By Peter Owen
For a young man who has charted a clear path for his budding career as an elite golfer, Covid-19 has delivered real challenges for Dino Degotardi.
Had it not been for the pandemic Dino, one of Noosa’s most promising young golf stars, would now be on campus, sharing a home with four others in the town of Greeley, and beginning his second year at the prestigious University of North Carolina.
Instead he’s home at Noosa, studying online but missing out on being part of the university’s championship-winning golf team, this year’s college golf season having already been cancelled.
Last year he was a freshman, and the only international on the 10-player squad.
“I really wanted to get a place at a Division 1 college,” Dino said. “I got a professional video made and did everything I could to show them I was serious.”
It obviously worked, and the form he showed in two college tournaments encouraged him to believe he was competitive with the best players in his conference.
Dino, who didn’t take up golf seriously until he moved from Sydney with his family in 2015 and joined Noosa Springs as a junior, plans to return to North Carolina as soon as he can, but knows that probably won’t be until next year.
He’s studying for a degree in sports management, a four-year commitment, but hopes to make a career out of golf.
“I’ll see how my golf is after the four years, then go to Q School there,” he said.
Success at the qualifying tournament would gain Dino playing rights on the US’s secondary Korn Ferry Tour, a key stepping stone to the lucrative PGA Tour.
In the meantime he’s playing regularly at Noosa Springs, where his coach is resident teaching professional Peter Heiniger. His handicap fluctuates between plus 3 and plus 4.
Last week he competed in the Pacific Harbour Amateur Open, shooting rounds of 73, 73 and 80. Despite the final round blowout, he was only five shots from the winner on a very difficult circuit.
This week’s he’s taking on the state’s best amateurs in the Queensland Amateur Championship on the Gold Coast, and he’s looking forward to contesting the Sunshine Coast Amateur Championship at Headland next month.
Cooroy champ romps in
Deb Macaulay, with a 72-hole total of 335, coasted to an easy 21-stroke win in this year’s Cooroy club championship at Cooroy. Runner-up was Wendy O’Hare.
Carmel Clarke (393) was the Division 2 winner, while Terri Cairns (278) was the nett winner.
Tooman quickly finds form
Noosa’s Simon Tooman shot a solid one over-par 73 to finish third in the Meadowback Pro-Am on Friday as the Legends Tour resumed from its coronavirus enforced interruption.
Tooman, a Noosa Golf Club member, was only a shot behind joint winners David Merriman and Tod Power. Yandina Creek veteran Brad Burns (74) was tied fifth, but Noosa’s Mark Tickle had an off day, shooting 86 to finish well back.
Noosa Springs Skins back
There is still time to register your team for the Noosa Springs Skins on Wednesday, September 9. Once known as the Noosa Springs Wednesday Wine Down, it’s an opportunity for golfers to let their hair down, play serious golf in a very social way, and enjoy the company of their mates.
Teams of four play a skins-type stableford event with a prize of four bottles of wine on offer for the best score on each hole. If two or more teams get the same score on a hole, the prize jackpots to the next hole.
There’s a draw for $1500 worth of advertising from Southern Cross Austereo, and if anybody holes out at the 4th they’ll win a corporate membership valued at $2250.
The cost is $79 ($39 for members) and that includes lunch and post-game nibbles. Covid-19 regulations will be in place to ensure the safety of golfers and staff.
Pennant finals now at Caloundra
This year’s zone pennant finals, originally scheduled to be played at Gympie in March, will now be played at Caloundra on Sunday, September 20.
Teams from Noosa Golf Club will compete in A grade, B grade and Masters, with play beginning at 7am.
Noosa youngsters show their skill
Shane Dunning of Noosa shot 86 to be runner-up in Division 2 of the district junior amateur championships at Mt Coolum, only a stroke behind winner Shae Coghlan of Maroochy River.
Jaxon Smith beat his Noosa club-mate Miles Roxbury for Division 4 honours.
Noosa Springs’ Koa Wood was the Division 3 winner, while James McCulloch, also of Noosa Springs, won the nett trophy.
In girls’ competition, Noosa Springs’ sisters Sunday and Coco Moore were nett runners-up in Divisions 1 and 2 respectively.
Postage Stamp ends Kirk’s hopes
A triple bogey six on the eighth hole, a short par three known as the Postage Stamp, ended Katherine Kirk’s faint chance of an unlikely victory in the Women’s British Open at Troon this week.
The Sunshine Beach veteran had surged into contention with a brilliant four under-par 67 in tough conditions on Saturday. And when she birdied the first hole of the final round Kirk looked capable of making a charge.
In the end, though, she signed for a 74 to finish six over par in a share of 22nd place. The surprise winner was German Sophia Popov, the world No 308 who had never won an event on any of the major tours.
Competition results
NOOSA SPRINGS
Wednesday, August 19
Men’s stableford: Allan Carter (15) 45, Hartmut Schlichting (30) 40, Damien Nicholson (26) 39, Dick Whittington (23) 39, Michael O’Connor (10) 39; women’s stableford: Joan Cairns (33) 40, Karen O’Brien (19) 39, Marg Waters (37) 38, Lorna Gibson (17) 37, Vivien Dembo (32) 37.
Saturday, August 22
Men’s stableford: Drew McMenamin (4) 41, Paul Liddy (12) 39, Murray Hopping (27) 38, David Gibson (18) 38, Andrew Tregaskis (12) 36; women’s stableford: Barbara Sweeney (27) 42, Susan Walker (31) 42, Rosie Randall (16) 38, Di Cutting (41) 37, Dee Pugh (24) 36.
NOOSA
Tuesday, August 18
Tuesday Club stableford: A grade – Darren Weatherby-Blythe (6) 43, Tama Stana (7) 40c/b, Doug Rogers (9) 40, David Connolly (10) 39c/b; B grade – Mark Ostwald (15) 43, Michael Kerz (17) 41, Chris Misios (14) 38, Dave Whitehead (16) 38c/b; C grade – John Morton (27) 42, Bob Cox (21) 41, Lloyd Pardon (19) 40c/b, Lee Clayton (22) 40. Rundown to 37c/b.
Wednesday, August 19
Vets single stableford: A grade – Peter Bayliss (15) 39, Ron Turner (16) 38c/b; B grade – Jeff Townsend (22) 43c/b, Eugene Barry (19) 43; C grade – Terry Dale (32) 39, Tony Faull (28) 37c/b. Rundown to 36c/b.
Thursday, August 20
Women’s 2-person Ambrose: Barb Allen & Heather Alsop 67.5c/b, Ann Tummon & Marjorie Dean 67.5, Connie Gordon & Raye Cairns 68.5. Rundown to 76.
Saturday, August 22
Men’s par plus: A grade – Peter Cossins (12) +8, Rob Martin (10) +4, James Anderson (11) +3c/b; B grade – Mark Chapman (16) +9, Roy McClean (17) +4c/b, Dean Cook (15) +4; C grade – Nathan Jackson (22) +6c/b, Colin Thurgood (25) +6, Bill Gardner (27) +5c/b. Rundown to +1c/b. Women’s par plus: Cindy Lawson (23) +7, Jill Hill (32) +4, Jennifer Eborall (20) +1c/b.
COOROY
Wednesday, August 19
Vets Monthly Medal: A grade – Bob Noble 62, Bronco Price 66, Grathan Leatherbarrow 69; B grade – Kerry Martin 68, Wayne Carty 70, David Attrill 71; C grade – Bob Read 60, Paul Williams 62, Andrew Aves 65. Rundown to 71.
Thursday, August 20
Women’s Monthly Medal: Div 1 – Terri Cairns 64, Carmel Clark 67. Rundown to 73
Friday, August 21
Coopers Challenge stableford: G. Carlson 42, B. Robbo 39, K. Davies 38.
Saturday, August 22
Men’s Monthly Medal stroke: Div 1 – K. Brittain 68, B. Price 69; Div 2 – J. Kennedy 67, G. Flanno 68; Div 3 – P. Palmer 67, C. Gannon 68. Rundown to 70; women’s stableford: Tina Thomas 37, Sarah Brogden 35c/b. Rundown to 35.
