From Tony Durkin
EAGLE HUNTING: To most golfing mortals, an eagle is a hole-in-one on a par three and one of those rarities forever in the memory bank. But not, it seems, for big-hitting youngster Ryley Martin who has scored four eagles in two weeks – and in both weeks it was two in the one round. The first two were on the par-five 16th and 17th holes at Mt Coolum last Thursday week (August 2) while his other two were on Wednesday at Headland, playing in the Men’s Irish Foursomes event. Ryley hit driver, nine-iron to the second hole and sank the 120cm putt, while his driver, gap wedge to the tenth gave him a 250cm putt, which he also nailed. But there was more – his 10cm putt for eagle on the 13th lipped out. Ryley shot three-under 69 for 39 points, but his team did not finish among the prize winners. And for those Headland members who think two eagles in a round is freakish, rare and has possibly never previously achieved in the history of the club, think again. Simon Mitchell did it 12 years ago and, if possible, it was even more impressive than Ryley’s feat. His eagles were on holes six and 12 – both par fours.
FORM REVERSAL: When Tim Reilly wiped his opening hole on the second day of the Regis Aged Care Seniors Eclectic at Headland last week, his immediate thought was ‘here we go again’. On day one Tim, who is a member at Ballina and a country member at Headland, returned a meagre 32 points in the Single Stableford event, but 21 of them were on the back nine. And that, says the macadamia farmer, is typical of his form on the golf course for the past six months. But the tide turned following that fateful first hole on Tuesday and Tim – handicap 27 – roared home in 82 shots, scored 45 stableford points and streeted the field to win the day. But, unconsciously, he also strategically scored well on holes on which he had faltered the previous day and his accumulated 52 points won the overall eclectic for the two-day event. The only disappointment for the decade-long member, who says with modestly that he is a better player than his handicap indicates, is that his brilliant round shaved only one shot from a handicap which he wants to reduce to 18.
AUSSIE JOSIE: Josie Ryan has won selection in Australia’s first-ever Senior Women’s team to compete against an overseas opponent. After setting herself the goal back in April of accumulating enough Order of Merit points to make the five-person team, Josie recently finished second in both the Queensland Senior Order of Merit in scratch and nett, to win selection. The Aussies will play New Zealand in a Ryder Cup format at Adelaide’s Glenelg Golf Club from October 28-30. Josie, who has been Headland Ladies champion a record 16 times, has worn the green and gold colours of her country once previously – three years ago for the Golf Australia Senior Team against the Australian Defence Forces.
VALE ANNE ALSBURY: Headland Golf Club members are in mourning following the passing last week of Anne Alsbury, wife of Club President John. Anne and John joined Headland in 2001, were both active and respected members and regular attendees on the course and at social events. Anne held the position of Ladies Director of Golf for three years from 2006 to 2009, had been a member of the Ladies Match Committee for the past two years and was the instrumental driving force behind current Ladies Director of Golf, Vicki Maynard, standing for the position. Anne, whose funeral service was held on Monday (August 13) followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at the club, is survived by John, daughters Michelle, Gillian and Aimee, and their respective families.
PATRON’S DAY: Entries for Headland’s annual Patron’s Day, sponsored by Simon Whittle, are now open on line for mixed pairs only. The American Foursomes event will be played as a shotgun start, with 7am and 12.15pm tee times. To book a mixed pair go to the News and Events portal, select the Patron’s Day link and follow the booking instructions. Same sex pairs will be able to book from this coming Saturday (August 18). In the American Foursomes format both players play tee shots at each hole, and then play a second stroke with their partner’s ball. One ball is then selected and play proceeds as in foursomes with the owner of the ball selected playing the third stroke. The $20 entry fee includes a hamburger.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: Don Teague has had two major reasons to puff out his chest with pride in the past couple of weeks – the elevation of Mal Meninga to NRL Immortal status and Saturday’s sensational score of 46 individual stableford points. Don, a former Police Superintendent who retired as the top cop in Central Queensland in 1990, was an Instructing Sergeant at the Police Academy in Brisbane which big Mal attended in the late 70s and was instrumental in him joining the service a few years later. But the 83-year-old was just as proud of his best-ever score in a five-decade golfing career that smashed the big field at Headland on Saturday. His 46 points – 24 on the front nine and 22 on the back – included three four pointers, eight three pointers and a wipe, and was the best score of the day by four points, and easily won C Grade.
RICH RICHARDSON: Carolyn Richardson is making a habit of dominating Sunday events at Headland, and consequently adding nicely to her house account. Following her third place – and an NTP – last Sunday week, Carolyn backed up in the ‘Beat the Ladies’ Captain’ Medley Single Stableford on Sunday with a win – 42 points – and another two NTPs, to pocket $92 in two just weekends. Her gross score of 103 is the best of her two-decade golfing life and included 25 points on just eight holes. In a field of 62, 21 players beat the score of Ladies’ Captain Vicki Maynard (32 points), but one of those was not her husband Ken.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Regis Aged Care 2018 Seniors Eclectic Tournament, Single Stableford, Monday, Ladies (63 players) – Rhonda Biggs (37 points), Leanne Ptak (37), Robyn Boreham (36); Men (72 players) – Burgess Stephenson (44), Doug Hancock (40), Ted Banaszczyk (39); Tuesday, Ladies (61 players) – Kathy Petrie (42 points), Althea McLean (42), Wil Sprake (41); Men (73 players) – Tim Reilly (45 points), Peter Dickens (42), Ian Farrington (42); Overall Eclectic – Tim Reilly (52 points); Ladies, Division One – Bev Kelly (48 points), Althea McLean (45); Division Two – Chrissy Eggins (50 points), Kathy Petrie (46); Men, Division One – Ian Farrington (46 points), Justin Walsh (46); Division Two, Steve Walters (45), Phil Martin (45).
Wednesday, Men, Irish Foursomes (189 players) – Graham Cartledge, Ian Farrington, Robert Rowan and Peter Gablonski (95 points), Andrew Campbell, Denis McGrath, Kevin Woodcroft and Sergio Nogarotto (94), Wayne Deague, Terry Lawlor, Barry Euston and Eric Larsen (93).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (96 players) – A Grade, Helen Fraser (36 points), Jodie McDonell (33), Valesca Thompson (33); B Grade, Jan Miles (41), Libby Hall (40), Judy Farmer (39); C Grade, Kathy Walker (38), Di Stark (37), Leanne Ptak (35). Men, Follies Foursomes (72 players) – Alan Stratford, Barry Schick, Patrick Carmody and Paul Stephens (134 points), Ted Banaszczyk, Andrew Beck, Wayne Bridgeman and George Rodman (125), Josh Poole, Steve Walters, Stephen Woolcott and Kevin George (122).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Ladies (36 players) – Anne Callahan (40 points), Kirsten Kaergaard (37), Coralie Walsh (37); Men (210 players) – A Grade, Peter Francis (40), Scott West (40), Peter Gablonski (38); B Grade, Danny Shaw (42), Don Harris (41), Brett Stephenson (41); C Grade, Don Teague (46), Dennis Farmer (44), Shannon Walters (41).
Sunday, Beat the Ladies Captain, Medley Single Stableford (62 players) – Carolyn Richardson (42 points), Kevin Clarke (41), Gwen Nancarrow (40), Robyn Boreham (40).13-8-18
