From Tony Durkin

SUNSHINE COAST OPEN: Headland Club Champion Jake Crowther has become the first Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Champion to go back-to-back in more than two decades. Jake had rounds of 75-70 over the weekend for a 36-hole total of 145 to win by two shots from fellow Headland member Adam Rydwanski. Tyler Duncan (Redcliffe, 148) was third with another Headland member, Brad Butler (149) a shot away in fourth. Jake, who joined Headland from Nambour last year, has played golf sparsely during the past six months because of a new career. But despite two bad holes over the 36 holes of the tournament, he was the only member of the leading groups to birdie the final hole on Sunday to become the first player since Peter Wouters in 1996-97 to win successive Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship titles. On Saturday he had two birdies, a bogey and an horrendous eight on the par-four 15th for his two-over 75, before his superb two under-par 70 on Sunday, which included five birdies, a bogey on seven and a double bogey on 16. The winner of the nett event was Keith Horne of Maroochy River (143) while Headland members Barry Newton (158) and Jacob Mimnaw (168) were the respective winners of Division Two (handicaps 6-11) and Division Three (12-24). For the 20th successive year the Championship was sponsored by Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers, who was presented with a most suitable gift to commemorate his outstanding support of the prestigious. 

Justin Walsh and Jake Crowther

LADIES’ FOURSOMES: Sharon Thomas and Christina Claxton capped off successful weeks of golf when they teamed to win Thursday’s 2019 Headland Ladies Foursomes Championships. It was the third successive Ladies Foursomes title for Sharon, and came four days after she and her son Blake were runners-up in the Sunshine Coast Burnett and District Mixed Foursomes Championships at Caloundra last Sunday. And Christina was backing up from a week at Southport as a member of the Sunshine Coast Burnett and District team that was runner-up in the annual Meg Nunn Salver. Sharon and Christina, a Research Scientist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, scored 135 (90/45) to win the 27-hole event, and were pushed all the way by runners-up and 2019 Sunshine Coast Burnett and District Women’s Golf Division One Foursomes champions, Robyn Boreham and Helen Fraser (92/45 – 137). A former representative soccer, tennis and hockey player, Christina joined Sharon for the event when her winning partner for the past two years, Dom Paice, was unavailable because of work commitments. Bev Barnes and Sandi Linnane (110) returned the best nett 27-hole score, beating Vicki Maynard and Marg Howard by half a shot. The Ladies Foursomes were sponsored by Marc Venter and Brad Wall of Guide Financial. 

Sharon Thomas and Christina Claxton

CAPTO IS HERE: A revolutionary new putting training and fitting system has been acquired by Headland’s Head Professional Adam Norlander and his team, and will be fully operational from today (Monday, September 23). Adam points out that putting accounts for almost 40 per cent of shots in the round of an average club golfer and says he is greatly impressed with the CAPTO Precision Putting Technology that has recently arrived, and which will be demonstrated to members on the practise putting green next Sunday (September 28) between 10am and 12.30pm. CAPTO is portable, so gives golfers immediate and accurate data on their putting in real time, and in real outdoor conditions. CAPTO helps analyse – again in real time – all those challenges on the greens, the short, medium, long uphill or downhill putting stroke. “I honestly believe this system can be a real game changer for our members,” Adam suggested.

PHIL’S WHEEL: One of the first decisions new Headland House Director Phil Cooper made when he was voted in was to re-introduce the once-renowned Headland Wheel. As a past House Director, Phil’s Wheel was legendary – and popular among members – with meat tray raffles conducted on Wednesdays after golf presentations. But when Phil went in search of the old wheel, it could not be found. He sourced a new version, on line, and called on renowned jack-of-all-trades and 25-year member Jeff Lovell of Stegbar, to put the flat pack together. Then, last Wednesday for the initial draw under the new regime, he asked Jeff to spin the new wheel for the first time. Yes, you guessed it, Jeff was the first winner of the $30 voucher from Mountain Creek Meats. And, when Phil had the second spin, the wheel stopped on another of Jeff’s numbers. Just 100 tickets, as $1 each, will be sold each Wednesday, with three prizes drawn. 

MATES WIN:  For the past two years, the quartet of Jon Welch, Ken Anderson, Brian Richards and Roger Van Ginkel have – almost always – played in the same group each Wednesday and Saturday. The status quo continued on Wednesday when Roger’s company, Turbeq Australasia Pty Ltd, sponsored the Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford Aggregate, and not only did Ken and Brian enjoy the spoils of Roger’s generosity, which included a free round of golf, drinks and a food platter afterwards, they also snatched $60 each when they won the day with 77 points. Despite a double bogey on the par-four 12th hole, the ageless Ken contributed a phenomenal 45 points to the tally. Birdies on the fifth and seventh holes gave the 78-year-old a two-under 34 on the front nine and his par round was the 15th time he has beaten his age, and the second time this year. 

DAD’S FOOTSTEPS: Headland junior Willem Johnstone appears to be heading down the same successful path his dad Brett took just on three decades ago – but not in golf. Willem, a boarding student at Brisbane’s Nudgee College, has been named in the Queensland under 16 Rugby Union team which will be contesting the week-long National Championships in Canberra from next Monday. Brett, a regular Headland golfer and a former Reds and Wallabies halfback in the 90s, kicked off his rep career with selection in the Queensland under 16s back in 1986 when a student at Downlands College in Toowoomba. Willem, whose golf has been put on the back burner while at Nudgee, is also a halfback. 

WHOOPS: Headland B Grade Pennant team member Matt Prince has had a weekend he won’t forget in in while. If his beloved Eels being thrashed by Melbourne in the NRL elimination final on Saturday night wasn’t bad enough, Matt was struck in the chest by a golf ball during Sunday’s second round of the 2019 Walsh Consulting Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championships – by his own ball. Playing the fourth hole, Matt tugged his drive into the dam. He took a drop and, to keep the ball under the trees, hit a hybrid one iron, which he flushed. But much to the amusement of his playing partners -who were playing in one of the sponsor groups – the ball struck the 150-marker peg 25 metres in front on him, ricocheted straight back and struck him square in the chest. But Matt was not deterred. He went to score a double-bogey six on the hole – a par with that second ball. NOTE: Under the new rules introduced in 2019, being struck by your own ball no longer incurs a penalty. 

WEEKLY WINNERS:

Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (63 players) – Tove Larsen (36 points), Doreen Davidson (35), Jenny Pirini (35); Men (65 players) – Ray Dempsey (36), Graham Pinn (36), Bill Attneave (35).

Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford Aggregate (194 players) – Ken Anderson and Brian Richards (77 points), Doug Hancock and Warren Gee (77), John Harris and Bob Lane (75), Jack Williams and Sergio Nogarotto (73), Matthew Brady and Alex Jamieson (73).

Thursday, Ladies, Headland Foursomes Championships (68 players) – 27 holes, gross, Sharon Thomas and Christina Claxton (135), Helen Fraser and Robyn Boreham (137); nett, Bev Barnes and Sandi Linnane (110), Vicki Maynard and Marg Howard (110.5); 18 holes, gross, Chris Parkinson and Sandi Whittle (98); nett, Barbra Schultz and Marion Dennis (75); nine holes, gross, Liz Dunford and Naomi Doyle (45); nett, Barb Marrington and Lynn Hayman (32.5); 2019 Headland Ladies Foursomes Champions – Sharon Thomas and Christina Claxton. Overflow, 18-hole Foursomes (34 players) – Susan Stratford and Anne Hayward (74.5 nett), Sinama Lolkes De Beer and Coline Colton (75). Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (46 players) – Rob Hayward and Steve Eggins (49 points), David Feez and Ken Scanlan (46), Gary Thomas and Steve Nash (45).

Saturday and Sunday, 2019 Walsh Consulting Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship (160 players) – Division One, gross, Jake Crowther (145), Adam Rydwanski (147), Tyler Duncan (148); nett, Keith Horne (143), Richie McCullagh (145), Brad Butler (145);  Division Two, gross, Barry Newton (158), James Brownsworth (160), Paul Henricks (161); nett, Anthony Fichera (148), Warren Sorby (149), Matt Macaulay (149); Division Three, gross, Jacob Mimnaw (168), Mark Wittholz (168), James Daniel )171); nett, Michael Goodluck (140), Dennis Orr (147), Peter Dunn (147); Senior Champion – Keith Horne (151); Junior Champion, Tyler Duncan (148); 2019 Walsh Consulting Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Champion – Jake Crowther.