Simon Cotton, a promising young batsman, thought he’d played his last game of cricket when he completed university studies in Sydney more than 40 years ago and began a demanding career as a futures broker.
It wasn’t until last year, when he and wife Karen had moved to Noosa, that recently retired Simon even gave playing the game a second thought.
“We were having dinner with a friend and he mentioned that he was playing veterans cricket with a Sunshine Coast team,” Simon said. “He invited me to come along and give it a go.”
During the first match that followed, the friend, Dennis Dunstan, injured a hip and hasn’t played since.
But Simon, 62, has become a regular – playing for the Sunshine Coast in the second division of the Queensland Veterans cricket competition, in towns like Toowoomba, Maryborough and the Gold Coast.
“It’s been great fun and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “It’s a great competition and I’ve made a whole new set of friends.”
His first season has just finished with Simon’s team losing the grand final, the result decided on the very last ball.
But he took some comfort in being named the player of the match.
Through it all, Simon, a nine-handicapper, has continued to excel at his first sporting love – golf.
A member of Noosa Springs masters team, Simon was the man responsible for winning this year’s pennant final – taking the seventh and deciding match on the third playoff hole.
But he bristles at being declared the hero of the team’s victory.
“It seemed that I was doing everything I could to lose,” he said.
“I was one up with one hole to play when somebody told me that mine was the only match left to be decided, and if I held on we’d win the pennant.
“That did it. I blocked my drive, duffed my second shot and lost the hole.
“Then we went to sudden death,” he said. “Until then it was just me and my opponent pulling our own clubs. All of a sudden there were 100 spectators following us.”
The first two holes were halved. Then on the third, a par three, Simon missed the green and pitched to five metres, while his opponent, Mt Coolum’s Barry Bowditch, safely made the green with his tee shot.
“I sunk the putt and he three-putted,” said Simon. “He was devastated. He had me all day, and I finished up winning.”
Simon and his family have a long connection with Noosa.
His parents lived at Noosa and Simon regularly played at Noosa Springs while visiting from Sydney.
“We’d always had an idea that we’d move here after work,” he said.
“My wife and I love it here and we’re delighted we made the move,” he said.
Cooroy’s Aussie team wins its own Ryder Cup
The quality of play may not have been up to the standard of a Ryder Cup, but Cooroy Vets’ annual international contest last week generated just as much emotion and patriotic pride as the big event at Whistling Straits.
Cooroy’s International All Stars took on two Australian teams – Aussie Attack and True Blue Aussies – on Wednesday for the title with a pewter mug at stake.
The event was held in conjunction with a single stableford competition, with eligible players representing one of the three international teams.
It came to the last putt of the final group to decide the outcome, with Kerry Davies tapping in for 44 points, giving the True Blue Aussies a one point victory.
Final scores were True Blue Aussies (359), Aussie Attack (358) and International All Stars (346)
It wasn’t nearly as tense in the Ryder Cup, with the powerful American team handing out a 19-9 drubbing to the hapless Europeans.
Kirk’s 63 shows she’s still got it
Noosa’s Katherine Kirk faded in the final two rounds but showed she still has the ability to be competitive when she began the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in the US with a blistering round of eight-under par 63 to share the first round lead.
“I got off to a good start and this is the kind of golf course where you just have to keep the pedal down,” said Kirk, after matching her low round of the year.
She had an ace in the second round of last week’s Cambia Portland Classic and tried to carry those good vibes into an event where she has such a strong history.
“Lots of good stuff happened last week. I needed a little bit of a confidence boost,” said Kirk, 39, whose last LPGA Tour win came four years ago at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
“I felt like last week was a little bit of a turning point,” she said. “I love this golf course, so good memories and good vibes and it was just a matter of going out there and having some fun.”
Kirk fell back into 42nd place after second and third rounds of 71 and 73, but is on target to finish within the LPGA Tour’s top 100 players and retain her playing privileges.
Fellow Aussie Minjee Lee (67, 63, 68) was tied second in the event won by Japan’s Nasa Hataoka.
Noosa Springs in the running for honours
Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort has been named a finalist in the Golf Club of the Year category in this year’s Queensland Golf Industry Awards. Executive general manager Mark Brady is also a finalist for Manager of the Year.
Winners will be announced at a presentation dinner on the Gold Coast on October 28.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday 20 September
Women’s stableford: Sandra Fortington 41, Rungratree Cox 39; B grade – Melissa Cowie 39, Sandra Kiely 37; women’s (9-hole) stableford: Lynne Hancock 20.
Tuesday 21 September
Men’s stableford: Graham Farrell 41, Warick Redwood 40, Dale Officer 39, Ian Burrough 38; B grade – Shane Taylor 39c/b, Derek Pousette 39, Tony Cawley 38c/b, Keith Howard 38; C grade – Greg Peeler 38c/b, Jerome Stuart 38, Gregory Hinson 37c/b, Tom Mulcairn 37.
Thursday 23 September
Women’s stableford: A grade – Fiona Watson 41, Peta Mancktelow 38, Connie Gordon 36c/b; B grade – Maureen Burgess 42, Judith Boakes 38, Irene Kerr 37c/b; C grade – Janine Freestall 37, Adrienne Wild 36c/b, Sandra Dover 36c/b.
Saturday 25 September
Men’s stableford: A grade – Brian Jackson 38, Warick Redwood 37c/b, Alan Holley 37c/b; B grade – Anthony Ryan 38, Pieter Kanters 37c/b, Peter Anderson 37; C grade – Dieter Hoffmann 38, Peter McGrath 37c/b, Rob Bruce 37. Women’s stableford: Rungratree Cox 37c/b, Gun Meskanen-Hopkins 37, Jess Fleming 35c/b.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday 20 September
Men’s 4BBB stableford: T. Buss and S. Gamble 47, S. McMenamin & G. Taylor 45c/b, P. Cordukes & B. Farmer 45c/b; women’s stableford: Rowena Faerch 41, Judy Buss 40, Lynne Williams 38.
Tuesday 21 September
Men’s stableford: Alex Hackett 34, Martin Scollon 32, John Mulquiney 31; women’s: Jo-Anne Patching 32, Denise Luiz 31, Rosemary Scarborough 29.
Wednesday 22 September
Men’s stableford: Darryl Dent 43, Helmut Schlichting 40, Jeffrey Inglis 39; women’s: Irene Cordukes 38, Mally Jane 36, Fran Clements 35.
Thursday 23 September
Men’s stableford: Michael O’Connor 36, Luke Cummings 31c/b, Simon Cotton 31c/b.
Saturday 25 September
Men’s stableford: Alex Hackett 40, Stuart McFarland 39, Murray Hopping 38; women’s: Birgit Wehrenberg 37, Tereza Holley 36c/b, Kelly Lynch 36c/b.
Sunday 26 September
Men’s Sunday series, stableford: Phil Harrison 36, John Barker 35, William Coman 34.
COOROY
Tuesday 21 September
Women’s stroke: E. Henman 70, T. Thomas 71; women’s (9 hole) stableford: Beatrice Bruin 21, Julie Collis 20.
Wednesday 22 September
Men’s stableford: A grade – Kerry Davies 44, Terry Magill 39, Studley Martin 37; B grade – Bruce Dooley 42, Ian Lumsden 39, Jim Bisset 38; C grade – Gary Webster 38c/b, Michael Hill 38, Andrew Aves 35.
Thursday 23 September
Women’s stroke: Div 1 – Terri Cairns 67; Div 2 – Tina Thomas 71; Div 3 – Sue Sendall 71.
Saturday 25 September
Men’s Par: Div 1 – P. Crosby +1c/b, P. Carroll +1; Div 2 – K. Pronger +3, C. Darby +2; Div 3 – A. Aves +5, G. Slater +1; women’s: Eve Hunt +4, Lou Taylor +1.
