From Tony Durkin
TRIPLE TREATED: Accountant and Tax Agent Deon Breytenbach has managed to overcome a triple bogey seven holes from home to play seven under his handicap and win his first Monthly Medal as a Headland member. Deon, who arrived on the Sunshine Coast from South Africa eight years ago, started on the back nine and turned three over par before his hole of woe – the par-four fourth, which is currently being played as the third. “I think I might have become a little anxious after my great first nine,” said 19-handicapper Deon, who was a 13-marker at Woodhill Golf Club in Pretoria before moving to Australia. Apart from the triple bogey, Deon’s best card since joining Headland seven years ago revealed a birdie, six pars and 10 bogeys, for a nett 61 and the B Grade Medal. Richard Franklin (65) won the A Grade Medal, and Phil Thistlewood (64) was a two-shot winner in C Grade.
FOUR MEDALS: A SWING graduate from 2015, Leeanne Ptak on Saturday won her fourth Monthly Medal, but none of the previous three winning rounds were quite as bizarre. Despite a perfect start to her round – a two-putt par at the first – Leeanne courted disaster over the next three holes, with two quadruple bogeys and a double, to be 10 over par after four. “I couldn’t believe I could play the first hole so beautifully, and then offer up such rubbish,” said the former Hobart Real Estate Business Manager. But to her credit, Leeanne, who has played Pennant golf for the past three years, steadied, hit some outstanding drives, and carded 88, for a nett 68 and a win by two strokes. Her past Medal victories came in 2021, with two the previous year.
UNBELIEVABLE: Not only did he play some memorable shots and score an incredible four points on successive holes, but 36-year member Graham Miller could not believe how well he actually played in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford. “I wasn’t expecting too much, especially since it was just my fourth round after spending two months away on a trip down south,” said the 23-handicapper who signed for 42 points, returned the best score of the day, and won C Grade. “I don’t drive the ball very far these days, so I rely on my chipping and putting, and that was the difference.” Graham retired five years ago and after recently ‘finding time to play golf’, he now competes regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but doubts he will better his final nine holes on Wednesday which produced 23 points, with a double bogey on his card. Jack Pyke (39 points) won A Grade, Gary Ehsman (40) topped the B Grade leaderboard and Dean Oster and Ty Pilcher (47 points) combined to win the associated fourball.
WOUNDED STAR: Despite an injured ankle, which she suffered the week before her second Monthly Medal win in March, Kathy Petrie has still managed to slice seven strokes from her GA handicap this year. And Kathy further tested the patience of the handicapper when she and fellow 2015 SWING graduate Kym Mason scored 46 points to win Thursday’s Fourball Best Ball Stableford for Women. And to add to the joy of victory – and the $80 prizemoney thanks to sponsors and fellow members Ree Condon, Joy Murray, Jenny Stokes, Ellen Bloxsome and Jackie Thinee – Kathy collected a further $5 in the rundown after also teaming with Jane Boaler for 41 points. “We are mates and play together often, and Kym hit some amazing shots on Thursday,” praised Kathy. The pair lit up the back nine, scoring 27 points, with Kym contributing two four-pointers.
FORTUNES CHANGED: Retired orthopaedic surgeon Dick Gibberd has defined his first win as a nine-year Headland member as ‘a major change of fortunes’ and ‘thanks to a great partner’. Dick (handicap 36), who retired from medical practise in Townsville just prior to moving south, teamed with Ben Brown (8) to win Thursday’s Fourball Best Ball Stableford with 46 points, 27 of which he contributed. “I have been playing really poorly these past few months, so I am exceptionally happy,” beamed Dick, who recorded two four-pointers and four three-pointers during the round. “But it was a real team effort, with Ben scoring well when I didn’t.” The pair has never previously played together, or met, but Dick – who learnt his golf at the nine-hole Mystic Sands course north of Townsville – hopes they might combine again sometime down the track.
SNOWBALL GATHERS: A rolling stone may gather no moss, but a snowball collected a host of three pointers at Headland on Tuesday. Rising 80-year-old Coralie Snowball, who has been a member for two decades, penned 10 three-point holes on her card in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for a final tally of 39 points, and victory. But, despite her first win ‘in years’, Coralie concedes she went ‘walkabout’ during her round. “I was really mad with myself for playing so well on some holes, and so poorly on others,” she quipped, noting that her second nine contained five three-pointers, a two-pointer and three wipes. Steve Walters (also 39 points) continued his ‘new swing/new stance’ routine to play more consistently, and win the Men’s event.
JOY OF GOLF: Two successive rounds four under her handicap has given Joy Logan hope that her year of golfing hell might be over. “I have been playing rubbish golf for about 12 months,” said the former Sydneysider who scored 40 points in Monday’s Vets event, following her plus four the previous Thursday, and winning both competitions. “Instead of playing Army golf – hitting it left, then right – for some unknown reason I’m now going down the middle.” Despite a wipe at the par-four ninth on Monday, Joy scored a memorable 21 points on the front nine, with five three-point holes and three two-pointers. She joined Headland through the SWING program when she and husband John moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2014, and although initially not keen on the sport, she now plays up to three times a week.
ANOTHER BEST: AFL coach Warren Selvage is yet another member to take advantage of the abridged Headland par, returning his lowest round in 29 years as a member in Monday’s Vets Single Stableford. The former Captain of Headland’s Masters Pennant team shot 73 on the par 67 course, beating his previous best round of 76 ‘probably a decade ago’. “But it’s not a fair-dinkum score seeing the par is five lower than normal,” quipped Warren, who coaches North Shore Jets women’s team in the Sunshine Coast competition. Notwithstanding, his 73 gave him 41 points with his card of two birdies, seven pars and eight bogeys blotted only by a double at the par-four 16th. NOTE: Warren had a distinguished AFL playing career with Brisbane club Sherwood.
SENIOR’S ECLECTIC: Entries are now open for Headland’s 2023 Regis Aged Care Seniors Eclectic Tournament, to be played on Monday and Tuesday, July 17 and 18. The cost of playing in the two-day Single Stableford event is $65 for members and $75 for non-members, with competition fees and a sandwich/roll from the Halfway House on both days included. Entries close at 5pm on Friday (July 7). The annual event is extremely popular and the field is expected to fill quickly, so Headland members should book now. And, if any members miss out, they are advised to add their name to the wait list and every effort will be made to find them a spot in the field.
MEN’S PENNANT: A 6-1 thrashing of Mt Coolum has rocketed Headland’s A Grade team to the top of the 2023 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse Pennant ladder, with three outstanding wins from three starts. Teenager Ben Duncombe continued his giant killing role, disposing of ex-Pro Lochie Coleborn 3&1 at Noosa on Sunday, while Headland’s five-time Club Champion Adam Richards, hit back from two successive narrow loses to thrash his opponent – former Mt Coolum Champion Tian Scheepers – 6&4. Other Headland winners were the 2023 unbeaten quartet of Adam Rydwanski (2&1), Sean McGill (3&2), Shane Muller (3&2) and Wayne West (3&1), while Dave Rattray took his match to the 18th, before beaten beaten 1-down. Headland has won 17 of its 21 games to start the season, with just three losses and one drawn match. However, the fortunes of B Grade and Masters were not as bright, with both teams beaten by Twin Waters in matches played at Caloundra. Captain Michael Thomas maintained his unbeaten record in B Grade with a 3&2 victory, while Damian Moelands (3&2) also won and Steve Bell and Brendan Duncan squared their matches in the 4-3 loss. Anthony Mesic (3&2), Matt Hetherington (6&5) and Chris Schultz (1-down) were beaten. In Masters, Twin Waters won 4½-2½, with Col Pledge (4&2) and Terry Grogan (3&2) winning their matches, Peter Dunn squaring his and Mark Henricks (5&4), Andy Whitmore (2-down) and Ian Moore (7&6) beaten.
WHOOPS: An air swing and an unplayable lie four holes apart on Saturday have cost Tony Pattinson his first A Grade Monthly Medal. With his drive found the out-of-bounds fence at the par-five 13th, Tony caught the fence on his downswing and missed the ball. A seven resulted. Then, at the par-four 16th, his drive finished in the tree line on the left and while chipping out, Tony’s ball hit the concrete path, ricocheted, and finished in between roots of a tree and – following his mishap four holes earlier – he decided to take an unplayable. Another double resulted. But despite the two disasters, Tony still finished with nett 65, and was beaten on a countback for the A Grade Medal. “That is golf,” shrugged the nine-year member who specialises in Business Law.
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – sponsor, Perry and Oster Funerals – Women (33 players) – A Grade, Helen Fraser (36 points), Bev Kelly (35), Leeanne Ptak (34); B Grade, Joy Logan (40), Maggie Fitzpatrick (39), Pam Andrews (34). Men (84 players) – A Grade, Warren Selvage (41), Dennis Taylor (35), David W Smith (35); B Grade, Barry Mapes (39), Brian Garnett (39), Chris Byrnes (38); C Grade, Peter McMillan (39), Clive Glover (38), Bob Lane (35).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (41 players) – Coralie Snowball (39 points), Dianne Kean (39), Sylvia Wood (38). Men (77 players) – Steve Walters (39), John Moran (37), Roy Peterson (36).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (208 players) – A Grade, Jack Pyke (39 points), Warren Selvage (39), Steve Rose (39); B Grade, Gary Ehsman (40), Roscoe King (40), Don Follent (40); C Grade, Graham Miller (42), Dave Whalley (40), John Alsbury (40). Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Dean Oster and Ty Pilcher (47 points).
Thursday, Fourball Best Ball Stableford, Women (114 players) – sponsors, Ree Condon, Joy Murray, Jenny Stokes, Ellen Bloxsome and Jackie Thinee – Kathy Petrie and Ree Condon (46 points), Lynn Hayman and Susan Stratford (45), Dora Habgood and Rhonda Biggs (45), Lee Heseltine and Emilia White (44). Men (96 players) – Ben Brown and Dick Gibberd (46 points), Steven Condos and Cory Tsifidis (46), Bradley Bacon and Steve Walters (44).
Saturday, Monthly Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson Century 21 – Women (28 players) – Leeanne Ptak (68 nett), Janelle Heaney (70), Coralie Walsh (72); – gross, Fiona Munro (81).
Men (205 players) – A Grade, Richard Franklin (65), Tony Pattinson (65), Dennis Mikolic (66); B Grade, Deon Breytenbach (61), Clint Adams (62), Drew Grant (63); C Grade, Phil Thistlewood (62), Graeme Nicholas (64), Lincoln Harris (66); gross – sponsor Brian Kesby – Scott Bromfield (73).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (60 players) – Jan McNamara (41 points), Andrew Ebb (38), Don Caldwell (38).
