From Tony Durkin
EASTER TOURNAMENT: In one of the most exciting Sunshine Coast Men’s Open Amateur Championships in recent memory, eight play-off holes were needed yesterday before Nambour’s Jake Crowther was declared the 58th winner of the event which was sponsored again by Headland member Justin Walsh, of Walsh Consulting Engineers. David Schwartz of Nudgee Golf Club birdied his 36th hole to force a play-off, with both players carding identical scores of 71,73 over the two days to finish one shot ahead of Royal Queensland Junior Bailey Arnott and Tyler Duncan (Redcliffe). It was then the marathon play-off started with holes one and two (played twice) and five squared with pars, and hole nine halved with bogeys before poor light intervened. With the 18th green lit, buggy lights assisting on the tee as darkness descended and a big crowd looking on, the hole was halved with pars the first time before Crowther made a miraculous bogey from the garden bed on the left side of the hole to eventually win the championship, and put the play-off to bed. Schwartz made double bogey. Adam Hawkins (142) of Palm Meadows was awarded the 36-hole nett event from Jordan Rooke (Wantima), while Headland’s Barry Newton (Headland) was crowned Senior Champion from Ian Moore (Headland). Junior Champion was Bailey Arnott who prevailed over day one championship leader, Tyler Duncan.
WHERE THERE’S A WIL: When she retired from a 40-year teaching career in December 2016, Wil Sprake intended to play golf every other day. She had numerous lessons from assistant pro Mat Douglas with the aim of reducing her handicap. But in June disaster struck, in the form of bursitis in her right shoulder, and – on medical advice – she rested. That was until her physio informed her that she needed to exercise because her muscles were wasting away. Although, in her terms, she swam like a stone, Wil turned to the pool and after six months of almost daily shoulder ‘rehab’, she was back to golf in January with a new appreciation of simply being able to play the game she loves. With less stress about her score and reducing her handicap, the nine-year Headland member has re-ignited her game with some outstanding results. Since January she and partner Mike Collins were net runners-up in in the 36-hole Mixed Foursomes Championships; she won the March Monthly Mug in B Grade as well as the first round of the Ladies Match Play; squared one and won two of her weekend Pennant matches; and has run a place in three other events. And, she still has time to continue her swimming – 20 to 30 laps most days.
BRIAN’S DAY OUT: Brian Kesby and his partner Bob Snowball may have scored only 40 points in Wednesday’s fourball, but Kesby still had a fruitful day on the course. He started on the back nine, birdied the first three holes and had another on the sixth. But, he conceded, there was some ordinary golf played in between. However, Brian was still able to make a sizeable contribution to his Pro Shop account by snaring both Pro Pin shots – on the sixth (40 cm) and 12th (220cm) – for a tidy return of $102.
WHOOPS: Scott Simpson was thankful preferred lies were in place on Wednesday after finding a sand bucket – not bunker – on the second hole. Playing in the same group as Club Captain James Kidd, Scott hooked his second shot, the ball hit the concrete path and careered even further left, finishing somewhere on the first fairway. That ‘somewhere’ just happened to be in the sand bucket hanging from the buggy of Brian Richards. Under the laws of the game, Scott was permitted a drop without penalty, and he went on to bogey the hole and score two stableford points for his team.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: When immediate past president Jon Welch says ‘weight is right’, he is not referring to a horse race. For Jon it’s about his weight on the bathroom scales, which has been reduced by 19kg in 18 months. And while the weight loss has aided his health, it has also had a major bearing on his golf. Twice this year he has saluted the judges, firstly in January when he won the B Grade Monthly Mug (68 nett) and again on Tuesday when his 43 points easily took out the Veteran’s event. While his 82 off the bat is his best score at Headland in more than two years, the round was off to a bad start. After four holes he was six over par but recovered with 10 pars and four bogeys coming home. Jon says that his weight loss has made him feel more positive and fitter on the course, and he paid tribute to the visitors from Cooroy for making his round on Tuesday so enjoyable.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Vets, Single Stableford, Ladies (41 players) – A grade, Yvonne Henry (37 points), Doreen Davidson (35); B grade, Julieanne Coul (32), Kay Campbell (32); Men (43 players) – A grade, Jon Welch (43), Lawrence Hireme (40), Graham Pitt (40); B grade, Phil Martin (38), Les Grimsditch (37), Nick Kostalas (34).
Medley Fourball Aggregate (98 players) – Bob Trevor and Ray Dempsey (73 points), Tim Rees and Charlie Worthy (70), Ray and Nigel Morrison (69).
Wednesday, Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (190 players) – Wayne Cassidy and Mark Priest (47 points), Laurie Corless and Bob Lane (47), James Kolbie and Peter Richardson (46), Ross Carvell and Peter Leggo (46), John Siddons and Jim Saunderson (45).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (39 players) – A grade, Beverley Perry (33 points), Wil Sprake (33), Heather Lum (29); B grade, Monica Antony (36), Glenda Bates (34); C grade, Brenda Smith-Gittins (31), Irene Apel (27), Sandra Mannering (24). Men, Single Stableford (50 players) – Gary Rugless (40 points), Daniel Harding (39), Geoff Sawyer (39).
Saturday, Walsh Professional Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championships (208 players) – round 1, gross, Tyler Duncan (Redcliffe – 70, David Schwartz (Nudgee – 71), Justin Morley (Pelican Waters – 71); nett, Barry Newton (Headland – 66), Anthony Fichera (Nudgee – 69), Fred Scheepers (Mt Coolum – 70).
Sunday, Walsh Consulting Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championships, round 2, gross, Bailey Arnott (Royal Queensland 72), David Schwartz (Nudgee 73), Jake Crowther (Nambour – 73); nett, Rhett Rosenius (Nambour 67), Ken Wedmaier (Headland 68), Burgess Stephenson 69); championship final – gross, Jake Crowther (Nambour 71,73 – 144), David Schwartz (Nudgee 71,73 – 144), Bailey Arnott (Royal Queensland – 73,72 – 145); nett, Matt Macaulay (Headland 72,69 – 141), Barry Newton (Headland 66,75 – 141), Adam Hawkins (Palm Meadows 72,70 – 142); Senior gross, Barry Newton (Headland 73,82 -155), Ian Moore (Headland 81,82 – 163), Neven Daniel (Headland 80,86 – 165); Junior gross, Bailey Arnott (Royal Queensland (73,72 -145), Tyler Duncan (Redcliffe 70,75 -145), Olly Merritt (Pelican Waters 79,73 -152); Division 2 (handicaps 5-11) gross, Ashley Reck (Headland 152), Aaron Shaw (Headland 154), Barry Newtown (Headland 155); nett, Bryan Haggarty (Headland 143), Matt Kilbourn (Emerald Lakes 144), Warren Sorby (Headland 144); Division 3 (handicaps 12-18), gross, Dennis Orr (Headland 170), Matt Macaulay (Headland (171), Jonathan Plant (Goomeri 172); nett, Rhett Rosenius (Nambour 143), Tony Vickers (Headland 144), Burgess Stephenson (Headland 147).
