From Tony Durkin
BEST WEST: Wayne West was one of six players to beat their handicap in Sunday’s June Wood Duck Challenge at Headland, but his round was easily the most impressive. Playing off a handicap of three from the Championship tees, the electrician parred the course for the first time in six months for a nett 69. Wayne had three birdies – at holes two, six and thirteen – and matched that with three bogeys – one, seven and sixteen – on an otherwise clean scorecard. In a long and fruitful stint as a Headland member, including a stint as Trainee Professional, his best round has been five-under 67, scored on three occasions. Other members to beat their handicap on Sunday were Jay Gourlay (also nett 69), James Daniel (70), Aaron Duff (71), Ivan Fortmann (71) and Greg Jellis (71), who aced the 14th in his round of 88. Simon Groom was another to star on Sunday, scoring an eagle at the par-five 13th.
HEY DAD: Graham Smith is no bragger, but he does enjoy informing his Perth-based dad when he has a special day on the golf course. But the ex-greenkeeper did not have to make a phone call when he aced the par-three 18th on Wednesday – his visiting dad John was playing in the same group. It was the second hole-in-one for Graham, his first coming at Headland’s eighth in 2017 after which he phoned his father before even leaving the green. Playing the back nine first in Wednesday’s Single Stableford event, the eight-handicapper blitzed holes 10-18 in just 34 strokes for a superb 24 points. And although he leaked oil somewhat on the front nine with four bogeys sprinkled among his five pars, his two-over 74 equalled his best-ever round and his 42 points was the leading score of the day, winning him A Grade. For the victory as well as his hole-in-one and also the NTP at 18, he added $105 to his House Account. Ross Itzstein (38 points) won B Grade and Cronulla Sharks tragic John Logan saluted in C Grade, also with 38 points.
CALM KAMM: When John Kamm arrived at Headland for his scheduled 9.18am tee spot on Tuesday, he discovered each of his three playing partners had pulled out. His best option for a game was to join a group of two women – Alison Paine and Louise Armstrong – who had teed off at 9.02, and were already putting on the first green. John, a Headland member for 26 years and an immigrant who arrived from Switzerland in 1967 with just $700 in his pocket, quickly teed off, hit his second shot onto the green and two putted for par to kick start his best round since October last year. Playing off 17, he had seven pars, seven bogeys and a birdie in his winning score of 41 points, but was disappointed with successive double bogeys at holes 15 and 16. “I was keen to cut my handicap, but those doubles did not help,” said the ex-fitter and turner-turned postman who once played off 10. Chrissy Eggins (38 points) won the women’s Single Stableford.
DOUBLE WINS: Graham Smith and John Kamm may have had glory days earlier in the week, but both surpassed those winning scores to land on the victory stage again on Saturday. Following his best-ever round of 74 on Wednesday – which won him A Grade with 42 Stableford points – Graham went three better on Saturday in a one-under par round of 71 for 44 points and another A Grade victory. His card revealed five birdies, two bogeys and a double at four, where he actually dropped a long putt to escape an even greater blunder. And John Kamm followed his rather bizarre winning round on Tuesday (41 points) with 42 points on Saturday, to win B Grade. Like Graham, he had a double bogey on his card – a six at the 12th – to go with his otherwise-steady eight pars and nine bogeys for the 17-marker. Dave Wickham (41 points) won C Grade.
BIRDIE BLITZ: Christina Claxton concedes she has played much better golf over 18 holes, but three birdies in Thursday’s ‘fruit salad’ stroke round helped make her Monthly Medal win one to remember. Starting on the front nine, Christina (handicap 14) had five double bogeys and a par in her first six holes and was thinking ‘why am I here?’ But, as often ensues in our great game, fortunes changed, and in the following nine holes the former rep hockey and soccer player carded an impressive three birdies, three bogeys and three pars before finishing double bogey, double bogey, par, for 87 and a winning A Grade score of 73 nett. Following her resignation in January after eight years as Research Scientist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Christina has had time to tinker with her swing and feels her all-round game is on the improve. A Swing graduate from 2016, Christina has now won four A Grade Medals. Other Medal winners on Thursday were Gwen Nancarrow (B Grade, 73), Kathy Walker (C Grade, 74) and Judith Vine-Murray (D Grade, 70).
WOMEN’S MATCH PLAY: Round one of the Headland Women’s Match Play Championships, sponsored by Guide Financial, were played during the past week and results were: A Grade – Kate Wilkie beat Sue Jones (4&2); Jenny Ingham beat Vicky Sheridan (3&1); Karen Wilson beat Sharon Thomas (6&4); the match between Josie Ryan and Fiona Munro will be played on Saturday (June 19). B Grade – Monica Knowles beat Carol Dwyer (5&4); Robyn Boreham beat Sandra Whittle (1-up); Cathy Roberts beat Wil Sparke (1-up) after 21 holes; Carol Quin beat Chris Parkinson (4&2). C Grade – Ruth Broderick beat Del Whittaker (4&2), Di Stark beat Jane Boaler (3&1), Joy Logan beat Wendy Mosley (1-up); Lyn Forbes beat Brenda Smith-Gittings (1-up) after 19 holes. D Grade – Wendy Burnie beat Susie Meade (1-up), Rhonda Parry beat Sue Hadenham (6&5), Chrissy Eggins beat Jackie Walkington (1-up) after 19 holes); Ellen Bloxsome beat Marie Flegler (1-up). Semi-finals must be played by June 26, with finals to be completed on or before July 1.
MEN’S MATCH PLAY: Club Champion Adam Richards will be looking to atone for last year’s gripping final loss when the Headland Men’s Match Play Championships for 2021 tee off on Saturday. Adam was beaten 5&4 by Scott Walker at the 31st hole in 2020, despite being one-under the card at the time. Adam plays five-time Club Champion Dave Rattray in Saturday’s first round, while Scott will play Sean McGill. The other round one matches will have Josh Holbrook pitted against Scott Muller and Ben Duncombe opposed to Glenn Walker. The B Grade draw is Rhett Charlton V Simon Whittle, Joel Cooney V Jay Gourlay, Col Pledge V Druce Fielding and Tony Pattinson V Ian Farrington, while in C Grade Tony Vickers will play Chris Wilson, Nick Reed meets Thomas Adcock, Nick Bolton plays Graham Newlove and Denis Clifford is opposed to Josh Vickers. The 2021 Match Play Championships are sponsored by club member Ash Reck, of Definitive Finance.
FIRST WIN: General Manager, Matt Lang, who took up the position in December, has scored his first victory on the Headland layout, teaming with Chris Byrnes to win Thursday’s Fourball Aggregate Stableford. But while his 36 points was the major contribution to the winning score of 69, the 18-handicapper laments a poor finish. Starting on the 10th, he turned with 19 points and then reeled off four pars and two bogeys from holes one to six, before finishing wipe, double bogey, wipe. “And I didn’t pull on the handbrake to protect my generous handicap,” refuted the popular new boss. The winning partnership was not planned – Matt was a last-minute call-up. Ed Hoey, with 40 points, returned the best individual score of the day.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Besides scoring 43 Stableford points and winning the Women’s Single Stableford on Saturday by a whopping six points, the family association on the day was almost as enjoyable for Coralie Walsh. A relative newcomer to the sport – she started playing competition golf at Headland four years ago as the fifth member of her golf-mad family and has reduced her handicap from 45 to 29 in that time – Coralie credited her excellent round to much-improved chipping and putting in her first outing for two weeks. But when digesting the win, she said playing alongside her dad (Don Follent), easily beating her husband Justin (25 points) and having her son Emmet make the presentation, were the additional highlights.
MEN’S PENNANT: The 2021 Sunshine Coast Men’s Golf Zone Pennant competition tees off next Sunday (June 20), and Headland again has three teams competing. The A Grade team, with non-playing captain James Brownsworth at the helm, is Adam Rydwanski, Brad Butler, Sean McGill, Dave Rattray, Adam Richards, Jamie Hill, Ben Duncombe, Scott Walker and Josh Holbrook, and will play Mt Coolum at Maroochy River in the first round. Former Club Champion Jake Crowther will not be returning from his new home base in Sydney as he did last year, and his place in the team has been taken by Junior Ben Duncombe. Otherwise, the team which won in 2019 and was beaten by Noosa in last year’s final, is unchanged from 2020. The B Grade side, again captained by Matt Hetherington, has a number of new faces and is Matt Hetherington (c), Will Milroy, Blake Thomas, Tom Burnett, Matt Macaulay, Rhett Charlton, Damien Moelands, Aaron Duff, Brendan Duncan and Nick Reed. Headland’s Masters team also has a sprinkling of newcomers, and will be Warren Selvage (captain), Scott Bromfield, Warren Sorby, Peter Perrett, Neil Oxley, Terry Grogan, Graham Newlove, Steve Rose, Burgess Stephenson and Brett Stephenson. B Grade and Masters follow the same draw, which in the opening round is against Maroochy River at Twin Waters.
JUNIOR PENNANT: Headland’s Junior Pennant team has failed to make the final of their 2021 competition, but not without a fight that went right down to the wire – and finished in the dark. Before Sunday’s final round against Maroochy (4) at Maroochy River, the teams were sitting on equal points in their conference with the winner to advance to the finals. And because the match was switched to an afternoon tee time and all three matches went to the final hole, captain Keita Griffin-Klazema, Sam Fichera and Charlotte Ridley and their respective opponents played the last hole in fading light with parents assisting by shining their torches on the 18th green. Keita won his match, Charlotte halved hers and Sam was beaten, leaving both teams on equal points. Going to a countback, Maroochy qualified for the finals on the basis it had halved more matches after both teams had also won the same number of individual matches. Team manager Anthony Fichera was full of admiration for the performance and behaviour of the young team – Sunday’s members plus Jack Fisher – and in particular praised the leadership of Keita who fought back from four down after six holes to win his match on Sunday. Anthony described his leadership as that of ‘a great role model for the younger kids, with an exemplary attitude on and off the course who has shown everyone how we should represent our great club’. Keita has represented Headland in Junior Pennants since he was 11 years old and will be ineligible next year. In another special milestone, 11-year-old Charlotte was unbeaten in her first year of Pennant competition.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (47 players) – Chrissy Eggins (38 points), Christine Hall (37), Marion Dennis (37); Men (65 players) – John Kamm (41), Bob Hunter (40), Des McNee (40).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (181 players) – A Grade, Graham Smith (42 points), Paul Garth (40), Lex Lane (38); B Grade, Ross Itzstein (38), John Hall (38), Gavin Tuck (38); C Grade, John Logan (38), Brooke Wildin (37), Phil Maron (36).
Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal (87 players) – A Grade, Christina Claxton (73 nett), Karen Wilson (75), Lisa Ramen (75), gross – Lisa Ramen (85); B Grade, Gwen Nancarrow (73), Mouna Humzy (73), Helen Venter (74), gross – Carol Dwyer (94); C Grade, Kathy Walker (74), Joy Bullock (74), Brooke Wildin (76), gross – Kathy Walker (107); D Grade, Judith Vine-Murray (70), Pam Andrews (71), Helen Martyn (74), gross – Judith Vine-Murray (107). Men, Fourball Aggregate Stableford (78 players) – Matt Lang and Chris Byrnes (69 points), Mick Kelsey and Peter Raymond (68), Wayne Nixey and Skip Antony (68).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (28 players) – Coralie Walsh (43 points), Doreen Davidson (37), Di Stark (36); Men (204 players) – A Grade, Graham Smith (44), Scott Bromfield (39), Rob Cunningham (39); B Grade, John Kamm (42), Paul Morton (39), Lawrence Hiremi (38); C Grade, Dave Wickham (41), Greg Smith (41, Phil Maron (38).
Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge (60 players) – Wayne West (69 nett), Jay Gourlay (69), James Daniel (70), Aaron Duff (71), Ivan Fortmann (70), Greg Jellis (70).
