From Tony Durkin
REGULARS WIN: Three mates who play regularly at Headland on Wednesdays and Saturdays teamed with a visitor from Caboolture Golf Club to win Sunday’s annual 10-hole Super Hack event. Andy Whitmore (handicap 7), Aaron Duff (8) and Darcy Brown (12) were joined by Andrew Trennery (10) and ripped the par-45 cross-country course apart, scoring three eagles, six birdies and just the lone par for a nett score of 29.25. They won from Scott Bromfield (3), Trevor Gourlay (25), Mick Morris (18) and Phil Maron (23) with nett 30.125, while the team of Ian Russell (23), Trudi Russell (26), Jackie Walkington (29) and Brett Stephenson (13) scored 34.625 to win the Mixed event held in conjunction. A field of 168 teed off in the fourth annual event, played in three different time slots on a hot and windy day, and the winning team members said that apart from a lip-out eagle attempt on the par-six fourth hole, they could not have played better. However, despite their near-perfect round, the nett 29.25 has been bettered twice in previous years with the record – 28.17 – set by Chris Risby, Earl Hicks, Chris Eccles and Dean Oster in 2017.
GOLDEN RUN: Despite collecting $185 in winnings in the space of four days last week, Financial Adviser Tom Burnett is not recommending Headland members leave their day jobs. The 26-year-old B Grade Match Play Champion has enjoyed a golden run of late, culminating with a win in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford event with 40 points. He pocketed a sizeable $85 for that, to add to the $100 for winning the B Grade Match Play Championship four days earlier. And even though Tom has reduced his handicap from 30 to seven in the three years he has been playing competitive golf, Wednesday’s round – which included five birdies – was not his favourite. His winning card also revealed a double bogey, four bogeys and a wipe, and Tom says his course management is in need of improvement. Tom won A Grade on a countback from Dennis Mikolic and Ian Farrington, Barrie Whelan (39) led in the B Grade field while Michael Parkinson (38) won C Grade.
DECISIVE WIN: A visitor joined with three septuagenarians to convincingly win Thursday’s Irish Team Stableford event for men. Mark Durkin, a former Nudgee Golf Club member who currently maintains his AGU handicap through iGolf Queensland, scored 40 points to beat the field and also lead his fellow team members of his dad Tony (33 points), Ray Morrison (39) and John Waterworth (30) for an impressive total of 126 points. In just his third competition round of the year, Mark (handicap 15) had nine pars and a birdie and scored 21 points in a front nine of five-over par, 41. But that score was bettered by 79-year-old Ray (also 15) who scored 22 from his 40 shots on the front. In a field of 87 players, the quartet won by a commanding 10 points. NOTE: The best three scores on each hole contributed to the team total, with the winners averaging seven points per hole.
BIRTHDAY GIRL: Kathy Petrie, yet another Headland SWING success story, has turned a $200 birthday voucher into a winning round of golf – thanks to Head Professional Adam Norlander. On the advice of Kathy’s regular playing partner Kym Mason, her husband Mark gifted her the Pro Shop voucher, with the intention of a new golf bag purchase. But Kathy walked out with not just the new bag, but a new driver and a new set of irons as well, and in her second game with the equipment on Thursday scored 39 Stableford points to post the best round of the day, and a win in B Grade. A SWING graduate from 2015, Kathy started competition golf in a whirlwind, winning a Monthly Medal in her first year and shaving 15 strokes from her handicap. But while the next five years have been somewhat dormant in respect of her handicap, she is hopeful the new equipment will lead to further improvement like Thursday’s consistent round. NOTE: In the process of switching her equipment, Kathy has misplaced her silver umbrella somewhere at Headland.
FIRST WIN: Despite being a Headland member for four years, real estate agent Ryan Tomlinson has never been able to play on Saturdays. But that changed last weekend, and what a Saturday debut he made, scoring 41 Stableford points in his highest score since joining to produce the best score in the field of 206 male players. Ryan arrived on the Sunshine Coast from Johannesburg – where he played at Glenvister Country Club – six years ago, and started his round on Saturday in fine style with a chip-in birdie on the tenth. He had another birdie – a putt from off the green – at the 17th, followed by a third at the seventh where he just missed his eagle, and despite a quadruple bogey at the fourth, still managed 82 from his 14 handicap.
ALMOST SEVEN: Septuagenarian Bob Trevor may not have won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for men, but the bearded former Telecom technician came within a whisker of shooting his age. The 76-year-old, who has scored less than his age on six occasions, had five-over 77 for 39 points to finish second to Mal McDougall (40 points). And while Mal was still on a high from his 66 nett 13 days earlier, Bob’s return to form has been a long time coming. The last memorable round from the eight handicapper was back in May when he shot less than his age with a two-over par 74. But despite a return to form, Bob was less than thrilled with his inconsistency – a double bogey and five bogeys scarred his card. Carmel Visser survived a countback to beat Sue Wake on 37 points to win the Ladies’ event.
A GOOD DEED: Head Professional Adam Norlander recently struggled somewhat to remove the grip from a club for quietly-spoken member Josh Poole. Watching on, Josh asked Adam how long it had been since he had fitted a new blade to the Stanley knife he was using, and with which he was battling. “Not since I bought it just before I moved here six years ago,” Adam quipped. When the job was finished and Josh was told there was no charge, he thanked Adam, silently slipped out the door and returned an hour later from Bunnings with new blades for the Stanley knife. That, fellow members, is the essence of our great club.
ARE WE OKAY: As a salute to the ‘R U OK?’ program, Headland volunteers will this week paint blue a very distinctive tree which stands between the 16th and 17th fairways. The Blue Tree Project started as a reminder for people to check on their loved ones and mates, to bring awareness to mental health issues and suicide prevention. Member John Langdon suggested the Headland Volunteers should find a suitable tree, which they have done, with the paint donated by Paint City of Maroochydore, signage by Sunquest Industries and necessary equipment from Sunshine Coast company, JC Hire. The colour blue represents a ‘blue lease on life’, and while more than 600 trees have already been painted, Headland is the first golf club on the Sunshine Coast to register.
TOP TRAINEES: Headland’s two Trainee Professionals, McKenzie Wright and Jordan McDonald, are heading towards outstanding results in what has been a challenging year for the popular duo. At the end of the third quarter (August) both trainees finished in the top 10 of the 2020 Titleist Footjoy Excellence in Education Awards. McKenzie, a second-year trainee, was fifth among those trainees in his year while Jordan, in his first year, was tenth. These encouraging outcomes by the Headland pair are from the theory (academic) category of the trainee program. The final results will be announced just before Christmas.
WHOOPS: Nine-marker Ian Farrington has been a Headland member for 27 years, and has never driven the par-four sixth hole. And that, he says, is why one of the cards published on the club’s MiScore leaderboard on Wednesday was erroneous. Confusion reigned when one leaderboard listed Ian as scoring 43 Stableford points, but another had him on 40. While those who have played with Ian are well aware of his golfing ability, doubt over his score was raised when his opening six holes read – eagle, birdie, par, par, par, albatross, for a front-nine score of 26 points. He in fact scored 23, with two birdies and two bogeys in his even-par 36, with 17 points coming home, to finish third in A Grade.
WHOOPS II: HH owes an apology to the dynamic duo – and best mates – Mick Kelsey and Mick Kinnear. Inexcusably, HH mentioned last week that father-and-son duo Matt and Jack Fisher had been the inaugural winners of the Headland Fourball Match Play Championship in 2019. That, however, is not the case. The inaugural winners Zenfind Accounting-sponsored event were in fact the two Micks, a year earlier. Mea culpa.
EAGLE UPDATE: An extraordinary number of eagle putts were drained in Sunday’s Super Hack Ambrose event at Headland, but obviously they can’t be registered as ‘official’ eagles. But in what was a lean week, only two legal eagles were scored – one by Sean McGill on Saturday and the other by John Sims on Thursday. Sean’s was at the par-five seventh hole and John’s at the tough par-four third, but their joy was stymied somewhat by bogey holes either side of their eagles.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (53 players) – Carmel Visser (37 points), Sue Wake (37), Trudi Russell (36), Ree Condon (36); Men (71 players) – Mal McDougall (40), Bob Trevor (39), Steve Eggins (39), Paul Stephens (38).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (222 players) – A Grade, Tom Burnett (40 points), Dennis Mikolic (40), Ian Farrington (40); B Grade, Barrie Whelan (39), Brian Hills (39), Wayne Deague (39); C Grade, Michael Parkinson (38), John Alsbury (36), John Hammond (35).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (119 players) – A Grade, Catherine Peterson (38 points), Louise Harriott (36), Sharon Thomas (35); B Grade, Kathy Petrie (39), Doreen Davidson (37), Lyn Forbes (34); C Grade, Christine Hall (35), Marion Dennis (35), Trish Arden (34). Men, Irish Team Stableford (87 players) – Ray Morrison, John Waterworth, Mark Durkin and Tony Durkin (126 points), Patrick Carmody, Paul Stephens, Sergio Nogarotto and John Marrington (116), Chris Byrnes, Mick Kelsey, Matt Doyle and Tony Kelleher (116).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Ladies (29 players) – Bev Barnes (34 points), Kristin Griffiths (34), Trish Marsden (33). Men (206 players) – A Grade, Rhett Charlton (38 points), Warren Sorby (37), Will Millroy (37), Tristan Scott (37); B Grade, Ryan Tomlinson (41), Terry Grogan (39), Brett Stephenson (39), Greg Patrick (37); C Grade, Jack Fisher (39), Gordon Peak (38), Richard Whittaker (36), Barry Euston (35).
Sunday, Super Hack (168 players) – Andrew Trennery, Andy Whitmore, Darcy Brown and Aaron Duff (29.25 nett), Scott Bromfield, Trevor Gourlay, Mick Morris and Phil Maron (30.125), Darryl Kong, Peter Holt, Nathan Osborn and Wayne West (30.75), Justin Walsh, Adam Richards, Coralie Walsh and Emmet Walsh (30.75); Mixed – Trudi Russell, Ian Russell, Jackie Walkington and Brett Stephenson (34.625), Annabel Harris, Vicky Sheridan, Cathy Roberts and Noel Harris (35.25), Tony Briffa, Bruce Heseltine, Sue Briffa and Lee Heseltine (35.375).
