From Tony Durkin
SUPER HACK: Three regular Saturday morning golfing partners teamed brilliantly with a Caloundra visitor to easily win Headland’s fifth annual Super Hack event on Saturday. Former Headland Assistant Professional Matt Fisher (handicap 5), Gavin Terry (5) and Greg Stray (15) were joined by Caloundra member Wayne Lawson (25) and shot 33 on the 45-par 10-hole ‘cross-country’ course for a nett score of 28.65. They carded two eagles – on holes four (par six) and 10 (par 5) – and eight birdies in a flawless display, and won by more than two shots. But their brilliant score did not break the Super Hack record of 28.17, set by mates Chris Risby, Earl Hicks, Chris Eccles and Dean Oster in 2017, the inaugural year of the increasingly-popular event. Runners-up on Saturday were Barry Newton (5), Gary Martin (19), Matt Macauley (9) and Ciaran Fenton (7) with 31.25, while Headland Course Superintendent Ben Tilley (14) was joined by his fellow ground staffers Aaron Shaw (5) and Steven Hudson (scratch), as well as multiple Foursomes Champion Justin Nicholson (2), to finish third on 31.5. Mixed winners, on nett 35, were husband and wife Di (20) and Graham Molineux (21), who joined new member Geoff Kimmitt (19) and Ellen Bloxsome (27) for the victory, beating Adam Robins (22), Sue Harris (32), Brian Chatham (15) and Di Stark (24) who scored 35.375.
JOSH JOINS: One of Headland’s most successful juniors of recent years, Josh Holbrook, will join the Pro Shop team on January 1 next year as a Trainee Professional. Josh started as a junior at age 10, but gave the game away until midway through 2019 when he was motivated by Tiger Woods staging his memorable comeback to win the US Masters. Within three months of reigniting his love for the game, Josh had won the Headland C Grade Championship, broke 80 for the first time and reduced his handicap from 17 to four. In the intervening period he has won two successive Headland Junior Championships, played A Grade Pennants for the club, reduced his handicap to scratch and this past year teamed with Ben Duncombe to win the Men’s Foursomes Championship and was runner-up to Adam Richards in the Club Championship. The traineeship, changed recently to be titled the Membership Pathway Program, is a three-year term. Josh says his long-term goal is to play on the US PGA Tour.
HAPPY CHAMP: Overcome with excitement after winning her first ‘big’ golfing event, Kath Barford regrettably forgot to thank the sponsors, and playing partners, in her acceptance speech. Kath, a relief teacher who moved to Mountain Creek from Gordonvale in August of 2019 and started playing competition golf at Headland six months later, was crowned Women’s Vets Champion for 2021 when she returned the best score – 37 points – in Monday’s Championship event. And she managed the win despite a horrid start. The field of 60, reduced because of the weather conditions, had a shot gun start and Kath teed off from the 11th, and promptly wiped her first two holes, then scored a lone point at the par-five 13th. But she hit back to finish with 16 points on the back nine and came home in a blaze of glory with her 21 points sealing the 2021 Championship, beating Division One winner Lisa Ramen (36 points) and Division Three winner Trish Arden (36). Kath conceded after the victory that she had not been as excited since she and her husband Biff had finished the 12-month renovation of their Buderim home, which sits adjacent to the seventh green.
HICKS PARADE: Earl Hicks did not win Sunday’s Medley Stableford at Headland, but almost every aspect of his game was on display in a quite extraordinary round of golf. Earl, Director of Global Turf Products, scored 40 points from his handicap of eight to finish second in the event behind James Reinke (42 points), but it is the manner in which he accumulated the score that created most intrigue. His incredible card revealed an eagle at the tenth, five birdies, six pars, two bogeys, three double bogeys and a triple at the 17th. The round of 76 – his best for 2021 – included four penalties, one of which resulted from a wayward six-iron into the seventh green which finished in the back yard of one of the adjoining houses. But despite not winning, the round was financially rewarding. Earl’s House Account was boosted by $89 – $40 for his runner-up finish, $34 for the Pro Pin at the sixth and $15 for his eagle.
TWO NINES: Dave Sims returned to golf 2½ months ago following a three-month hiatus because of a back injury, and nine holes on Tuesday has given him confidence his game may be back in reasonable shape. Despite describing his round as ‘nothing spectacular’, Dave shot six-over 78 for 36 points, the first time he had played to his handicap since returning. But it was a round of two distinct nines. He shot 42 on the front – seven bogeys plus a par and birdie – but was faultless coming home with nine successive pars, and 21 points. Such had been his recent form that Dave’s AGU handicap had ballooned from 4.0 to 8.1 prior to Tuesday’s winning round. Only 18 hardy golfers braved the weather and the soggy course.
SINGLE AIM: Following his win in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford which reduced his handicap to 11.5, Scott Lindsay has just a few weeks of competition golf to attain his 2021 golfing goal. “At the start of the year my aim was to get to single figures by the end of the year,” confessed the Buderim IT expert. And while his round on Wednesday – 37 points – was nothing spectacular, it was posted during a stop-start round when rain fell consistently during his back nine. In fact, as Scott and his hardy playing partners walked from the 18th green, the siren sounded to end the day’s play. A former Horton Park member, Scott joined the club two years ago and won his first event playing from a handicap of 18.
MARSHALL HOLLERS: Course Marshall Russell Harris has roared back to form with 39 points, to win Thursday’s Single Stableford for men. The 24-year Headland member, who recently spent a few days in hospital with chest pains, registered his best score in more than two years despite a wipe and three one-pointers on his card. But he had his good moments, including birdies at holes seven and eleven, and nine pars, due mainly to some excellent putting. Currently playing from an AGU handicap of 12.4, the win has spurred once nine-marker Russell to reignite his goal to once again return to single figures. Formerly a tyre specialist for much of his working life, Russell shares Course Marshall duties with Glenn Joyner and Steve McPherson.
VALE JOHN NAGEL: Headland lost yet another long-standing member when Vietnam veteran John Nagel recently passed away. John, who had a long battle with cancer, was 74 years old and had been a Headland member for more than 28 years.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Vets, Women’s Championship (Single Stableford) – sponsor Living Choice and Perry & Oster Funerals – (60 players) – Division One, Lisa Ramen (36 points), Sue Jones (34), Susan Lowrie (33); Division Two, Kath Barford (37), Sue Briffa (34), Doreen Davidson (34); Division Three, Trish Arden (36), Mary Gibberd (32), Rhonda Biggs (31); 2021 Women’s Champion – Kath Barford.
Tuesday, Medley Single Stableford, Men (18 players) – Dave Sims (36 points), Ian Harper (34), Stewart Douglas (33).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (64 players) – Scott Lindsay (37 points), Gary Savill (34), Toby Zaremba (33).
Thursday, Single Stableford Women – sponsors Kym Mason, Kathy Petrie, Althea McLean, Leigh Derigo– (43 players) – Pik Chong (35 points), Trish Murphy (30), Brook Wildin (29).
Men (44 players) – Russell Harris (39), Richard Franklin (38), Tim Nunan (37).
Saturday, Super Hack (226) – Matt Fisher, Gavin Terry, Greg Stray and Wayne Lawson (28.65), Barry Newton, Gary Martin, Matt Macaulay and Ciaran Fenton (31.25), Ben Tilley, Aaron Shaw, Steven Hudson and Justin Nicholson (31.5); Mixed (83) – Di Molineux, Graham Molineux, Geoff Kimmitt and Ellen Bloxsome (35), Adam Robins, Sue Harris, Brian Chatham and Di Stark (35.375).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (62 players) – James Reinke (42 points), Earl Hicks (40), Neven Daniel (36).
