From Tony Durkin

 KNEES UP: Those golfers struggling with painful knees and contemplating surgery need only to survey Kym Mason’s results over the past two weeks as an endorsement for going under the knife. Wear and tear on her knees from playing rep volleyball and hockey as a youngster, combined with the onset of arthritis, finally hit back at Kym and in June she underwent knee replacement surgery. Three weeks ago she returned to competitive golf with a not-so-flash 85 nett in the Monthly Medal, but quickly turned that around with successive wins on consecutive Thursdays. Last Thursday she won B grade with 39 stableford points and the previous week teamed with Kathy Petrie to win the American Foursomes event. A graduate of Headland’s 2015 SWING program, Kym says she ‘loves’ her new knee because golf has suddenly become pain free.

ROUND OF THE WEEK: John Miller, who scored an amazing 48 points to win Wednesday’s single stableford event, says the link between him and former US Open champion Johnny Miller is in name only. Headland’s John Miller, playing off 31, turned in his best-ever round on Wednesday with seven pars, five bogeys, five double bogies and an eight – on the par-four 16th for 91 or, to be more concise, a nett 60. And while very chuffed by his incredible round, he wasn’t too proud to share tales of his few lucky strokes. His third shot on the tenth skipped across the dam twice before landing on dry land, and he sank two putts from off the green. John, who is 77, started playing competitive golf only when he moved to Buderim 11 years ago, but has had purple patches previously with scores of 47 and 45 points. But, as he reminds himself that golf is a game of peaks and valleys, he still vividly recalls a nett 85 in October’s Monthly Mug.

FAMILY FEUD: Battlelines have been drawn in the Fenton family after Susie (42 points) won the A grade stableford event on Thursday – her best score at Headland. Not only did she convincingly take the weekly golfing honours from husband Michael (37 points the previous day), she is also contesting claims from the now part-time dentist that his coaching has been responsible for her sudden surge in form. Susie had a three-year sabbatical from golf and returned two years ago, and this is her first time back on the winner’s podium since. And she says it has been a slight tweaking of her grip – not lessons from Michael – that has done the trick. Susie also quizzes why a former winner of the C grade championship, with her name also on the honour board for a hole-in-one, would need lessons from someone whose golf success reads zilch.

 COLOURFUL CREW: Visitors to the club on Thursday morning will be greeted by a sea of colour – aqua and yellow, to be precise. The ladies will contest the inaugural Captain V Vice-President Day in a Holden Scramble-style four-member Ambrose where the player whose ball is selected cannot play the next shot until the teams reach the green. Players representing the Captain (Vicki Maynard) will play from the tenth tee and will be dressed in yellow, while the team members of Vice-President (Mandy Oster) will wear aqua, from the first tee. As a bonus, all members of the winning team which each receive a run-down prize.

 WEEKLY WINNERS:

Tuesday, Medley 4BBB Stableford, Men (125 players): Nigel Morrison and Russell Copper (49 points), Andrew Ferguson and Russell Ferguson (48), Geoff Sawyer and Tony Flint (47); Ladies (16 players): Raewyn Anderson (38), Christina Claxton (34), Helen Fraser (34).

Wednesday, Men’s Single Stableford (191 players): A grade – Nick Cox (40), Brian Richards (40), Peter Leggo (40); B grade – Glenn Brooker (44), Malcolm McColm (43), Wayne Cassidy (41); C grade – John Miller (48), Alan Dellar (43), Alan Warby (41).

Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (86 players): A grade – Susie Fenton (42 points), Margaret White (40), Gwen Nancarrow (38); B grade – Kym Mason (39), Louise Armstrong (39), Lynn Nicholson (38); C grade – Julieanne Coull (41), Bernadette Cassidy (40), Rhonda Parry (40). Men, 4BBB Stableford (82 players): Peter Darnell and Alan Stratford (51 points), Scott McConachie and Graeme Warne (50).

Saturday, Medley Irish Foursomes (66 players): Andrew Nairne, Tony Pattinson, Russell Harris and Dane Hammond (91 points), Brian Callaghan, Lawrence Hireme, John Bohringer, Graham Smith (83), Jim Aspinwall, Scott Roush, Mark Henricks, Bryan Haggarty (82).

Sunday, Veteran’s Living Choice Classic, Medley 4BBB Stableford (90 players): Richard and Delmai Whittaker (46 points), Terrence and Liane Needham (46), Allen and Florence Alderton (44), John and Anne Alsbury (44).