From Tony Durkin
CHAMPIONS WIN: Current Club Champion Jake Crowther and three-time former Champion Adam Richards have won their way through to the final of the 2019 Headland Men’s A Grade Matchplay Championship following a series of intriguing results on Saturday. Jake won his semi-final 4&3 over Sean McGill following an earlier walkover against Dave Rattray, while Adam prevailed in two nail-biters, both on the 18th, with a par to beat Bailey Murchie in the morning and a birdie for victory against Scott Walker in the afternoon. In his first year as a Headland member Jake will be aiming for the stroke-matchplay double, while 32-year member Adam has won both events three times. The final, to be contested over 36-holes, will be played on Saturday week, June 29. Matt Macaulay and Gavin Terry will play the B Grade final, while Druce Fielding takes on Michael Goodluck for the C Grade crown.
TERRY ON TOP: Gavin Terry had a day to remember in Saturday’s Matchplay Championship, in more ways than one. The English-born builder, who finished third in the B Grade Championship last month to qualify for the matchplay event, played his best round since he joined Headland in October last year to reel in Brendan Duncan when four up at the 15th. And, had it not been for a sloppy double bogey at the previous hole, Gavin (AGU handicap six) would have been square with the card. His highlight was an eagle on the seventh, when a 54-degree wedge from 105 metres out bounced twice and disappeared into the hole. And when his semi-final opponent did not appear on the first tee in the afternoon, so much was Gavin enjoying the day he decided to join the other semi-final match between Matt Macaulay and Bryan Haggarty, and play nine holes. Not only did this allow him to work on some aspects of his game, but enabled him to obtain some intel on Saturday’s final opponent, which will be Matt.
CAPTAIN INJURED: Next Sunday’s ‘Beat the Director of Golf’ competition has been cancelled, because the Director of Golf – more commonly referred to as the Club Captain – has recently taken a beating. Hard-working Headland Captain James Kidd and his partner Trish Howe just returned from a two-week sabbatical in New Zealand, which included a visit to the snowfields. But while the break refreshed our main man James, the Financial Adviser failed to manage the skis as well as he does his golf clubs, took a tumble on the snow and came off second best. The fall has left him with a syndesmosis injury to the lower left leg, sidelining him from golf for at least another month. This means he is unable to contest Sunday’s challenge where anyone who beats the Captain shares in the prizemoney. However, a Single Stableford event will still be played.
VICTORY PLANNED: Soon-to-retire Ladies Captain, Vicki Maynard, has cheekily declared her team’s win in Thursday Ambrose event had been planned – a week in advance. Vicki and her partners Sharon Thomas, Kristin Griffiths and Judy Farmer had played together the previous week in the Monthly Medal and agreed the foursome had the right mix for an Ambrose. “Sharon and Kristen hit the ball a long way, and Judy and I have long handicaps,” she joked. And Vicki was correct. The quartet, sporting a handicap of 9.25, finished the round three under the card for a winning nett score of 60.75, just a shot ahead of Wil Sprake, Raewyn Anderson, Bev Kelly and Gwen Nancarrow. In a near-perfect round the winners had four birdies, 14 pars and a lone bogey on the 16th, but missed an eagle on the second when Vicki’s third shot to the par-five hit the pin and lipped out.
IKE’S REVENGE: Ian (Ike) Russell was proud of his winning score in Wednesday’s Single Stableford, but he was even more chuffed when relaying the news to his wife Trudi. Ike, who has been a Headland member for 32 years but has only returned to the game seriously in the past 12 months, admitted Trudi had been ‘giving him heaps’ over her recent win in the C Grade division of the Headland Ladies Veteran Open Amateur. He reckons his round of 42 points – the highest score on the day in any grade – was his best for two decades and, in the competitive family environment, had taken some gloss from Trudi’s win. Unable to pinpoint the exact reason for his sudden burst of form, Ike said encouragement from playing partner Brendan Southey had helped, as did his improved putting. Although he had three four-point holes and three three-pointers on his card, the most pleasing aspect was no wipes. The lowest score on the day was par 72 from Brad Butler – three pars, three bogeys – while Brian Kesby had a financial field day, winning A Grade with 39 points ($70) and collecting another $49 for snaring the Pro Pin on the 12th.
THAT’S GOLF: At 72, 15-year Headland member Mark Glassop holds no false notions about his golfing ability – and just as well if the past week is an example. In Tuesday’s Medley Fourball Aggregate Mark paired with Dave Smith to score 76 points and win in a canter – by seven points. While Dave contributed a respectable 32 points, it was Mark who ripped the course apart with 10 three-point holes and one four-pointer in his 44 points – a round in which he said he ran amok from the word go. But Thursday was a much different story. His contribution in the Men’s Fourball Stableford was a meagre 28 – just five less than he scored on the first nine two days earlier. However, the former banker is a realist and says at his age, if he can conquer the course with anything in the 90s he is well satisfied with his golf. Needless to say, after Tuesday’s round he was ecstatic.
HEADLAND PRO AM: Although the afternoon field has been filled, spots are still available for the morning in Headland’s upcoming 2019 Pro Am. Sponsored by members Jamie Holbrook (Property Today) and James Brownsworth (Innovative Planning Solutions), Headland Golf Club will stage the always-popular Pro Am on Wednesday, July 10. Teams of three amateurs will be joined by a professional, who will play a stroke event, while the amateurs will play a single stableford with individual and team (best three stableford scores, including that of the professional) recognised. The morning field tees off with a 6.45am shotgun start, and the cost for a team of three is $89, which includes lunch. Entries are online at https://form.jotform.co/HeadlandGolfClub/2019pro-am and will close next Wednesday, June 26. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, and anyone interested should contact Head Professional, Adam Norlander on 5444 5800 or email anorlander@pgamember.org.au.
FAMILY MEMBER: Fox Geoffrey Williams has joined the Headland family. Fox is the son of Golf Manager Clay Williams and his partner Chloe, and was born at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital at 9am on Saturday, weighing in at 3.28kg. Fox is a brother to Alaska, who is 18 months old. Clay secretly hopes his children make take a shine to golf, if not as players at least enough to enjoy a ride in a cart as dad plays nine holes.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Aggregate Stableford, (114 players) – Mark Glassop and Dave Smith (76 points), Rod Berger and John Kamm (69), Ken Anderson and Katrina Watts (69).
Wednesday, Men, Single Stableford (201 players) – A Grade, Brian Kesby (38 points), Brad Butler (38), Ian Farrington (38); B Grade, Morgan Winston (39), John Hammond (39), Brian Richards (39); C Grade, Ian Russell (42), John Nagel (39), Peter Keane (38).
Thursday, Ladies, Fourball Ambrose (101 players) – Vicki Maynard, Sharon Thomas, Kristin Griffiths and Judy Farmer (60.75 nett), Wil Sprake, Raewyn Anderson, Bev Kelly and Gwen Nancarrow (61.625), Naomi Doyle, Fiona Munro, Coralie Walsh and Christina Claxton (61.875). Men, Fourball Aggregate (87 players) – Bob Hunter and Greg O’Connor (78 points), Tony Kelleher and Mal Galletly (75), Ted Banaszczyk and Andrew Beck (75).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Ladies, (25 players) – Joy Logan (35 points), Sharon Thomas (33), Helen Fraser (33). Men (194 players), A Grade – Peter Francis (39), Will Millroy (39), Darren MacLeod (39); B Grade, Scott Roush (42), Tony Pattinson (42), Garry Marr (41); C Grade, Dennis Farmer (42), Steve Walters (39), Mark Gersbach (37).
Men’s Championship Matchplay, A Grade, quarter-finals – Jake Crowther beat Dave Rattray (walkover), Sean McGill beat Ciaran Fenton (6&5), Scott Walker beat Brad Butler (6&4), Adam Richards beat Bailey Murchie (1up); semi-finals – Jake Crowther beat Sean McGill (3&2), Adam Richards beat Scott Walker (1up); B Grade, quarter finals – Bryan Haggarty beat Luke Mitchell (walkover), Matt Macaulay beat Joel Cooney (1up), Michael Hinds beat Steven Bell (walkover), Gavin Terry beat Brendan Duncan (4&3); semi-finals – Matt Macaulay beat Bryan Haggarty (5&4), Gavin Terry beat Michael Hinds (walkover). C Grade, quarter-finals – Greg Wareham beat Josh Holbrook (1up), Druce Fielding beat Alexander Dwyer (3&2), Tom Burnett beat Graham Myers (1up), Michael Goodluck beat Joe McGuirk (1up); semi-finals -Druce Fielding beat Greg Wareham (4&3), Michael Goodluck beat Tom Burnett (5&3).
Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Single Stroke (55 players) – Matt Prince (69), Daniel Hurst (69), Lynzey Valianes (70), Sean McGill (71), Rohan Albury (71).
