shane wins the title for his three-under 69 on Tuesday. Playing off three in the Men’s Par Plus event, Shane shot an eagle, four birdies, 10 pars and three bogeys for a score of plus six.
EAGLES NEST: By his own admission, Shane Muller is not playing the best golf of his career. But he had a satisfying month of March, bagging two eagles and being credited with the best round of the week (see above). Shane scored an eagle at the par four 11th on Saturday, which followed one at the par-five 10th earlier in the week. Joining him in the eagles nest for March were Jack Hourn at the seventh, also on Saturday, Wayne Taylor (13th) on March 4, Chris Weier, also 13th (March 7), and Darryl Kong (11th) on March 15. At the end of each month during 2026, HH will acknowledge all our eagle hunters for their special golfing feats.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (32 players) – Jan Langdon (35 points), Kathy Atkins (34), Lynn Hayman (33).
Men (62 players) – Division One, Justin Carroll (38), Brett Beaumont (36), Col Pledge (35); Division Two, Wayne Nixey (35), Brian Hermeston (35), Andrew Hempsall (32).
Tuesday, Single Par Plus, Women (23 players) – Ali Lamond (-1), Gay David (-1), Lynn Deacon (-2).
Men (55 players) – Shane Muller (+6), Justin Carroll (+4), Russell Harris (+1).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor, Nelson and Lachie Valderrama, Absolute Building Solutions – (208 players) – A Grade, Matt Prince (41 points), Michael Thomas (39), Brad Reed (38); B Grade, Nelson Valderrama (45), Scott Masters (39), John Halbert (39); C Grade, Ryan Sawell (44), Lachie Valderrama (39), Sid Ryan (35).
Thursday, Women, Ovarian Cancer Charity Day, Scrambled Ambrose – sponsors, Friends of Lindy, Monica Knowles, Kathy Atkins, Carol Quin, Karen Wilson, Robyn Muir, Gwen Nancarrow, Leeanne Ptak and Sue Jones – (118 players) – Jenny Ingham, Colleen Berger, Josie Ryan and Cathy Roberts (60.625 nett), Huda Olsson, Annabel Harris, Narelle Hollowood and Natalie Pace (62.625), Tracey O’Connor, Odette Day, Cathy Haimes and Sue Hadenham (64.875).
Men, Single Stableford (87 players) – Todd Petrie (39 points), Grahame Denovan (39), Philip Cotton (38).
Saturday, Single Stableford – Alex Dwyer, Dwyer Quality Homes – Women (22 players) – Helen Fraser (39 points), Robyn Boreham (38), Kate Wilkie (37).
Men (231 players) – A Grade, Wayne Bridgeman (40 points), Bryan Haggarty (39), Brett Adamson (38); B Grade, Les McClymont (41), Dave Mayes (41), Josh Poole (39); C Grade, Tony Vickers (40), Grahame Denovan (40), Brett Beaumont (40).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (71 players) – Stewart Clover (41 points), Paige Prosser (41), Blake Rydwanski (40).
