From Tony Durkin
PENNANT FINAL: Headland Men’s A Grade Pennant team has qualified for its second final of the Sunshine Coast Golf Zone Pennant Competition in three years following a convincing 4½-2½ win over Maroochy River on Sunday. But they may have to do it without their No.1 player and Club Champion, Jake Crowther, who may be domiciled in Sydney because of interstate border shutdown rules. Brad Butler continued his brilliant form of late with a 6&4 smashing of his opponent while Scott Walker came from three down early to win 2&1. Good mates Sean McGill (3&2) and Adam Rydwanski (4&3) were others in the winners’ circle, Jake Crowther squared his match and Jamie Hill and Dave Rattray, both 3&2, were beaten. If the final goes ahead, Headland will play reigning champions Noosa at Gympie next Sunday. In B Grade Headland was not as successful, beaten 5-2 by Mt Coolum in its semi-final at Caloundra on Sunday. Ciaran Fenton (4&3) was the lone Headland winner, while Tim O’Keeffe and Tom Burnett both squared their matches. Captain Matt Hetherington, who was disappointed with Sunday’s loss but proud of the way the team played throughout the season, was beaten 3&2, Matt Macaulay went down 6&5, Rhett Charlton 2&1 and Will Millroy lost 1-down.
JONES DOUBLE: Sue Jones and Dean Jones – no relation – put Australia’s second most common surname at the top of Saturday’s Headland leaderboard with outstanding rounds in the Single Stableford competition. Despite converting just one of her eight attempted birdie putts, Sue scored 40 points to win the Ladies event and Dean returned the best score of the day – 43 points – to win Men’s A Grade. Former Ladies Champion Sue admits to being somewhat embarrassed by her current handicap of 16, the same mark she was given when she retired from the Navy and started playing regularly at Headland in 2008. More recently golf has again been put on the backburner because of family commitments, but her round on Saturday – when she won by five points – has certainly buoyed her confidence. For Dean his 77 off the bat is the first time he has broken 80 since winning a Monthly Mug six years ago, and he only played on Saturday because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He supports his son Blake at his soccer, and weekend golf is usually a no-no for up to five months of the year. Apart from a double bogey at 15 and successive bogeys at 16 and 17, 12-marker Dean was delighted with his very consistent round which revealed 12 pars. NOTE: Dean still chuckles over the royal treatment afforded him and his wife Leanne when on their honeymoon at the former Hyatt Coolum Resort. Staff assumed he was Dean Jones, the former Test cricketer.
AUSSIE FIRST: Linda Darnell, who has had almost two years away from golf since the loss of her husband Peter, has scored her first golf win as an Aussie. Naturalised this past Australia Day after seven years living in retirement on the Sunshine Coast, the former English schoolteacher teamed with Vicki Houlihan, Mary Gibberd and Fiona Sullivan to win Thursday’s Irish Foursomes with a hefty 85 points. Each of the foursome contributed – Linda had 32 points, Fiona 30 and Mary 25 – but Fiona was the star, with eight three-point holes in her 37-point contribution. While none of the foursome are regular playing partners, Linda was Fiona’s dedicated mentor when she graduated from Headland’s extremely-productive SWING program in 2016. Event sponsors Mary Young, Josie Ryan, Colleen Berger and Gay David donated book vouches to the winners and, after having her planned trip to the USA cancelled because of COVID-19, Linda intends to buy a travel book on the country she hopes to visit sooner rather than later.
SIGNED, AND SEALED: Four years ago, regular playing partners Geoff Sawyer and Tony Flint scored 50 points in a Fourball event at Headland, but were disqualified because their card was incorrectly signed. And making certain the details on the card were precisely accurate was the major priority on Thursday when the pair again returned that same outstanding score, with their 50 points this time winning the Fourball Best Ball Stableford event – by a whopping six points. The retirees ‘pretty much’ shared the scoring honours according to nine-marker Geoff, with the impressive card showing 12 three-point holes, five two-pointers and a four-point par at the seventh for 20-handicapper Tony, while Geoff chipped in with two birdies, one of which earned him NTP at the 18th. And while Geoff was suitably pleased with his form, he still intends going ahead with the purchase of a new Galloway Mavrik driver and three-wood which he had ordered from Head Professional Adam Norlander the previous day.
ASHES-FREE GOLF: An almost two-year hiatus from golf following the loss of his wife – and his enthusiasm of the game – has ended for Tony Coutts with a win in Tuesday’s Single Stableford event. The cricket tragic, who has not missed an Ashes series since 2001, scored 40 points to street the field by three points and is now keen to get back and play more regularly. Playing off the very generous handicap of 26, Tony had just the single wipe on his scorecard which otherwise displayed great consistency – six three-point holes and 11 two-pointers. The former director of debt collection business Collection House, Tony has a membership at Twin Waters as well as Headland and while keen to reduce his handicap to somewhere near the 16 from which he once played, his major goal is to simply again enjoy playing the game he once loved.
FAMILY VALUES: John Henry had a brief moment on Wednesday when he thought he would be able to have bragging rights over his wife Yvonne, who had won the Ladies Single Stableford event a day earlier. John and his partner George Stoopin were set to lodge 47 points in the Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – the equal best of the day – before they became aware of an error. Their marker had incorrectly attributed all points to George (handicap 22), thus eliminating the contribution of John (14) who had scored on 12 of the 18 holes. So, their 47 points – which would have awarded them $40 each in prizemoney for third on a countback – was adjusted to 43, and $5 each in the rundown. And, to add to the torment for John, Headland bar staff refused to allow him to access the healthier House Account of Yvonne, who had snared $50 for her win the previous day.
SECOND, AGAIN: Exasperated that his Headland Masters’ team had missed the 2020 Sunshine Coast Golf Zone Pennant Competition finals by a single point, Burgess Stephenson has twice this past week been beaten into second place. Burgess played seven shots better than his handicap on Wednesday but was again not in the winner’s circle, and was six shots better on Saturday only to be beaten on a countback once more. Partnering Ian Farrington in the Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford event on Wednesday, he shot 82 from his 17 handicap to help the pair 47 score points, the best number recorded on the day. But despite his contribution of 21 of the 24 points on the back nine, Burgess and Ian lost on a countback to the pairing of Doug Hancock and Steve Eggins, who scored an outstanding 25 points coming home. Then, on Saturday, Burgess signed for 83 and 42 points, but was again relegated on a countback, this time by Kirk Hardy. The previous Sunday Headland was beaten 4½-2½ by Maroochy River in the final round of the Masters competition, with Burgess winning his match 5&3. Headland needed just one more win on the day to qualify for the finals. NOTE: Burgess has played 15 consecutive years of Pennants for Headland and has never had a season without a personal winning record. In those 15 years, the Headland teams in which he has played have made 11 finals, for eight Pennants.
JUG DEFERRED: Next Saturday’s Two-Ball Jug, which is being co-sponsored by Hometree Property and Finance (Graeme and Jack Nicholas) and Grant Martyn Constructions (Grant Martyn), has been postponed because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns. The Medley Two-Person Ambrose competition, which was held for the first time last year, will be rescheduled, hopefully later in the year. Saturday’s program will revert to a Single Stableford event for ladies and men.
LADIES MATCHPLAY: COVID-19 has not curtailed play in the 2020 Ladies Matchplay, with the first round already completed. And Robyn Boreham is off to a stunning start with an 8&6 victory over Ellen Bloxsome. Mary Dowling and Bev Barnes were other convincing winners, 5&4 respectively against Trish Murphy and Carmel Visser, while Rose Sztama beat Mandy Oster (3&2) and Trish Marsden was forced to the 20th hole before accounting for a dogged Gail Young. Winning in walkovers were Jenny Ingham (over Leeanne Ptak), Leigh Derigo (Vicky Maynard) and Wil Sprake (Katrina Watts). The quarter finals need to be completed by April 3, April 24 for the semi-finals and the final must be played by May 14. NOTE: The 2020 North Coast Zone Ladies Golf Pennant season, in both nett and matchplay, has been suspended.
BEATEN-UP: President Jon Welch suffered the full effects of an ‘off day’ at golf on Sunday when almost the entire field scored a cash deposit in the monthly ‘Beat the President’ Single Stableford event. Of the small field of 36 players, 30 beat Jon’s meagre contribution of 26 points. Michael Rutledge won the event with 41 points and collected $30, with Jamie Duffy (37 points) pocketing $20 for second. The remaining 28 players who saw the President not beaten, but actually beaten-up, had $3 added to their House Account.
WHOOPS: Sharon Thomas may be seeking a new partner to defend her Headland Mixed Foursomes Championship later in the year following a severe leg injury suffered two weeks ago by her son – and Foursomes partner – Blake. Playing in his regular Monday night basketball competition on the Gold Coast – where he works as an engineer – Blake landed heavily and awkwardly, snapping his fibula. He has since undergone major surgery, had pins and screws inserted, been ordered complete rest for three months and is unlikely to be playing golf – or basketball for that matter – for at least six months. The mother and son combination have won two of the past three Headland Mixed Foursomes titles.
WHOOPS II: In a 12-year first-class Rugby career for the Reds, Wallabies and in South Africa, Brett Johnstone estimates he suffered at least 10 breaks to major bones. And despite turning 50 in three weeks, the Headland member has recently added a broken left arm to his imposing list – this time in the more genteel pastime of Mountain Biking. After clipping a tree root and ‘ejecting’ over the handle bars, the pest exterminator is facing at least six weeks away from golf.
WEEKLY WINNERS: Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (48 players) – Yvonne Henry (37 points), Bec Francis (33), Heather Lum (32); Men (77 players) – Tony Coutts (40), Ray Dempsey (37), Mal McDougall (37).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (188 players) – Doug Hancock and Steve Eggins (47 points), Burgess Stephenson and Ian Farrington (47), Peter Leggo and Ross Carvell (45), Peter Raymond and Ian Moore (45), Brad Butler and Ryan Hansen (45).
Thursday, Ladies, Irish Team Stableford (107 players) – Linda Darnell, Vicki Houlahan, Mary Gibbered and Fiona Sullivan (85 points), Vicki Oxley, Mandy Oster, Julie Halliday and Jenny Ingham (83), Trish Howe, Christina Claxton, Fiona Munro and Liz Dunford (82). Men, Fourball Best Ball Stableford (88 players) – Tony Flint and Geoff Sawyer (50 points), Glen Wakefield and Neil Oxley (44), Ray Dempsey and Rod Hamilton (43).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Ladies (26 players) – Sue Jones (40 points), Liz Dunford (35), Joy Logan (35). Men (227 players) – A Grade, Dean Jones (43), Aaron Shaw (40), Justin Walsh (39); B Grade, Kirk Hardy (42), Burgess Stephenson (42), Tony McDonagh (38); C Grade, Jack Williams (40), Lindsay Parchert (39), Phil Martin (39).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford, Beat the President (36 players) – Michael Rutledge (41 points), Jamie Duffy (37).
