From Tony Durkin
HANDI MATT: Headland’s four finalists in the club’s inaugural Handiskins event provided a host of highlights before chippy Matt Prince walked away with $600 to be declared the winner of Saturday’s final. Matt, along with Leeanne Ptak, Coralie Walsh and Rhett Charlton contested the final, which offered $1200 in prizemoney. Among the highlights were Leeanne winning $180 on the fifth by grabbing the skin, as well as nearest to the pin; Matt making birdie on the ninth which won him $220, the largest skin of the day; an eagle by Rhett at the par-five 13th for an extravagant skin; and birthday girl Coralie Walsh breaking through for her first skin at the 15th, and snaring $160. Prizemoney was split between Matt ($600), Rhett ($220), Leeanne ($200) and Coralie ($180). All four Headland members have been invited to the National Handiskins final, to be played at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast in May next year.
ALLSORTS ROUND: Patrice Jenkins concedes she plays golf with a carefree attitude, simply to enjoy the company, the course and the outdoors. And that laissez-faire approach bubbled over on Saturday in her winning round of 40 points for the 23-year Headland member, whose handicap has ballooned from 25 ‘way back when’ to her current AGU of 37.6. Starting on the tenth, she penned a seven, an eight and a nine on her card but still finished the back nine with an incredible 23 points. And beside two wipes and five one-pointers, the retired teacher had four four-point holes and five three-pointers on her scorecard, and also snared the NTP at the fifth. A stint living away from the Sunshine Coast, plus hip replacement surgery, has not helped her ‘up-and-down’ golf career, but she still immensely enjoys her twice-a-week outings. NOTE: Patrice recalls her last win being ‘quite a few years ago’ when her now adult daughter was still at school.
PUTTS DROPPED: After 38 years in the Australian Army, former Major General John Kingston fully appreciates the need for accuracy. And on Wednesday, playing in the Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford, he found that precision with his putter, having only one three-putt green on his way to 42 points – the best score of the day. Once a nine-marker when posted in Singapore five decades ago, John had two four-point holes on Wednesday, plus six three-pointers from his 28 handicap and combined with regular playing partner Lex Lane for 73 points, three less than competition winners Peter Gablonski and Graham Cartledge. A former Headland Vice-President for six years, John says the round was his best ‘without doubt for at least a couple of years’.
WAIT OVER: Because of Covid, Sue Harris had to wait more than six months last year before completing her SWING program and was then on the ‘restricted’ membership list at Headland for another six months. But it was worth the wait for the mum of Sunshine Coast surf lifesaving-competitor daughters Jean and Peggy who, on Thursday, won her first event with 39 Stableford points. Despite her late dad Allen loving his golf, Sue never felt the urge to take up the game until a couple of years ago, and now regularly plays four to five times a week. And, as a salute to her dad, she uses a couple of his clubs. Expecting a score in the 40s was needed to win a comp at Headland, Sue had eight three-point holes on her card to lead the C Grade field and a resultant handicap reduction from 44, when she first started, to 33.6.
BROWNED OFF: He may have won his first competition at Headland in more than two years on Saturday, but 23-year member Steve Browne was disappointed with the manner in which he ‘butchered’ the 12th hole for his only wipe of the round. Having bought an apartment close to the golf club just on six months ago – as well as a golf buggy – with the intention of playing more golf, Steve has had his ‘moments’ on the course, but more often than not turns a good round into disaster when not thinking about his next shot. And that is what happened on the par-four 12th, when his next two shots following a good drive finished in the lake. But he recovered admirably and, after starting with a par at the tenth, finished with 40 points to win C Grade, completing holes four to nine with 18 points. Once an 11 marker when a member at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club in the mid-80s, Steve’s handicap goal is 18 – from his current AGU of 27.
PENNY AGAIN: Back in June Penny Cooper scored 41 points to win a Thursday Single Stableford event, and was stunned that her highest score and best-ever round had come after 20 years of golfing endeavour. Not only did the win boost her confidence, but it boosted her enthusiasm and the wife of former Queensland Premier and fellow Headland member and course volunteer, Russell Cooper, has done it again. Although she finished runner-up to North Queensland visitor Robyn Underwood, Penny scored 41 points from her 31 handicap on a card that revealed two four-pointers, six three-pointers and – most importantly – no wipes. An initial season playing Pennant golf for Headland has helped improve Penny’s golf and her handicap is 29.1, the first time under 30 for many, many years.
BRIAN’S ACE: Adam Richards created Headland history earlier in the year by winning the prestigious Club Championships over four decades, but he still can’t match his 76-year-old dad in one particular golf statistic. Brian scored his fourth hole-in-one at Headland on Wednesday when he aced the fifth for the second time, leaving Adam ‘floundering’ with just two. A member for 34 years, Brian scored his first ace at the fifth hole back in 1992 using a six iron and although age may have shortened his length from the tee, his three-wood on Wednesday – into the wind – proves the current Match Committee member still retains his impeccable accuracy. Brian’s other two aces have been at the 14th hole, his most recent in 2016. Partnering Ben Victor in the Fourball Aggregate Stableford event on Wednesday, Brian contributed 34 points to the team total of 71, giving them fifth place in the field.
MOORE PLEASE: Michael Moore has had four successive scores playing to his handicap or better, and after a period of five weeks where he was unable to finish his round, he is keen to keep the run going. Recent surgery, followed by three weeks of no exercise, put pressure on Michael’s calves as he walked the Headland course and as a result his Achilles became so painful he could not finish his rounds. But scores of 41 points – which won Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford – 36, 38 and 38 in his past four outings, all without pain, has him back on track and down to a 15 handicap, just one short of his best-ever during his most recent membership stint of seven years. On Sunday the former public servant ripped the back nine apart with 24 points, scoring 16 points of them from holes 11 to 15, thanks mainly to seven one-putt greens.
HEART MONITOR: Course Marshall Russell Harris is back on deck today (Monday) following a recent health scare. Ten days ago, Russell was admitted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital suffering severe chest pains, and fearing the worst. But while subsequent tests have given his ticker the green light, a hiatus hernia was discovered and medication prescribed. A tyre specialist for much of his working life, Russell has just completed 12 months as one of Headland’s three Course Marshalls.
LONG WAIT: When the shot from his six-hybrid rolled off the mound near the bunker on the right side of 14th hole at Headland on Sunday and made its way into the hole, Rob Cunningham’s 45-year wait was over. Rob, whose golf has improved markedly since he upgraded to a new set of Mizuno hybrid irons from the Pro Shop in April, had achieved most of his golfing goals – including close to an all-time low handicap of eight on Sunday at age 63 – except that elusive ace. And, as fate would have it, he achieved the feat in the company of a long-time mate and visitor from Darwin, Kerry Osbourne, who has been playing golf for the same amount of time but also, had scored a hole in one. “I’ve hit better shots at that hole, but none that gave me the same thrill,” said the excited retired banker.
FOURBALL MATCHPLAY: Two rookie teams have reached the final of Headland’s Fourball Best Ball Matchplay Championship, to be decided next Sunday (November 28). Mates James Reinke (handicap 30) and Dylan Fennell (26), who are very recent members, will meet Geoff Bland (16) and Daniel Diachkoff (5) following their respective victories over Richard Franklin and Errol Greiner (4&3) and Will Millroy and Nick Reed (3&1) at the weekend. Sunday’s final will be the fourth time the innovative Honour Board event – sponsored by Michael Thomas of ZenFind Accounting – has been played.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Staff V Vollies (nine-hole Two-Person Ambrose) – staff winners – Gavin Rooney and Aaron Shaw (32.25 nett), volunteers, Alan Stratford and John Jamieson (33.25), overall score, staff 360, volunteers 358.
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (67 players) – Robyn Underwood (42 points), Penny Cooper (41), Christine Hall (41). Men (57 players) – Ray Menyweather (41 points), Stephen Woolcott (40), John Kamm (40).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Aggregate (200 players) – Peter Gablonski and Graham Cartledge (76 points), Lex Lane and John Kingston (73), Alan Brooker and Doug Bannam (73), Barry Mapes and Daryl Jones (71), Brian Richards and Ben Victor (71).
Thursday, Women, Single Stableford – sponsors Di Gilmour, Gail Young, Kerri Tibbitts and Pik Chong – (118 players) – A Grade, Will Sprake (38 points), Marg Howard (38), Diane Molineux (37): B Grade, Odette Day (38), Tove Larsen (37), Sue Wake (37); B Grade, Sue Harris (39), Susan Stratford (38), Gillian Thomas (37).
Men, Single Par (94 players) – Mick Kinnear (plus 3), Dennis Schloss (+2), Rob Howard (+2), Greg O’Connor (+2).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (32 players) – Patrice Jenkins (40 points), Kathy Atkins (40), Kerry Longworth (39). Men (218 players) – A Grade, Neven Daniel (39), Sean Hanna (39), Andrew Fisher (39); B Grade, Barry Potter (40), David Cekulis (40), Kirk Hardy (38); C Grade, Steve Browne (40), Doc Fleming (39), Graham Clarke (39).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (55 players) – Michael Moore (41 points), Josh Veering (40), Brenda Smith-Gittings (39). Fourball Best Ball Matchplay Championship semi-finals – sponsor ZenFind Accounting – Michael Thomas – James Reinke and Dylan Fennell beat Richard Franklin and Errol Greiner (4&3), Geoff Bland and Daniel Diachkoff beat Will Millroy and Nick Reed (3&1).
