Merrigum
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THE final round of the men’s club championships was played on Saturday. At the start of the day there were three players still with a very realistic chance: James Campbell, Ash Sanders and Simon Doherty. Fairly early on it was down to two, and after the 17th hole it was Simon’s to lose. Simon safely negotiated the final hole to win the club champion title by two shots from James with two very good closing rounds of 78. There probably isn’t a more deserving winner at the moment, given the effort that Simon has put in during his tenure as president. However titles are not rewards for dedication, they are earned and Simon well and truly did that with wins in three of the four rounds played during the championships. The only problem will be the fight with wife Tash for cabinet space for the trophies, with both being reigning club champions. Sime’s round on Saturday was 78-14-64, which won him A grade and the Privilege Cup. In B grade Tony Borrelli won the day with 87-20-67 and this was good enough for him to overhaul Greg Hall in the B grade championship race and win the B grade champion title. James Campbell was the A grade handicap winner and Bryce Johnston was the B grade handicap winner. Congratulations to all the winners. Ball competition winners were Andrew Wood 71 and Greg Hall and Russell Dunn, both with 73 on a countback from James Campbell and Darryl Johnston. Nearest the pins were won by James Campbell on the sixth, Tony Borrelli on the ninth and jackpot 12th and he also won the chook shed challenge with 11 points, and Andrew Wood on the 14th. Least putts sponsored by Simon and Tash Doherty was won by Phil Savage.
This Saturday’s event is three person gentsomes. All three players drive and the best one is chosen. Everyone plays out the hole from there and the best two stableford scores on each hole count. A minimum of four drives per player must be used.
Valley View
DESPITE a good field, scoring was a little on the low side in Saturday’s Wally Shaw Memorial with the ladies’ winners outscoring the men.
In the ladies Bev Lyon (40) and Marlene Topp (36) backed up last year’s win and added their names on the Wally Shaw honour board for the fourth or fifth time (Toppy’s counting isn’t what it used to be) with an aggregate score of 76 points.
That gave them a three-shot win from runners-up Helen Armstrong and Julie Neale with 73.
In the men’s event the 2017 winners, Ash and Paul Kuiper, claimed their second Wally Shaw Memorial title with 74 points, with Ash doing the heavy lifting with 39 and Paul chiming in with 35.
In a low-scoring affair, they were five shots clear of their nearest rivals, John Burrows and David Collins with 69.
Ball comp winners were Jenni Bauerle and Leann Busch with 70, Wal Tink and Les Hall (67), Peter Blackmore and Kevin Bauerle (67) and Paul Dickens and Barry Scott also with 67.
David Collins, John Neale and Renae Dickens picked up NTP balls on the third hole and Pooch McHale won the voucher on the 15th.
It wasn’t all good news for Renae though as she and Ann Hawking took out the ladies’ encouragement award while the chemistry between last year’s men’s winners in Steve Usher and Alan Curnow seems to have evaporated as they picked up this year’s NAGA award.
Meanwhile the tee shot that won Pooch the voucher triggered an interesting exchange: As Pooch’s ball settled safely on the green just three metres from the pin he lapsed into A-Team mode, murmuring: “I love it when a plan comes together,” which drew the question from Alan Curnow: “So why don’t you make more plans?”
Coming events
Saturday, June 1 (assembly 11.30am).
Stroke/Medal
Duty: B Thorsen and P Downe.
Saturday, June 8 (assembly 11.30am).
Stableford Sponsor: Ratcliffe’s Garden Machinery Duty: J Neale, D Collins and P Noble.
Monday, June 11 (assembly).
Stableford duty: TBA.
Tuesdays: Stableford: Assembly 11.30am.
Valley View Ladies
THE third round of the club championships was a nail-biter, with Helen Emery finishing just one shot behind sisters Leanne Busch and Jenni Bauerle who were tied on a gross score of 280. Jenni and Leanne had to play three extra holes before the final result was determined, and so congratulations flowed to Jenni for her second club championship in a row, leaving Leanne a distinguished runner-up.
Janice Johnstone was crowned our B Grade champion for the first time, finishing with a gross of 285, while Sharon Harrison and Marilyn West, both on 294, had a countback tussle to determine that Sharon was the runner-up.
Gloria Pell, with an overall gross of 337, is once again our C grade champion, and Robyn Norton on 349 took out the runner-up honours.
There will also be trophies for the best nett winners in all grades, and they will go to Leanne Busch (232 ) in A grade, Anne Hawking (208) in B grade and Judy Sutton (245) in C grade.
We really appreciate the generous sponsorship of our championships by our long time supporters, M+S Group Accounting.
The daily competition last Wednesday was sponsored by Mister Embroidery and we thank Sheryl Hatch for taking the time to come out and make the presentations.
Helen Emery was the A grade winner, 89-16-73, on a countback from Janice Johnstone 94-21-73.
In B grade, Anne Hawking had a most impressive 95-28-67, ahead of Sharon Harrison 95-24-72. Bev Lyon was NTP.
Marie Watt took the honours for C grade with 110-30-80. narrowly beating Shirley Soares 115-34-81, on a countback from both Robyn Curnow and Gloria Pell.
Next week, June 5, we have a Stableford event.
Parkland
A NEWCOMER to the golf scene was Darren Baird when he won his first trophy at Parkland on Saturday. Darren finished with 39 points to win the men’s C grade event. Runner-up was Mel Lusher with 35 points after a countback from Les Jones in third. John Hausler won B grade with a credible 38 points while Don McKenzie was runner-up on 35 points after a countback from Barney McDonald, who was third. Craig Kane, back after a spell, won A grade with 36 points after carding one under on the back nine. Runner-up was Mark Percy also on the same score. Marg Tucker won the women’s A grade with 39 points with Denise Hee runner-up on 34 points. B grade went to Sue Reid with 33 points after a countback from Jennifer Todd, who was runner-up. Ball winners were Heather Sleeth, Bev McLay, Daphne Jewell, Barney McDonald, Max Jenkins, John Bauerle, Chris Tindale, John Thompson, Tom McDonald and Geoff Forbes. Nearest the pins went to Mary Trimby 9th, Sonja Cardwell 1st and Fred Roberts 18th. Encouragement awards went to Jenni Dixon and Graeme Wikman. The president’s team came out the victors over the captain’s team with an average score of 30.48 against 30.37 in the annual challenge. Ladies captain Kathy Bell presented the cup to president Vin Sleeth, who accepted on behalf of the winning team. Les Mitchell was representing as captain of the vanquished.
Paul Price was the winner of A grade for the men on Wednesday, carding 35 points. Runner-up was Allan Williams with 35 points after the countback. Richard Stockdale stood out in the field carding 42 points to win B grade while Mal Baker was runner-up on 35 points. Bruce Walkeden was third with 34 points. John Quirk, also back from a layoff, won C grade with 35 points after a countback from Ken Risstrom. Third was Norm Tucker with 33 points after a countback from Andrew Phillips and Kevin Davis, who featured in the ball rundown with Peter Fraser, Trevor Price, Brian Prendergast, Fred Roberts, George Saynor, David Kuiper and Harry Wayland. Nearest the pins went to Howard Teasdale on the 1st, Peter Fraser on the 9th for the Ky Pizza and Pasta voucher, Mal Baker on the 15th for the Clive Coventry Funeral voucher and Harry Wayland on the 18th for the voucher from Kyabram Main Street Butchery. The encouragement award went to Chris Sackett.
BINGO: For the second time in a bit over a year a $10,000 prize was won by a regular and member player in Thursday’s weekly game. This week’s local jackpot will be worth $1400 in 60 calls.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: More than 180 entries covering both the men’s and women’s events will start next week with the women’s over 36 holes on the Wednesday and Thursday while the men will be on the Saturday and Sunday for the 54-hole event.
Coming events: Saturday men’s and women’s stroke. 12-12.30pm. Shotgun. Medal Round No 8. Eclectic No 4. Intersport Bennett Birdie Hole No 16. Bar: L Flint. Tuesday: NO LADIES GOLF. Duty: M Trimby, P Laidlaw, E Cunningham. V Mulholland. P Reyment. Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th Victorian Women’s Par 3 Championship. Saturday 8th Victorian Men‘s Par 3 Championship 18 Holes. Bar: Committee. Monday: Queen’s Birthday Holiday. Mens and Ladies Stableford. 9.30am-10am. Shotgun.
Parkland Ladies
ANOTHER excellent field of 34 women contested the fourth and final round of our club championships. Congratulations to the following players who were worthy winners of the scratch event in their respective grades: Denise Hee (A grade and club champion) 213, Di Day (B grade) 239 and Daphne Jewell (C grade) 254. Runners-up in the scratch event were Heather Gunstone (A grade) 219, Helen Caldwell (B grade) 246 and Jan Gentle (C grade) 257. The handicap event went down to the wire, with only one shot being the final margin in all grades. A grade was won by Mary Trimby (181), just ahead of Heather Sleeth. Bev McLay saluted in B grade with 179, followed by Faye Roberts. Margaret Flint was the winner in C grade (180) ahead of Evelyn Cunningham.
Marg Tucker won the daily A grade competition after scoring 76-18-58. Heather Gunstone (nett 60) was runner-up. Faye Roberts (79-23-56) survived a countback to win B grade from Dot Atkinson (78-22-56). Daphne Jewell sealed her C grade championship with 81-26-55, followed by Jan Gentle (86-25-61). Balls down the line went to Di Day (59), Heather Sleeth, Mary Trimby (60), Denise Hee, Bev McLay and Lana McInnes (61). Nearest the pin on the 14th was won by Denise.