By Peter Owen
NOOSA, district A grade pennant champions for the past two years, began its defence of the title with a disappointing defeat at the hands of Headland on Sunday at Caloundra.
Headland, on the losing side in the past two finals, had sweet revenge – dominating the contest and recording an easy 5-2 win.
Noosa’s only winners were Tony Harding and Alex Officer, with George Giblett, Ryan Mulder, Sam Boulden, Alex O’Brien and Tama Stana no match for their in-form Headland opponents.
But Noosa can take some heart from knowing it also lost its first-round match last year, before going on a winning spree that took it to the title.
In the B grade Black division, Noosa beat Tin Can Bay 4-3, Lee Christie leading the way with a 3&2 win, while James Anderson was the most dominant winner, beating his Tin Can Bay opponent 7&5.
In the B grade Red division, Noosa 2 went down to Cooroy 4.5-2.5, while Noosa Springs pipped a strong Maroochy River squad 4-3.
Surfing champion Josh Constable was a 2&1 winner for Noosa Springs, and Brett Dudley scored an emphatic 6&5 win over his Maroochy River rival.
In Masters Red competition, Maroochy River turned the tables, beating Noosa Springs 4-3, while Cooroy scored a good win over Peregian, 4.5-2.5.
Noosa and Headland Roos drew 3.5-3.5 in a Masters Black contest. Check out www.sunshinecoastgolf.org for full results.
Sunday’s games are at Maroochy River (A grade), Cooroy and Gympie, with matches beginning at 7am.
Bitter sweet result for King
MT COOLUM’S T. J. King earned only qualified membership of the Australasian Tour when he finished 30th at the Final Stage of qualifying in Victoria last week.
King’s troubles came in the first round of the tough 72-hole Q School challenge, shooting six-over 78 at Moonah Links, on the Mornington Peninsula.
He recovered with subsequent rounds of 74, 72 and 72, but the damage was done.
Because he finished between 16th and 30th, King is eligible to apply to become a full tour member, but will hold no exemption category and will find it tough to gain a start in the major events on tour.
Victorian D. J. Loypur (75, 63, 71, 70) was the leading qualifier, just ahead of Gold Coaster Jack Munro.
Brave Katelyn hangs on for strong finish
PEREGIAN’S Katelyn Must gave her male rivals a fright in the Maroochy River Pro-Am on Friday, leading the morning wave of players, then hanging on to finish an excellent fifth in the elite lineup of Australian golfers.
Katelyn, who combines tournament play with her regular job as teaching pro at Peregian, shot a four-under-par 68 on a course she knows well. She held a one stroke lead after the morning session of play.
Only four of the afternoon group managed to beat her mark – including joint winners Kade McBride and Brett Rankin, who shot seven-under 65s.
Noosa assistant pro Tim Butterworth returned a score of one-under 71 to share 10th place with a group of players that included Sunshine Coast golfers Shae Wools-Cobb and Bailey Arnott.
Dino makes the most of his holiday
NOOSA Springs’ star Dino Degotardi, back home for a break from his studies in the United States, tripped to Cairns last week to tackle the men’s Far North Queensland Open.
He shot rounds of 75, 71 and 78 for a 54-hole total of 224 – good enough for tied 11th place in the strong field of Queensland amateurs.
The event was won by William Florimo, arguably Queensland’s best amateur, who cruised around the Cairns course, shooting rounds of 69, 71 and 67. His first and third round scores were the best of the day, and Florimo recorded a runaway 12-stroke win.
Surprise runner-up was Mt Coolum teenager Adam Van Dorsselaer with rounds of 74, 72 and 73.
Cooroy wins women’s pennants
KIM Gladman, undefeated throughout the season, led Cooroy to a dominant win in this year’s women’s pennant competition.
Playing in the Sapphire A division, the Cooroy team scored four wins from its five games. The only defeat was a 3-2 loss to Mt Coolum in the opening round.
The women beat Pelican Waters 4-1 in the final contest to clinch the title. They scored eight points, with Nambour and Peregian on six.
Other members of the Cooroy squad were captain Kate Sawrey, Tina Thomas, Chris Michael, Wendy O’Hare and Juliet Hall.
Big day for Invincibles Tour
THE Sunshine Coast’s Invincibles Junior Tour, which has developed such outstanding golfers as Cameron Smith, Jed Morgan, Louis Dobbelaar and Cassie Porter, pays tribute to its sponsors next month when it hosts its annual Corporate Golf Day at Noosa Springs.
The golf day was established to raise funds to help the tour promote and develop junior golf in southeast Queensland, but it’s become a popular event for sponsors, supporters and junior golfers.
An added attraction this year is the chance to win a $60,000 BMW 2 Series Coupe – the magnificent prize for anyone who holes out on the signature par three fourth hole.
This year’s event will take place on Friday, August 12. If you’re interested in playing, or making a donation to the tour, contact president Graeme Miller at gmmiller@bigpond.com.
Maddie struggles on NSW North Coast
NOOSA’S Maddison Kelly found the going tough in the NSW Junior Championship at Byron Bay and Ocean Shores last week, shooting rounds of 82, 81 and 82 to finish in a tie for 34th place.
But former Noosa junior Taj Egea played brilliantly to finish 3rd in the boys’ championship. Taj, who now represents Brookwater Golf Club, had rounds of 74, 66 and 74, his second-round 66 the best round of the tournament.
Ossie loved golf and bikes
COOROY Golf Club is mourning the loss of Graeme ‘Ossie’ Osborne, a man whose love of golf was matched only by his devotion to motor bikes.
Ossie began riding bikes when he was 12 and was a regular winner on the motor cycle circuit while still in his teens.
He owned a fleet of motor cycles – all of them lovingly maintained. He kept one particular classic bike in his living room.
While a young man in Victoria, Ossie played guitar and saxophone and sang in Geelong’s first rock band in the 1950s. One of the band members was former Australian middleweight champion boxer Georgie Bracken.
As he grew older Ossie found it increasingly difficult to play golf, and recently had reluctantly given up the game.
Club competitions
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, 4 July
Men’s stableford: Timothy Smith 32, Doug Oates 31, Paul Sprunt 30.
Wednesday, 6 July
Men’s stableford: A grade – James Agace 38, Simon Cotton 33, Greg Taylor 32; B grade – Matthew Davey 36, Ray Brown 33, Robert Mayfield 32; women’s: Elizabeth Ong 29, Sandi Hoskins 27.
Thursday, 7 July
Men’s stableford, black tee: Coman Reynolds 35, Alan Holley 34, John Mulquiney 32.
Saturday, 9 July
Men’s stroke: A grade – Brendan Duncan 71, Jean luc Chaudet 72, John Betar 73, Chris Collinge 75c/b; B grade – Ian Griffiths 74, Bernard Duncan 75, John Buchanan 76c/b, Arthur Johnstone 76; women’s: A grade – Sally Simmons 75, Tracey Carter 76c/b, Silvana Phillips 76; B grade – Sandi Hoskins 74, Shard Lorenzo 79, Susan Walker 80.
COOROY
Monday, 4 July
Masters stableford: Div 1 – Doug Westlake 34, Wayne Patston 33, Philip Johnson 33c/b; Div 2 – Andrew Stephenson 32, Brian Clemow 31, Graeme Finn 30; Div 3 – Andrew Carson 33, Tony Foster 31c/b, Mark Woolway 31.
Saturday, 9 July
Men’s 3-person Ambrose: Smit, Hamilton & Blount 57, McEwan, Orchard & Sawrey 58, Jackson, McKee & Clancy 59.
