From Tony Durkin
McGILL LEADS: Headland Pennant captain Sean McGill will take a two-shot lead into the final 36 holes of the Men’s Club Championship, to be played next Saturday and Sunday. A flawless par round on Sunday followed his three-over 75 the previous day, which included two birdies and five bogeys on a course where not one of the 185 players could manage par. Closest to Sean (75,72 – 147) is the talented Scott Walker (74,75 – 149) and the ageless Jamie Holbrook (75,75 – 150), while veteran Warren Sorby (152), former Champion Adam Rydwanski (153) and Josh Holbrook, teenage son of Jamie, and Glenn Walker, elder brother of Scott, are not without a chance. Pre-Championship hot favourite, the in-form Brad Butler (79,77 -156), is nine shots from the lead and it will take a gargantuan effort from him to win from that far back. Aaron Duff (165) leads B Grade by a shot from Jack Pyke (166), while Alex Sue See (168) is a further stroke away, while Ross Carvell (171) holds a six-stroke lead in C Grade from Greg Stray (177), with Chris Klazema (179) sitting third.
JOSIE TESTED: Defending Ladies Champion, Josie Ryan, is in a tussle with the consistent Kate Wilkie to win her 18th Headland Ladies Championship. After the first 36 holes of the 2020 Championship, Josie (83,86 – 169) and Kate (84,85 – 169) are locked together atop the leaderboard, well clear of third-placed Annabel Harris (90,88 – 178). And while Josie blames her putting – 81 putts during the first two rounds – for her uncharacteristic high score, she has nothing but praise for the course and tough pin placements. “The pin placements were particularly difficult on Saturday, but that is exactly how they should be for a championship event,” she said. And while pleased that Kate has played well and is presenting her with a challenge, the prodigious winner says she is looking forward to the encounter next weekend when the pair will almost certainly play together on both days. Carol Dwyer (184) leads B Grade from Susie Fenton and Kirsten Kaergaard, both on 190, while Di Stark (217) has a seven-shot lead in C Grade, from Lyn Forbes (224) and Jane Boaler (225).
NEVER BETTER: Peter Welsh, whose parents Sam and Betty were both Patrons of Headland Golf Club before their respective passing, is well qualified to pass judgement on the state of the course. And, after winning the October Mid-Week Medley Medal on Wednesday with an excellent score of minus six (nett 66), he rated the condition of the course as the best it has ever been. Peter, a retired doctor, has been a member since 1995 and until recently a regular competitor whose handicap has been as low as seven. But because of a family bereavement, Wednesday’s round was just his second in almost two months and he conceded he was surprised he scored so well. His round – 79 – revealed 10 pars, four bogeys and two doubles, but it was his lone birdie – at the 18th – which enabled him to win the A Grade Medal on a countback from Bevan Horsnell. Bob Keogh, also minus six, won the C Grade Medal while Steve Rose was the winner in B Grade, with minus four.
RETIRED GOLF: Jenny Ingham knew she would play more golf when she retired, but she did not realise how much better – and fruitful – her game would become. Jenny retired three months ago after almost three decades as receptionist for her doctor husband Rob, and says her life now, and her golf, is very much stress free. And that showed on Thursday when she won the A Grade Ladies Single Stableford with 39 points, and an impressive 87 gross. But that is just the tip of the iceberg of success since she retired at the end of June. Among her feats has been a third placing in the American Foursomes with her daughter Amanda, as well as the nine-hole gross win the Ladies Foursomes Championships, a Single Stableford win in August followed by a third placing in a similar event, a fourth place with Daniel Lane in Headland’s annual Patron’s Day and, topping of the triumphs, a day out at the recent Bribie Island Ladies Classic when she walked away with the day one gross and the day one senior nett. And while she is more relaxed without the pressure of work, Jenny confides that playing regularly in the company of her daughter Amanda, who has recently returned to competitive golf at Headland, has added further enjoyment to the game she loves.
EAGLE JIM: Jim Snowball estimates he has played the first hole at Headland more than 1000 times during his 16 years as a member and, at 79 years of age and playing off a 22 handicap, reckoned his days of scoring an eagle there were well and truly past. But, in the company of his wife Coralie, the former pilot achieved the rare feat on Tuesday, kick-starting his second nine with five Stableford points following a meagre return of 14 on the back. Hitting his drive to what he referred to as ‘the usual collection area’ – adjacent to the small cluster of trees near the cart path on the left – Jim then struck a rescue club ‘pretty well’. Coralie suggested it had found the bunker, but when that was not the case Jim searched over the back of the green, again without luck. It was then that playing partner and Life Member, Bill Boucaut, spotted the ball poking its head out from the foam-engorged cup. It isn’t the first eagle for Jim, who moved from Melbourne with Coralie to adjacent Crest Apartments back in 2003. He had previously eagled the 11th hole at Headland. And while Jim’s eagle was no doubt the highlight of the day, Coralie shone brightly too, scoring 38 points, five more than her husband of 55 years.
NOT BUNKERED: She may have found herself in the sand just twice, but Ruth Broderick credits her winning score of 42 points in Tuesday’s Ladies Single Stableford to a recent bunker lesson from Trainee Professional, McKenzie Wright. “What McKenzie told me just clicked, and I got out both times. And, as a result, confidence in my whole game grew,” said the 2016 SWING graduate who returned her best-ever score. But Ruth believes there was another factor fundamental to her success. Four nights earlier she was at the Gabba to watch her beloved Brisbane Lions beat Richmond and qualify for the AFL prelim final, and says it must have been her ‘sporting week’. Although Ruth was somewhat disappointed she did not have a par on her card, eight three-point holes from her 31 handicap is proof of the newly-adopted positive attitude towards her golf.
FIRST MISS: An elbow injury has prevented Headland Club President, Jon Welch, from playing in his 51st consecutive Club Championship. Jon, who started golf at Rosewood Golf Club (near Ipswich) in 1970, has not missed the annual event since – later at Ipswich and then at Headland, which he joined in 2003. The injury struck during the recent Sunshine Coast Men’s Open Amateur and has deteriorated to such an extent that he could play just two shots on Wednesday before retiring because of the pain. But Jon, who has been a director of Headland since 2005 and is in his sixth year as President, has maintained his sense of humour despite the obvious disappointment of not contesting the Championships. “Unlike another well-known President, I don’t appear to have a quick-fix for my ailment,” he quipped.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (59 players) – Ruth Broderick (42 points), Vicki Oxley (40), Althea McLean (39). Men (67 players) – Colin Williamson (41), Jack Brown (40), Rod Hamilton (40), Steve Eggins (38).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal (226 players) – A Grade, Peter Welsh (minus 6), Bevan Horsnell (-6), Glenn Walker (-3), gross – Glenn Walker (73); B Grade, Steve Rose (-4), Ross Itzstein (-4), Mark Postles (-3), gross – Mark Postles (84); C Grade, Bob Keogh (-6), George Stoopin (-5), Lindsay Parchert (-4), gross – Doug Hancock (91).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Ladies (125 players) – A Grade, Jenny Ingham (39 points), Naomi Doyle (37), Christina Claxton (37), Catherine Peterson (36); B Grade, Bev Barnes (38), Vicki Oxley (38), Diane Molineux (37), Maureen Cartledge (37); C Grade, Mary Gibberd (43), Emilia White (41), Christine Hall (39), Wendy Burnie (38). Men, (91 players) – Alf Gloster (38 points), George Rodman (38), Gregory McDonald (37), Tony McDonough (37).
Saturday, 2020 Club Championship, round one, Ladies (42 players) – A Grade, gross – Josie Ryan (83), Kate Wilkie (84), Annabel Harris (90); nett – Kate Wilkie (69), Helen Fraser (76), Vicky Sheridan (76); B Grade, gross – Kirsten Kaergaard (92), Carol Dwyer (93), Susie Fenton 94); nett – Leeanne Ptak (72), Susie Fenton (73), Kirsten Kaergaard (73); C Grade, gross -Lynn Forbes (108), Penny Cooper (110), Di Stark (110); nett – Susan Haddenham (75), Lynn Forbes (75), Rhonda Parry (76). Men (185 players) – A grade, gross – Brian Kesby (73), Scott Walker (74), Jamie Holbrook (75); nett – Brian Kesby (69), Jamie Holbrook (71), Damian Moelands (71); B Grade, gross – Aaron Duff (79), Ken Anderson (83), Denis Orr (84); nett – Aaron Duff (69), Peter Raymond (71), Mark Barlow (72); C Grade, gross – Greg Stray (81), Ross Carvell (83), Quentin Poulsen (89); nett – Greg Stray (64), Ross Carvell (65), Stu Ennever (67).
Sunday – Club Championship, round two, Ladies (42) – A Grade, gross – Kate Wilkie (85), Josie Ryan (86), Annabel Harris (88); nett – Kate Wilkie (71), Annabel Harris (75), Karen Wilson (76); B Grade, gross – Carol Dwyer (91), Mandy Oster (93), Gail Young (100); nett – Carol Dwyer (71), Mandy Oster (71), Gail Young (73); C Grade, gross – Di Stark (107), Jane Boaler (107), Rhonda Parry (114); nett – Di Stark (75), Jane Boaler (76), Rhonda Parry (78).
Men (185 players) – A Grade, gross – Sean McGill (72), Ben Duncombe (72), Warren Sorby (73); nett – Warren Sorby (67), Darren Walters (69), Matt Hetherington (69); B Grade, gross – Tom Burnett (77), Jack Pyke (82), Alex Sue See (82); nett – Tom Burnett (67), Graham Cartledge (70), Jeff Jones (70); C Grade, gross – Josh Poole (83), Chris Klazema (87), Nick Reed (90); nett – Josh Poole (66), Chris Klazema 968), Lindsay Parchert (68).
