By Peter Owen
RICHARD Robinson, starved of playing golf with his mates at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads for much of the year because of Covid-19 restrictions, became aware of the Sunshine Coast Spring Classic only three weeks before the event began.
“I was taking a break at work, looking at a golf magazine, when I read about it,” he said. “I rang my wife, asked if she’d fancy a week at the Sunny Coast, and then booked my place in the field.”
It worked out well.
Robinson, 53, a golfing fanatic, was always in contention before sealing the deal with a magnificent 41 points at Peregian last Thursday.
He scored 140 stableford points after rounds at Maroochy River (40 points), Twin Waters (27) and Noosa Springs (32 points), before his tournament-winning rout at Peregian.
A latecomer to golf, Robinson did not play until he was 36, but has certainly made up for lost time.
Though he lives in Brisbane he joined Coolangatta-Tweed because he enjoyed playing with a group of Gold Coast-based mates. “Then they closed the borders and I had nowhere to play,” he said.
He joined Carbrook at Easter, then warmed up for the Sunshine Coast swing with a week at Bargara, before basing himself in Noosa for the Classic.
While his wife Sharon, an artist, doesn’t play the game, she joins Robinson on his golfing jaunts and, as he says, “always seems to find something to do.”
Robinson, who grew up in Canberra, said he loved the event – though his handicap dropped from 14 to 12 over the four days – and is looking forward to returning next year to defend his title.
“We played four great courses,” he said, “but it’s always the way with golf – it’s the people you meet and play with that make it truly enjoyable.”
The event was originally scheduled for June, with the aim of showcasing the region’s finest golf courses and giving interstate and New Zealand golfers a chance to play in the Sunshine Coast’s warm winter weather.
“Covid-19 put a stop to all that,” said the executive general manager of Noosa Springs, Mark Brady, one of the event organisers. “We acted quickly and rescheduled it for October.
“We were forced to cap the event at 76 competitors,” he said. “Hopefully, if restrictions continue to ease we will be able to accommodate more players from New Zealand, Victoria and NSW next year.
“The feedback from players has been very encouraging and we’ve learned a lot from these four days. We’re hopeful this will become a major event, and have a positive impact on our region’s economy.”
RESULTS:
Division 1: Richard Robinson (Coolangatta-Tweed Heads) 140 points, Chris Mouldey (Pine Rivers), 133, Neil Smith (Parkwood) 132; Division 2: Stephen Kemp (The SGA) 139, David Wood (Noosa Springs) 134, Wayne Dobson (Ocean Shores) 131; Ladies: Alana Griffiths (Keperra) 132, Linda Jedynak (Noosa) 131, Jeanette Guidice (Keperra) 124.
Covid lays Adam Scott low
IT’S ironic that Adam Scott, who delayed his return to the US Tour because of his concerns about contracting Covid-19, should become the first Australian pro to be struck down by the virus.
Scott withdrew from the Tour’s Zozo Championship last week after returning a positive test, but is still confident of contesting the Masters at Augusta National in a fortnight.Scott is the 12th player to test positive to Covid-19 since the PGA Tour resumed tournament play in June. Under the tour protocols, Scott had to self-isolate for 10 days before returning to play, and will have to undergo tests for the virus for the next three months.
Kirk again in the mix
Katherine Kirk, the Noosa girl who has now spent 17 years on the LPGA Tour in the US and considers herself a veteran, continued her recent run of great form to finish tied 6th in this week’s Drive On Championship in Georgia.
Kirk, 38, shot rounds of 72, 65, 70 and 70 to finish five strokes from the winner, American Ally McDonald.
It was the fourth top-10 finish of the season for the star who began her golfing career on the Sunshine Coast as the outstanding junior, Katherine Hull.
Her proud father Frank – himself a keen golfer but with considerably less talent – tells the story of how he taught his daughter everything he knew about golf. “Then she started having lessons,” he said.
Katherine is usually planning her annual return to Australia for our rich women’s tournaments in January and February.
“But Covid’s put a stop to that,” Frank said. “We won’t be seeing her this year.”
The Victoria Open and the Australian Women’s Open have been cancelled this summer, with crowd and travel restrictions making it impossible to stage international events.
A toast to Noosa Springs Skins
THE last of this year’s Noosa Springs Skins Series – where the focus is on fun and the prizes are bottles of wine – will take place on Wednesday, November 25.
The series is an opportunity for golfers to let their hair down, enjoy a great golf course, and have a chance of winning some of the 72 bottles – four for each hole played – of wine on offer.
Teams of four compete in a skins-type stableford competition where the total of the best three scores becomes the team’s score on each hole.Golfers lucky enough to hole out at the par three 4th, will win a corporate membership valued at $2250. And all players get 20% off the cost of their next round of golf at Noosa Springs.
Guests pay just $79 – and that includes lunch and post-game nibbles. For members, the cost is $39, while Links Hope Island members pay $69.
It’s a shotgun start at 12 noon, and anybody interested in a day of stress-free golf can register at the Golf Shop (5440 3325) or download an entry form from the Noosa Springs’ website.
If you don’t have four players, register anyway. The Golf Shop team will find you a place in a team.
Noosa teams dominate title
A team from Noosa Golf Club won the Sunshine Coast district veterans’ 4-ball Ambrose championship with a remarkable round of 49.125 at Nambour last week.
Robert McCormick (13), Pieter Kanters (11), Trevor Sumner (2) and Gary Ogg (13) combined brilliantly to take the hotly contested title.
The score meant the team made the equivalent of 14 birdies in an event where every player takes a shot and the best result represents the team score on each hole. The team handicap is one-eighth of the players’ total handicap.Another team from Noosa – Alan Meredith, Brian Jackson, Trevor Payne and Shayne Rayner – were second, with a score of 52.375
Cooroy ladies help cancer research
Maria Taurer somehow manoeuvred her ball through a toilet seat on the 10th green at Cooroy last week to score a unique hole-in-one, and help raise more than $2400 for the worthiest of charities.
Maria was one of 50 pink-clad women who played in a novelty Ambrose event on Thursday in support of breast cancer research.
The winning team – Tina Thomas, Juliet Hall, Joyce McKay and Kaye Gilmour – had to negotiate a series of challenges on the course, but still managed an impressive score of 49.875.
A post-game auction, conducted by Cooroy Cougars cricketer Kirsty Patten, raised $875. In all, a total of $2422 will find its way to cancer research.
Charlies leaves best to last
CHARLIE Dann shot the best final round – a six-under par 65 – to finish 22nd and become the leading Sunshine Coast representative in the Northern Territory PGA at Darwin’s Palmerston course at the weekend.
Dann (73, 75, 65: 213) finished two shots ahead of his good friend, Maroochy River’s Shae Wools-Cobb (73, 71, 71: 215) and 12 strokes behind winner Aaron Pike.
Ryley Martin (80, 74, 75), an ambassador member of Noosa Springs, was 52nd, while Coast-based veteran Glenn Joyner (81, 72, 77) was 54th.
Noosa pro Mark Tickle (82, 79) and Yandina’s Brad Burns (78, 80) failed to make the 36-hole cut.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday, 19 October
Women’s stableford: A grade – Jennifer Eborall 40c/b, Sandra Fortington 40c/b; B grade – Bronwyn Dean 41, Jill Hill 39c/b. Rundown to 36c/b.
Tuesday, 20 October
Tuesday Club, men’s stableford: A grade – Greg Collins 43, Veb Palfery 42, Peter Buhk 41, Peter Cossins 39c/b; B grade – Clark Plasier 44, Ken Morroe 43, Michael Norman 42, Richard Rudledge 41; C grade – Michael Jedynak 44, Greg Kuch 43c/b, Bob Mirams 43, Marc Murray 42c/b. Rundown to 38c/b.
Saturday, 24 October
Men’s stableford: A grade – Warick Redwood 41c/b, Alex Officer 41, Barry Robinson 40; B grade – Mathew Leahy 43, John Deem 41c/b, Dean Jeffrey 41; C grade – Mark Buckley 43c/b, Anthony Broad 43, Mick Jones 41c/b. Rundown to 37c/b. Women’s stableford: Liv Dolan 43, Valerie Stevens 38c/b, Kathleen Anschau 38c/b.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, 19 October
Men’s stableford: Ola Andresen 39, Robert Hobson 38, Bob MacPherson 37.
Wednesday, 21 October
Men’s stableford: Bill Young 39, Bob MacPherson 37c/b, John Gavin 37; women’s stableford: Lorna Gibson 39c/b, Jennifer Aitken 39, Dee Pugh 38.
Saturday, 24 October
Men’s stableford: Murray Hopping 41, Alan Powell 40, Vince Green 39; women’s stableford: Diana Foulsham 44, Narelle Magner 43, Susan Lee 39.
Sunday, 25 October
Men’s Universal Property Sunday Series, stableford: Lionel Richards 38, William Coman 37, Gil Hoskins 36; women’s: Dana Angus 32c/b, Noi Pike 32c/b, Zen Boakes 32c/b.
COOROY
Monday, 19 October
Vets stableford: A grade – Doug Conn 36, Brian Clemow 35c/b, Shane LeGale 35; B grade – Bruce Otto 42, Wayne Carty 39c/b, Jack Timm 39; C grade – Mike Miklenda 42, Ron Ballantyne 37, Rod Roemermann 35c/b. Rundown to 30.
Tuesday, 20 October
Women’s stableford (9 holes): Toni Mason 21, Juanita Langford 20. Rundown to 15c/b.Wednesday, 21 October
Vets 2-man Ambrose: Don Esposito & Brett LeMoy 59.25, David Tink & Richard Gibson 60.5, Graham Laing & Brad Lavender 60.75. Rundown to 62.
Thursday, 22 October
Women’s 4 person Ambrose: Tina Thomas, Juliet Hall, Joyce McKay, Kay Gilmour 49.875, Chris Michael, Sarah Brogden, Amanda Tie, Margit Cruise 50.875.
Friday, 23 October
Coopers Challenge, stableford: B. Price 40, B. Robbo 37, L. Cobb 36.
Saturday, 24 October
Men’s stableford: Div 1: R. Pajak 39, B. Robbo 38c/b; Div 2: M. Fallon 38, R. Blount 38. Rundown to 35.
Sunday, 25 October
Mixed foursomes championship: Div 1 – K. Brittain & T. Thomas 87 (gross), T. Foster & C. Foster 67.5 (net); Div 2 – G. Hall & K. Hall 88c/b (gross), D. Tink & A. Morton 68 (net).
