By Peter Owen
BY any measure Terry Quinn is a successful man. A newspaper editor of international standing and now an author of two popular thriller novels, he’s travelled the world and mastered every challenge he’s faced.But golf is another issue entirely.
A comparative latecomer to the game, Quinn has no illusions about his prowess on the fairways.
“Let’s face it, I’m a hacker,” he says.
So it came as a surprise – no, that’s probably not strong enough a word – when Quinn kept his head down, holed the putts and won last Monday’s stableford competition at Noosa Springs with 42 magnificent points.
“I’m a one percent guy,” he said with a smile. “I play twice a week, every week of the year.
“That’s about 100 games. The law of averages say I’m entitled to play one of them well.
“So that’s me – Mr One Percenter.”
There’s more to golf success than chance, of course, but Quinn says his lifetime-best round was not the result of new equipment, taking lessons or newfound confidence in his swing.
“It was just one of those things. I can’t explain it, and neither can my playing partners. Somehow I was just able to concentrate better – to focus on what I was doing.”
Quinn plays most Thursday mornings with a dozen or so of his mates, all of whom take irreverent delight in ribbing him about his golf game. Several migrated with Quinn to Noosa Springs from Peregian a few years ago when the future of that club was in some doubt.
A Noosa resident for the past 15 years, Quinn is a newspaper industry legend. Once the editor of the Daily Record, Scotland’s biggest selling newspaper, Quinn went on to become vice-president of Thomson Newspapers in North America and publisher of Fairfax’s print titles in New Zealand.
He became editor in chief of APN Newspapers in 2004, in charge of dozens of daily and weekly newspapers in Australia and New Zealand, and responsible for more than 600 journalists.
These days he’s a successful author. His first novel, The Scoop, a rollicking tale of adventure on the seas of south-east Asia – later relaunched as Dead in the Water – was published in 2018, and was quickly followed by Dead Line, a political thriller set in London.Quinn is midway through his third novel, which again chronicles the adventures of his hero – larger than life Australian journalist Jonno Bligh.
When he retired from the newspaper game, Quinn conceded that golf was a sport better attuned to his ageing body, than the soccer and tennis he’d played all his life.
“I love the challenge of trying to master this intriguing game, and I enjoy the camaraderie of the people who play it,” he said.
Maddison gets to playoffs
NOOSA golfer Joshua Maddison bowed out of the Queensland Amateur Championship on the Gold Coast last week, going down 5&4 to Conor Whitelock in the round of 16.
It was nonetheless an outstanding achievement for the Noosa Golf Club member, who qualified for the match play rounds after finishing tied 13th in the Queensland Stroke Play Championships a few days earlier.
Maddison shot rounds of 73, 71, 69 and 76 to be one of the 16 qualifiers for the amateur match play championship, but found Whitelock, of Royal Pines, too strong in the first round of match play at Arundel Hills.
Louis Dobbelaar, 18, a Brookwater member who developed his golf game on the Invincibles Sunshine Coast Junior Tour, went on to win his second state championship, beating South Australian Jack Tanner 3&1 in the final.Lion Higo, another Invincibles’ graduate, won the women’s amateur title, beating Mirabel Ting 3&1 in the final. Lion heads off to start a college career at Pepperdine University in the United States in January.
Katherine finds best form
KATHERINE Kirk, the best female golfer Noosa has produced, continued her recent run of excellent form when she shot rounds of 65, 68 and 66 to finish tied 7th in the Arkansas Championship in the US this week.
She made a brilliant start, with an opening round 65 on the back of a new, red hot putter.
“It’s called the ’One and Done’,“ she said. “So it’s actually one (putt) and kind of going to make it. It rolled awesome. Super happy with it.“
Kirk, 38, who finished just outside the top 20 at the AIG Women’s Championship at Royal Troon last week, was six strokes behind this week’s winner, American Austin Ernst.
Something for dad
It’s Father’s Day on Saturday and, if your dad’s a golfer, Noosa Springs has a gift idea that might appeal. Noosa Springs’ Ultimate Father’s Day Gift starts with nine holes of golf in an electric cart, followed by a steak sandwich, washed down with a schooner of cold beer.
The unique Father’s Day gift costs $90, and can be purchased online as a voucher by clicking on www.noosasprings.com.au. The offer closes on Sunday, September 6 and is valid for six months from the time of purchase.
Pay as you play at Cooroy
COOROY Golf Club has introduced ‘pay as you play’ memberships to provide value for those golfers who do not have the time to play as regularly as they might like.
Golfers pay an annual fee of $275, which allows them to maintain a handicap and enjoy most of the privileges of full membership. Each time they play they pay another $20, plus whatever competition fee may apply.
The club also offers a business membership that operates on the same principle.The annual fee is $375, and includes a $100 members’ account which can be used to entertain clients. The fee is billed directly to the business.
Golfers in either category can upgrade to full membership at any time by paying the appropriate fee.
Third child for Adam Scott
ADAM Scott, who maintains a home at Sunshine Beach, will be disappointed he did not qualify for the 30-person PGA Tour Championship to be played this weekend at East Lake in Atlanta, Georgia.But any regret will be short-lived.
Scott, 40, and his wife Marie this week announced they were expecting their third child – a brother or sister to Bo Vera, 5, and Byron, 3.
Judi in the running for a year’s free golf
Judi Barrett played a great round on Sunday to score 37 stableford points in the Universal Property Sunday Series, and give herself a chance of winning two years’ free golf at two of Queensland’s best courses.
If her score was the best by a woman for the month she will qualify for the December final, where the prize is unlimited golf, including the use of an electric cart, for a year at Noosa Springs and Links Hope Island.
The male golfer with the month’s best score will join her in the final.
The competition is open to members and visitors, with local golfers – those who live on the Sunshine Coast and Gympie – eligible for the Locals Only special green fee of $79, including a cart.
Competition results
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, August 24
Men’s stableford: Terry Quinn 42, David Cohn 41, Noel Ryan 39; women’s stableford: Claudia Cohn 42, Mally Jane 41, Dana Angus 40.Wednesday, August 26
Men’s stableford: David Wood 39, Jack Steele 36, John Gavin 35; women’s stableford: Marg Waters 41, Jill Yeatman 33, Frank Clements 33.Men’s Precinct Challenge stableford: Bob Layton 37, Joe Langley 37, Graham Young 36; ladies Precinct Challenge stableford: Dee Pugh 39, Judy Buss 36, Janet Young 36.
Saturday, August 29
Men’s stableford: Tony Buss 41, David Pugh 40, Philip Starkey 38, David Hay 37; women’s stableford: Di Cutting 42, Janet Young 41, Mally Jane 39, Kini Naughton 39.
Sunday, August 30
Universal Property Sunday Series, men’s stableford: Garry Sherman 37, Karl Aldrich 36, Raffi Sekzenian 36, Paul Liddy 36; women’s stableford: Judi Barrett 39, Toni Liddy 35, Sandi Hoskins 33.
NOOSA
Tuesday, August 25
Tuesday Club stableford: A grade – Neville Hazlett 40, Joe Ottaway 39c/b, Colin Kinnaird 39c/b, Ben Palfery 39; B grade – Marcus Edwards 40, Dale Officer 38c/b, Warick Redwood 38c/b, Studleigh Martin 38; C grade – Andrew Broad 41c/b, George James 41, Peter Baynes 40, Chris Rowlinson 39c/b. Rundown to 35c/b.Wednesday, August 26
Men’s 2-person Ambrose: Dean Mcmaster & John Wex 64, Peter Blair & Ken Wales 64.75, Paul David & Bruce Davidson 65. Rundown to 68c/b.
Thursday, August 27
Women’s stableford: A grade – Linda Jedynak 40, Connie Gordon 39, Gayna Ryan 38; B grade – Debra Murnane 40c/b, Robyn McManus 40, Marg Colwell 37; C grade – Julie Preskett 39, Sandra Kiely 38, Julie Fiegl 37c/b. Rundown to 34c/b.
Saturday, August 29
1st round club championships: A grade – Shane Dunning 65, Adam Grant 68c/b, Peter O’Brien 68; B grade – Steve Grey 66, Michael Cantori 67, Ross Cunningham 68; C grade – Jason Smith 61, Michael Davenport 68c/b, Tom Mulligan 68. Rundown to 72.
Women’s stableford: Peta Mancktelow 38, Orawan Millar 37, Heather Alsop 36c/b.
COOROY
Tuesday, August 25
Women’s stroke, 9 holes: Leith Barr 33, Carole Bravo 35.
Wednesday, August 26
Vets 4-man Ambrose: Kerry Davies, Bronco Price, Andrew Moon, Don Esposito 52.25, Michael Loe, Graeme Osborne, Peter Palmer, Tony Kershaw 52.75, Rob Nash, Tony Foster, Mark Woolway, Brett LeMoy 54, Brad Lavender, Bob Read, Rex Williams, Rob Powell 54. Rundown to 55.75.
Thursday, August 27
Women’s 4-ball aggregate stableford: Kate Sawrey & Anita Highland 72, Wendy Morse & Mary Miller 71. Rundown to 66.
Friday, August 28
Cooper’s Challenge, stableford: L. Barr 43, P. Jeuchen 37, S. Burke 34.
Saturday, August 29
Monthly medal (3rd round of club championship): Div 1- L. Grainger 65, N. Ackland 68; Div 2 – M. Loe 67, P. Piggott 68c/b; Div 3 – D. Davy 67, P. Gannon 69. Rundown to 70.Women’s stableford: J. Rabjohns 42, A. Morton 37
