GOLFERS Ben Tatt and Olive Spitty defended their Northern Victorian Triple Golfanza Championships last weekend.
The three-day annual event was played at Cohuna on the Saturday, Barham on the Sunday and culminated with the final round at Kerang on the Monday.
The 50th staging of the prestigious event saw a full field playing at Cohuna and Kerang, with a rolling start at Barham having 170 players teeing off.
Tatt, who hails from Belvoir Park Golf Club near Bendigo, added to his five previous Golfanza titles in 2009, 2011, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Kerang and Commonwealth golf club member Spitty won her first Golfanza last year and was keen to defend her title this year.
Her rounds of 77 at Cohuna, 76 at Barham and 76 again at Kerang saw her win by a blistering 26 shots from her closest rival.
Tatt, on the other hand, had to come from behind after scores of 81 and 76, at Cohuna and Barham respectively, to be six shots behind Malcolm Barnes, from Neangar Park, after two rounds.
Tatt’s 72 at Kerang, however, saw him leapfrog Malcolm and eventually have a five-shot margin at the end, ending the hopes of a fairytale win for Barnes who won the second Golfanza held in 1975.
Organiser Howard McClelland said the committee also celebrated the 50th anniversary with a dinner at Barham Golf Club on the Sunday evening attended by about 140 people, including past winners and current players.
“It was pleasing to have attendees Marion Smith (Cohuna) and Doug McKnight (Barham), who both played in the first Golfanza in 1974 and were winners of the event in the early years,” McClelland said.
“Marion won in 1978, 1979 and 1983 and Doug won in 1982 and 1985. Other grade winners from past Golfanzas were in attendance, along with a large contingent of current players.”
Certificates were presented to Greg Roberts (Cohuna), Rusty Smith (Melbourne Airport) and Brian Kingma (Cardinia-Beacon Hills) for more than 30 years’ participation, as well as to another 15 players with more than 20 years of competing in the event.
As a memento, all players competing in the event were presented with a 50th Golfanza anniversary towel, adorned with the three club logos.
McClelland said the weekend was a “great advertisement” for the quality of the local golf courses and the players were “ecstatic” with the local hospitality.
“All clubs are to be congratulated on their course presentation, quality of the conduct of the tournament and the friendliness offered to all,” he said.
Large contingents of players come from Melbourne Airport, Goonawarra, Cardinia-Beacon Hills, Belvoir Park, Neangar Park, Mooroopna and Rich River to support the event.
At the presentations on Monday at Kerang, McClelland announced that he would not be continuing in the role in 2024 and welcomed Liz Thynne from Cohuna to the job.
McClelland had organised the event for close to 30 years, after a meeting of clubs decided that the event could not continue unless a tournament secretary could be found.
He said tournament had gone from strength to strength over the years, culminating with full fields each day and the clubs reaping the financial rewards of conducting this popular event.
RESULTS
Northern Victorian Golfanza Champion 2023: Ben Tatt, 80, 76, 72 = 232.
Women’s champion: Olive Spitty, 77, 76, 76 = 229.
Men’s handicap winner: Richard Te Whare (Goonawarra) 222 net.
Women’s winner: Michelle De Saulniers (Beacon Hills) 211 net.
Men’s B Grade winner: Brian Kingma (Beacon Hills) 104 points. Runner-up: Alan McAuliffe (Mooroopna) 99 points.
Women’s B Grade winner: Suzzanne Barker (Moonah Links) 106 points. Runner-up: Marj Dodd (Mooroopna) 99 points
Men’s C Grade winner: Lewis Whitehead (Rich River) 103 points. Runner-up: Ian McGlashan (Mooroopna) 100 points.
Women’s C Grade winner: Maree French (Beerwah) 90 points. Runner-up: Donna Guille (Neangar Park) 89 points.
Drummonds voucher: Bill Poulter from Neangar Park.
