From Tony Durkin
CHAMPION OF CHAMPS: Headland’s five-time Club Champion, Adam Richards, on Sunday was crowned the Sunshine Coast-South Burnett District Men’s Golf Zone Champion for 2022. Adam won both the Open and Closed titles after firing a par-round 72 at Bribie Island on Sunday. Along with fellow Headland Pennant team members Adam Rydwanski, Scott Walker, Dave Rattray and Brendan Duncan, Adam tackled the challenging Bribie layout scoring three-under 33 on the front nine, then lipping out for bogey at the 18th for three-over 39, to finish at even par. Adam, 48, created a Headland men’s record back in May this year when he won his fifth Club Championship over a four-decade period. Combined with Sunday’s Bribie Island tournament was the Champion of Champions title contested by 34 Club Champions from the Sunshine Coast-South Burnett District, which Adam also won. “I have had a wonderful career playing amateur golf, but this is certainly right up there as one of the major highlights,” said Adam, who is Men’s Vice-Captain at Headland.
MUG OF GOLD: Tony Dunford’s indifferent golfing year continued on Saturday with a calamitous start, but finished with a bang – and a Gold Mug. Playing from a handicap of 14 – his highest since he and wife Liz joined Headland when they moved north from Forbes 14 years ago – Tony teed off from the tenth in Saturday’s Monthly Medal and found the water on his first two holes for resultant double bogeys. He then steadied with five bogeys and two pars on his next seven holes for 45, then came home in 41 for a nett 72 and the best score of the 16 finalists in the play-off for the Gold Mug. And not only it is his first Gold Mug at Headland, but the Monthly Medal win in June was also his first in those 14 years. “This year I have had no consistency to my game,” said the former seven-marker. “I have been driving the ball well, but my chipping has been awful. I would much prefer to play out of bunkers, but that is not an option at the moment.” Former Headland President John Alsbury (73) was runner-up in the Gold Mug, while event sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson (73) of Century 21, finished third.
PENNY’S DAY: Penny Cooper has enjoyed her most decorated day as a golfer, and says her recent experience of playing Pennant golf for Headland, plus some dedicated practise, is the chief reason for her success. Penny scorched the course on Thursday, playing 10 shots under her handicap for a nett 63, victory in the B Grade Monthly Medal, as well as winning the coveted Medal of Medals for 2022 by a commanding four strokes. “I was just brilliant,” joked Penny, saying she thinks her 93 off the bat is among her best-ever rounds of golf. That ‘brilliance’ evolved from her gaining confidence from playing Pennant in the past two years, as well as making the effort to recently practise her putting and chipping. And her score, which was highlighted by a consistent four pars and 10 bogeys, could have been even better had she not penned eights on two of the par fives. Cathy Roberts (67 nett) won the A Grade Medal and newcomer Allison Bradshaw (66) won C Grade and also claimed the annual Rabbits Cup, for those women who did not qualify for the Medal of Medals.
STEALTHY MEDAL: Earl Hicks prescribes to the golfing theory that hitting pitching wedges into greens achieves the best results, hence the reason he recently – on the advice of Head Pro, Adam Norlander – opened his wallet and invested in a new TaylorMade Stealth driver. And it has paid handsome dividends. In his four rounds with the new driver Earl has either played to, or beaten his handicap, culminating in a four-over 76 on Saturday to win the November A Grade Monthly Medal with a nett 69. “I’m hitting my drives much straighter, and much further,” he rejoiced. The Medal is Earl’s first in his decade as a Headland member, and the 76 – which featured birdies at the second and 16th holes – is equal to his best rounds from the black tees. Gary Martin (also 69 nett) won the B Grade Medal and Skip Antony (70) led home the C Grade field.
GOLDEN TIM: Notwithstanding a quadruple eight at the toughest hole on the course, Tim Nunan has prevailed to win Headland’s 2022 Midweek Gold Medal. The 22-handicapper beat fellow B Grader Mark Beswick (23) on a countback in Wednesday’s Midweek Medal round, despite his blowout on the par-four 15th hole. “I shanked my tee shoot, hit a tree, finished in the dam and didn’t recover,” explained the former Catholic priest. Tim turned two under his handicap and was five under before his misadventure, but came home in one under 35 nett, giving him a final score of 68 nett, the same score as Mark, who was one over on the back nine. Nineteen winners of the respective monthly Medley Midweek Medals contested Wednesday’s final. Dylan Fennell (70 nett), who added the B Grade Medal to his 2022 tally on Wednesday, finished third. NOTE: In 2018, shortly after retiring, Tim scored a remarkable 46 Stableford points in his first competition round as a Headland member.
THUMBS UP: When Women’s Director of Golf, Sue Jones, gave Cathy Roberts the ‘thumbs up’ signal after her third shot at the par-five 15th during Thursday’s Medal round, the recently retired CEO of Sunshine Coast Day Surgery thought her wedge from 84 metres out must have been close. But Cathy was in for a pleasant surprise when she made her way to green – the ball had dropped in for an eagle. “I usually hit a pitching wedge from the tee at the 18th, which is mostly around the 85-metre mark. But I ummed and ahed on Thursday, because landing short at 15 can be disastrous,” Cathy revealed. It was her second eagle, her first coming at Middle Ridge in Toowoomba when she aced the 14th hole during the Queensland Women’s Country Championship in 2013. And the eagle was not the end of Cathy’s great day. She broke 90 for just the third time in three years as a Headland member, scored 67 nett and won the A Grade Monthly Medal. NOTE: Another eagle went unrecognised by HH recently when Leeanne Ptak aced the 14th hole for her very first hole-in-one.
SATURDAY EAGLES: Once again eagles soared at Headland on Saturday, with three players scoring the magical two-under par score from the black tees during Saturday’s November Monthly Medal round. Teenager Ben Duncombe was the standout, adding an eagle to his brilliant three under-par round. Playing off plus one, Ben also had birdies at the sixth and 13th holes, with his only blemish a bogey at the par three-three 14th. And while his nett 70 was not good enough to run a place in A Grade behind 69s from the trio of Earl Hicks, Paul Henricks and Matt Prince, he collected a total of $160.50 – $5 in the rundown, $15 for his eagle, $65.50 for the Pro Pin at the second and $75 – from sponsor Brian Kesby – for the best gross of the day. Dennis Roberts was also an eagle hunter, dunking his second shot at the par-four ninth, while Josh Myers scored an added bonus for his ace at the par-three fifth, collecting $15 for the eagle and $25 for NTP.
GOURMET ROUND: He may not have feeling in half his face following major surgery 2½ months ago to remove what proved to be a benign tumour, but Mark Selig was still able to produce one of his best rounds as a five-year Headland member and salute with a Monthly Medal on Wednesday. The owner of local food distribution business Only Gourmet with his wife Angie, Mark scored his second round of 78 this year for 68 nett, beating Richard Franklin on a countback for the A Grade Medal, and equalling the score of C Grade winner Glenn Williams. Following a competition washout the previous day, an outstanding field of 229 contested the Medal round with Mark’s only major flaw a double bogey at the par-four 11th, when he found tree trouble. His otherwise-impressive card revealed birdies at holes two and 10, nine pars and six bogeys. Formerly a member at Horton Park then Maroochy River, Mark missed more than a month of golf following his mid-year surgery but is grateful he is back playing, despite what is expected to be a busy time for business heading into Christmas. Dylan Fennel (70) won the B Grade Medal and former Headland Club Champion Ryley Martin (71) returned the best gross score.
MIXED CHAMPS: Headland’s Golf Manager Tilly Poulsen has teamed with 2020 Men’s Champion Scott Walker to win the 2022 Sunshine Coast Burnett Glasshouse District Mixed Foursomes Championship, played at Mount Coolum. Tilly (handicap 3) is a former Victorian Amateur State rep and has played scant competitive golf since she joined Headland 18 months ago, but convinced Scott (1) to join her at Mount Coolum last weekend for the 27-hole event. “We only entered a couple of days before when it was mentioned at the Zone AGM meeting I attended on the previous Monday night, and I thought it would be fun,” Tilly revealed. The pair scored 117 for the 27-hole tournament, giving them a nett result of 113.25 and victory over Mount Coolum’s Tiaan Scheepers and Jean Brkic (112.25). They are believed to be the first Headland pair to have won the District Mixed Foursomes Championship. Headland Pairings Anthony Fichera and Kirsten Kaergaard (119) and Sam Fichera and Narelle Hollowood (119.5) also contested the Championship.
UNDER AGE: Wayne Bridgeman became the fifth Headland member in 2022 to shoot or better their age, when he carded a par-round 72 on Thursday to win the Men’s Single Stableford event with 43 points. The former sporting goods Marketing Manager, who turned 74 in April, has joined Ken Anderson, Bob Trevor, Tony Coad and Tony McDonough in achieving this ‘age’ feat, and has now done so for the second time at Headland following another par round last year. But Wayne concedes he had some luck on Thursday – a couple of long putts ‘dropped in’, as well as a remarkable second shot on the par-four 16th when a three wood from 165 metres out curled around the trees on the right-hand side, landed on the green and found the hole for an eagle. He also scored birdies at the first, seventh and twelfth holes, and missed that with nine pars and five bogeys.
AGE, ALMOST: Another Headland member came close to shooting his age on Monday, but Ian McRaild says the six-stroke deficit is as close as he will ever come to that amazing target. At 92, Ian is Headland’s oldest member playing in competitions, and in September celebrated his62nd continuous year at the club. “That is as close as I will ever come to beating my age. It is just the first time this year I have broken my handicap,” revealed the former carpenter following his round of 98, for 43 points and the best score in the Vets’ Single Stableford on Monday. Starting on the back nine, Ian played his best golf in years scoring 24 points from his 33 handicap and conceded he ‘missed a few’ on the front nine, coming home with 19 points. The left hander plays golf twice a week, in the Vets and with the Pops on Fridays, and relies solely on his good friend Col Williamson to get him onto the time sheet. Ian won B Grade, while John Sims (41) won A Grade. NOTE: Headland’s oldest playing member is 94-year-old Robert Nolan, who plays socially three times a week with his daughter Susan.
RHONDA OR RONALD: When the scores were posted for the Vet’s event at Headland on Monday and the name R.Biggs appeared atop the leaderboard, the question had to be asked – was it 2015 SWING graduate Rhonda, or notorious British Train Robber Ronald, who scored an incredible 47 points to win the Single Stableford event for Women? And yes, it was Rhonda, and not only was her Stableford score her best ever, but her round of 92 was also a PB. Rhonda’s impressive card revealed 10 three-point holes, a four-point par at the fourth, six two-pointers, one one-point and – which made her very excited – no pick-ups. But she was bemused by her gigantic tally of points, claiming ‘it didn’t feel the round was all that that special’. Rhonda, however, did have a huge vote of thanks for Head Pro Adam Norlander whom, during a lesson in the Simulator last week, he introduce her to her new best friend – a Cobra Max driver. “It worked a treat,” she said. NOTE: Rhonda’s handicap of Monday was 29.98 – it is now 24.
BIG MATCH: Although a couple of staff members were the stars, Headland’s volunteer group (The Vollies) have prevailed over staff in the annual Staff V Vollies Big Match, contested on Friday. Played as a Two-Person Ambrose, the event was won by the pairing of Greens’ Director Gavin Rooney and Deputy Course Superintendent Steve Hudson, who scored 29.5 nett for nine holes. After bogeying the first hole – the par five tenth – the pair ripped the course apart with an eagle, four birdies and three pars for five-under 31. It is the third time in his four starts in the event that scratchmarker Steve, who played A Grade Pennant for Headland this year, has won the event. The other outstanding performance came from Golf Manager Tilly Poulsen, who was forced to play on her own following the last-minute withdrawal of Vice-President Peter Raymond, yet scored a superb one-under 36. But by strength of numbers, the Vollies outpointed the staff, winning 260.25 nett to 288.25.
JUNIOR WIN: One of Headland’s most promising juniors, 13-year-old Charlotte Ridley, has had a most satisfying introduction to district competition golf. Charlotte was a member of the Sunshine Coast Burnett Glasshouse District junior girls’ team which won the Sarah Jane Kenyon Perpetual Trophy for 2022, an annual match-play event. The local girls played against a strong Brisbane and District team at Keperra Golf and Country Club last Sunday week, and won 5-3. Although Charlotte was beaten 5&4 by a girl three years her senior, the experience will prove invaluable. Charlotte, who attends Sunshine Coast Grammar, has reduced her handicap from 37 to 16 in her two years as a Headland member. NOTE: On Sunday Charlotte won the November Junior Monthly Medal with a nett 72, one under handicap. It is her seventh Junior Medal victory.
TOM AGAIN: Three weeks ago, Tom Holt scored a fourball-like 48 points to win a Single Stableford event at Headland, and was docked four strokes from his 30 handicap. But – obviously – that did not deter the apprentice carpenter/AFL player, who again ‘smashed’ the Headland layout on Sunday, scoring 66 nett in Sunday’s Single Stroke event from the black tees. Tom, who joined Headland as a junior in his final year at Mountain Creek SHS and then virtually gave the game away for a few years while he concentrated on his football and work, and also travelled overseas, broke 100 for the second time when he signed for 92, started his round with a birdie and won Sunday’s event. His new AGU handicap is 21.8.
Monday, Vets’ Single Stableford – first round of Tony Coad Perpetual Trophy – Women (43 players) A Grade, Jill Nixey (39 points), Anita Boyle (38), Sue Jones (35); B Grade, Rhonda Biggs (47), Trudi Russell (41), Mary Ann Sanderson (38); Men (59 players) – A Grade, John Sims (41), Brian Richards (40), Peter Birt (39); B Grade, Ian McRaild (43), Peter Keane (42), Bob Keogh (38).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, competition abandoned because of weather conditions.
Wednesday, Medley Midweek Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 (229 players) – A Grade, Mark Selig (68 nett), Richard Franklin (68), Pat Taaffe (69); B Grade, Dylan Fennell (70), Kate Wilkie (72), Mark Gersbach (71); C Grade, Glenn Williams (68), Tim Nunan (69), Mark Beswick (70). Overall gross – sponsor Roger van Ginkel, Thomassen Australasia – Ryley Martin (71).
Midweek Gold Medal (19 players) – Tim Nunan (69), Mark Beswick (69), Dylan Fennell (70).
Thursday, Women, Monthly Medal– sponsors B BY HALCYON BUDERIM and Ken and Vicki Maynard – (106 players) – A Grade, Cathy Roberts (67 nett), Helen Venter (69), Jodie McDonell (69); B Grade, Penny Cooper (63), Deb Thomas (67), Anita Boyle (70); C Grade, Allison Bradshaw (66), Dianne Schulze (69), Coralie Snowball (70), gross – Josie Ryan (83). Medal of Medals (24 players) – Penny Cooper (63), Cathy Roberts (67), Dianne Schulze (69). Rabbits Cup – sponsored by Bev Kelly (82 players) – Allison Bradshaw (66).
Men, Single Stableford (93 players) – Wayne Bridgeman (43 points), Peter Andersen (42), Mick Kinnear (41).
Friday, The Big Match (Staff V Vollies), nine-hole Two-Person Ambrose (35 players) – Gavin Rooney and Steve Hudson (29.25 nett), Gary Hadenham and David Parker (30.25), Russell Cooper and Rob Hayward (31.5).
Saturday, Women, Single Stroke (28 players) – Leeanne Ptak (71 nett), Coralie Walsh (71), Vicki Maynard (72).
Men, Monthly Medal sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 (218 players) – A Grade, Earl Hicks (69 nett), Paul Henricks (69), Matt Prince (69); B Grade, Gary Martin (69), Ivan Fortmann (70), Kade Johnstone (70); C Grade, Skip Antony (70), Dennis Farmer (70), Ben Laycock (71). Overall gross – sponsor Brian Kesby – Ben Duncombe (69). Gold Mug (16 players) – Tony Dunford (72 nett), John Alsbury (73), Ryan Tomlinson (73).
Sunday, Medley Single Stroke (58 players) – Tom Holt (66 nett), Peter Wood (67), Karl Virbickas (67). Junior Medal – Charlotte Ridley (72 nett).
