DEFENDING champion Don Ross successfully retained his A Grade Club Championship Title at Kerang Golf Club last Sunday.
His steady final round of 76 defeated Gary Thorne by two strokes after both players began their round tied on 156. Andrew Spitty and Phil Lloyd were also tied on the same score, but Spitty fell out of contention early and Lloyd’s poor back nine gave him no chance on the run home.
Thorne started his round with an unblemished card until the seventh hole where his par putt lipped out causing him to lose concentration, incurring a double bogey on the very next hole, turning the front nine in three over par 38. Ross bogeyed the first two holes but a fine birdie on the par 3 fifth hole had him one in front of Thorne after nine.
Spitty, multi club champion and favourite for the title, had a disastrous start with a topped drive, free drop and then lost ball to incur a triple bogey eight to immediately put him three strokes off the lead. A drive into the water on the par 5 sixth put him further behind with a double bogey and his championship challenge was virtually over.
Lloyd’s birdie on the par five sixth hole helped to overcome a double bogey on the first hole and bogeys on the next two holes to turn the front on the same score as Thorne. However, seven bogeys on the back nine ended his title hopes.
The back nine holes became a shoot-out between Ross and Thorne, with only one stroke separating the two and by the 14th hole, both players were all-square. Ross drove to the left side of the fairway – giving him no chance at the green, while Thorne’s drive just ran off the fairway on the right – but at least a look at the green.
Ross’ second was safely played up to the right and although in the rough, had a good look at the green for his third. Although Thorne was confronted with an overhanging limb for his second shot, it was his undoing as a solidly hit 4 iron, just grazed the limb, sending the ball across the fairway and hard up against a tree. Forced to just chip out, a poor fourth shot left him short of the green. Ross’s third shot overshot the green, but his bogey while Thorne’s double, had changed the momentum of the game.
A bogey on the next hole to Ross’ par had Thorne behind by two and although Ross stumbled on the 17th, a bogey by Thorne on the 18th left him in second place for the second year running.
Two birdies in a row on holes five and six had Terry Turvey well in the lead over Scott Harry in the B Grade title race after the front nine holes. Although Turvey had a double bogey, Scott Harry did not capitalise, running off a series of bogeys on the front nine that left him with an almost impossible task to make up over the remaining nine holes. While Turvey incurred several bogeys and a double on the back, Harry’s triple bogey seven on the par 5 14th, locked up the title for Turvey with a three-round total of 242 to Harry’s 249.
The C Grade title was a real tussle as Joe Tartaglia and Jim Clark battled away with some way-ward shots and mixed bag of bogeys and doubles throughout their round. Although Tartaglia had a quadruple bogey on the final hole, Clark’s many doubles on the back nine was his undoing and was well out of contention well before Tartaglia’s 18th hole mishap. Tartaglia’s three-round total of 268 was four better than Clark’s 272.
The Stableford competition, was won by Greg McNeil with a net total of 67 over Luke Hadfield (68), with Jack Hewitt third on a countback over Terry Turvey. Both players recorded a net 69.
Ball pool winners were Greg McNeil, Luke Hadfield, Jack Hewitt, Terry Turvey, Greg Gin, Ash McKnight and Don Ross. Nearest the pins to: Gavin Teasdale (3rd), Terry Turvey (5th) Don Ross (9th), Jack Hewitt – superpin (13th) and Joe Tartaglia (16th).
Other awards:
Michelle Dillon – Les Jobling Trophy.
Summer Cup – Geoff Williams.
Winter Cup – Geoff Williams.
NDCA Medallist – Terry Turvey.
Charlie Nesbitt Award – Terry Turvey.
Matt Colville Memorial Plaque – Luke Hadfield.
