By Peter Owen
GOLF must seem a pretty tame pastime for a man who was once considered one of Australia’s most fearless motor bike drag racers.
But Cooroy’s Kelvin Brittain, born in Kin Kin and a Sunshine Coast resident all his life, says you need equal amounts of focus and concentration to succeed at either sport.
And Kelvin’s in a position to know.
For more than 15 years, he competed on his Suzuki at drag racing circuits across the country and in the early 2000s once took out top honours at the Winternationals at Willowbank, near Ipswich.
Now 61 and recently retired from his role as a maintenance turner and fitter at Pomona’s Page Furnishers, Kelvin focuses more on sinking putts these days than on keeping his bike upright at high speeds.
He’s been a member of Cooroy for 28 years, but it’s only in the past seven or eight that he’s played much golf.
And recently he’s hit a patch of red hot form.
A fortnight ago, playing in the Wednesday veterans competition, Kelvin tallied 41 stableford points to win the A grade trophy. And last week he shot a net 67 to win the A grade stroke event.
He humbly puts it down to having lowered his expectations, and not trying too hard on the golf course.
“I used to practice hard on Fridays, but found it raised my expectations for next day – and that didn’t work because I lack the ability to live up to those expectations,” Kelvin said.
He’s being too modest. At an age when most golfers’ handicaps are heading north, Kelvin finds himself playing off eight – the lowest handicap he’s ever earnt.
Kelvin plays regularly with the vets on Wednesdays, and enjoys taking on all comers in the Saturday comp.
One of his regular playing partners is Cyril Trist, Cooroy’s junior golf coordinator and teaching professional, who he says will often supply him with advice on how to keep his game on track.
“He’s very passionate about the game and I enjoy playing with him,” Kelvin said.
Cassie takes a well-earned break
WHEN Cassie Porter takes a break, she really means it.
After 10 weeks of non-stop golf on the WPGA circuit in Queensland, Victoria and NSW, the Peregian star looked forward to six weeks off before her next tournament – the Australian Women’s Classic at Bonville, near Coffs Harbour.
And for the first fortnight she didn’t touch a golf club.
Porter, 19, spent a week in Brisbane with her trainer, and the rest of the time catching up with family and friends at her Peregian Springs home.
She said she had been surprised and delighted with her form since turning professional late last year.
“My performances have far outweighed my expectations,” she said. “I was just hoping to make cuts in most of the tournaments, and I was so thrilled and grateful for the chance to be playing.”
She did much more than make cuts.
Following a debut 10th in the WPGA Championship at Royal Queensland in mid-January, Porter reeled off five more top 10 finishes in her next six tournaments to rocket up the world rankings.
Her next two tournaments – the Bonville event, which begins on April 21, and the Women’s NSW Open at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads the following week – will be crucial for the young star as she considers her schedule for the rest of the year.
With the WPGA Tour coming to an end, and with Porter having no status on any other tour, any ranking points she collects at Bonville and Tweed Heads will be important in her gaining starts overseas.
Whatever happens, Porter’s ambition is to play her way onto the LPGA Tour in the United States just as quickly as she can.
Maddy in the mix in junior event
NOOSA’S Maddison Kelly found the conditions tough in the JGQ 2-Day Easter Classic at Wynnum this week, but her first round 84 saw her in 11th spot at the half-way mark of a tournament which is a qualifier for the Greg Norman Junior Masters.
Maddy, who has lowered her handicap to an impressive 1.4, is one of several Sunshine Coast girls taking part in the event.
Maroochy River’s Ionna Muir shared the first-round lead on three-over-par 75.
In the boys’ section, Noosa’s Eli Cookman shot a first round 79, well back in gross competition but a handy seventh in net standings at the half-way mark.
Charity Swim looks to golf
THE Sunshine Coast’s Island Charity Swim – the iconic ocean swim that has raised more than $1 million for Sunshine Coast special schools since it began 20 years ago – has added a golf event to its annual schedule.
The Island Charity Swim Golf Day has been scheduled for Friday, May 6 – the day before this year’s swim – at the iconic Palmer Coolum golf course at Yaroomba, scene of 11 Australian PGA Championships between 2002 and 2012.
The charity event is an 18-hole four-person Ambrose competition, with an 11am shotgun start. Prizes worth $4000 will be on offer and the cost of $110 per player includes a sausage sizzle.
Players can register by emailing their details to islandcharityswimgolfday@gmail.com. Sponsorships of holes can be arranged by contacting Pat Burns on 0400 944 453.
Consistent Tooman contends in SA
VETERAN Noosa pro Simon Tooman played solid rounds of 72 and 69 to finish in the top 10 at a Legends Tour pro-am hosted by the Stirling Golf Club in South Australia late last week.
Tooman, who is following the tour as it makes its way through South Australia, finished tied eighth – eight strokes behind the winner, Peter Senior.
Fellow Noosa pro Mark Tickle was 27th after rounds of 73 and 73 in the 36-hole event.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday, 28 March
Women’s stableford: A grade: Michelle Linklater 35; B grade – Dianne Moncrieff 38.
Tuesday, 29 March
Men’s stableford: A grade – Colin Kinnaird 41, Darren Wylie 39, Tony Giles 37c/b, Craig Strudwick 37c/b; B grade – Brian Hansen 36c/b, John Henshall 36, Clive Hart 35c/b, Gary Ward 35c/b; C grade: Alfie Bartlett 39, Rod McCall 38c/b, Jim Crawford 38, Peter Bolitho 37c/b.
Wednesday, 30 March
Vets 4BBB stableford: Graeme Rickard & Eugene Barry 46, Bruce Hallett & David Hinder 43c/b, Colin Dean & Graeme Caffyn 43c/b.
Thursday, 31 March
Women’s stableford: A grade – Orawan Millar 42, Lani McDowall 39c/b, Cynthia Duco 39; B grade – Arlene Penlington 38, Trish Strang 37, Karen Turnbull 36; C grade – Tracey Skeppstrom 35c/b, Tracey Frawley 35, Roma Toovey 35; men’s stableford: Glenn Bolton 39, Bruce Davidson 38, Kenny Lindsay 36c/b.
Friday, 1 April
Stableford: Patrick Martin 38, Colin Brown 37c/b, Michael Cowell 37.
Saturday, 2 April
Men’s Monthly Medal, stroke: A grade – Lee Christie 69, Thomas Loveridge 70c/b, Adam Grant 70c/b; B grade – Jason Finn 68, Doug Reynolds 69c/b, Chris Misios 69; C grade – Damian Hopkins 64c/b, Chris Rowlinson 64, John Deem 68; women’s stroke: Michelle Linklater 70, Megan Breid 71, Janis Rimkus 73.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, 28 March
Women’s par: Susan Harrold -1, Rosie Randall -5, Dianne Tonge -7.
Tuesday, 29 March
Men’s stableford: Ryley Martin 41, John Mulquiney 35c/b, Alex Hackett 35c/b.
Wednesday, 30 March
Men’s stableford: Hartmut Schlichting 40c/b, Alex Hackett 40, Reon Weir 38; women’s: Gabriella Latham-Callcott 39, Annette Philp 38, Tereza Holley 36.
Thursday, 31 March
Men’s stableford, black tee: Anthony McMinn 35, Ryley Martin 34, Josh Constable 28.
Saturday, 2 April
Men’s Monthly Medal, stroke: Jean-Paul Ricca 70, John Stephens 72, Ric Holm 73; women’s Coco Moore 69, Jasmine Lena 70, Tracey Carter 71.
Sunday, 3 April
Men’s stableford: David McMartin 42, John Barker 41, Murray Hopping 34; women’s: Wendy Dauphin 38, Joan Cairns 36, Persephone Lobb 33.
COOROY
Wednesday, 30 March
Vets stroke: A grade – Kelvin Brittain 67, Terry Lyons 70, Tony Hayes 70; B grade – Graham Laing 67, Terry Wilson 70, Ross Maloney 71; C grade – Alex Kologaras 66, David Chapman 69, Anthony Jones 69.
Thursday, 31 March
Women’s stroke: Div 1 – Kate Sawrey 68; Div 2 – Jocelyn Rabjohns 70.
Saturday, 2 April
Women’s Monthly Medal, stroke: Sue Piggott 68, Wendy O’Hare 71c/b.
