By Peter Owen
Ray Egge, a restless young American not long returned from serving his country in Vietnam, was touring New Zealand in the late 1960s when he first heard of Noosa.
“I’d been in Hawaii before travelling to New Zealand and was wondering what to do next when I got a letter from an old mate,” Californian-born Ray recalls.
“He said he was in Queensland, at a place called Noosa Heads. He told me I wouldn’t find it on the map and there was nobody living there – but it was a real nice place.”
So Ray flew to Brisbane, drove north towards Tewantin, arrived at Noosa – and never left.
His original plan was to be a teacher, but within a year of setting up home in Noosa, Ray had opened a pizza parlour in Noosa Junction.
Then he became a chef in a Hastings St restaurant and, later, operated a pool cleaning business.
All the while he indulged his two great sporting loves – surfing and golf.
“I’ve always surfed – still do,” said Ray. “I’ve been back to Hawaii many times surfing.”
He’s also a keen golfer, playing three times a week at Noosa Golf Club, where he was employed for a time in maintenance.
He played at Noosa Valley when he took up the game, then moved to Noosa more than 30 years ago.
He’s a much loved and respected member, and a part of the successful Masters pennants team until this year.
And, though he concedes his best golf is behind him, he’s still more than competitive.
On Wednesday, for example, he scored 39 points off a 12 handicap to take the Veterans A grade competition.
And he’s a finalist in the Tuesday Club’s upcoming annual matchplay championships.
“I won the A grade title a few years ago,” Ray said. “Now I’m the new boy in B grade.”
Scott pines for his folks and home
Though his sudden return to form at the weekend assured Adam Scott of a place in the rich FedEx Cup playoffs in the US, the former Masters champion is looking forward to returning to his Noosa home and showing off his new baby to his Queensland-based parents.
Scott, who spent much of last year dodging Covid at his Sunshine Beach home and prepared for his return to the US PGA Tour by playing with mates at Sunshine Coast courses, shot four great rounds in the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina to tie with five others at 15-under-par.
He then missed out at the first sudden death hole – his par four falling short of American Kevin Kisner’s birdie in the six-man playoff.
Ranked 121st in FedEx Cup standings at the start of the week, Scott improved his position dramatically to maintain his record of qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs every year since their inception.
He shot rounds of 66, 70, 64 and 65 and the $US67,000 he earnt for equal second allowed him to jump to 82nd in the standings – well inside the playoff qualification mark of 125th.
Before the tournament, he spoke of the challenges he’d faced in dealing with the pandemic and the effect it had on his game.
Since returning to the PGA Tour 12 months ago following his extended stint in Noosa, Scott had earned only one top-10 finish in 20 appearances – a tie for 10th at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
As he moves between homes in Switzerland and the US, and unable to return to Australia without quarantining, Scott says he didn’t take into full account the toll that would take on him personally and professionally.
He and wife Marie Kojzar became parents for the third time late last year and Scott, 41, cannot wait until the day he can introduce his Queensland-based based parents, Phil and Pam, to their newest grandchild.
“It’s very frustrating when you live in one place with a policy and you’re operating also in another place with a different policy. That made it very difficult this year,” Scott said.
“The US and the UK are seemingly learning how to live with the virus now and it seems like making some progress. I find it frustrating that Australia is maybe lagging behind at the moment and have very strict measures over the virus.
“Basically it means I’m not going home anytime soon. I’m more concerned now about getting to see my parents and them getting to see grandkids that they haven’t seen for a long time and some they’ve never met,” he said.
Pennant finals on, off, on – and now who knows?
This year’s zone pennant finals, featuring teams from Noosa in A grade and Noosa Springs in Masters, are now scheduled to be played at Gympie on Sunday. But don’t hold your breath.
The finals, supposed to have been played on August 1, were called off because of the Covid lockdown.
When it was lifted last week, the pennant finals became one of those golf events deemed ‘non-standard’ and, therefore, not to be played until after 4pm on Sunday, August 22.
But, because the finals were to be played in Gympie – where there was no lockdown and, consequently, no follow-up restrictions – zone officials thought they were safe to conduct them from 7.30am on that day.
Now they’re not so sure.
A zone official, noting the situation was ‘very fluid’, quoted Queensland Health as stating competitors from an impacted area should ‘reconsider’ their need to travel outside an impacted area to play in ‘any organised community sport’.
But what does that mean? It’s clearly not a direction, nor even a recommendation. At best it’s a guideline – one of many in these troubled times, made on the run and left open to interpretation, certain to create nothing but further confusion.
Sunshine Coast Golf doesn’t know, adding it had sought clarification from the Queensland Government.
So, at the time this column was written, the finals are still on for Sunday. But don’t be surprised if that changes.
If, and when, they’re played, Noosa will tackle Headland in A grade, Mt Coolum takes on Peregian in B grade, and Noosa Springs plays Mt Coolum in Masters.
James in strong Sunday position
Following a fortnight’s break because of lockdowns, Noosa Spring’s popular Sunday Series returned this week, with James Hordern staking an early claim for August honours.
He scored 39 points on Sunday in the year-long event which is sponsored by Joe Langley Realty.
It gave him a strong chance of qualifying for the December final which will be contested by the men and women who return the best winning score each month.
Members and visitors are welcome to compete, with visitors from Sunshine Coast and Gympie clubs able to take up Noosa Spring’s offer of a reduced Sunday green fee of $79 for locally-based golfers.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Tuesday 10 August
Men’s stableford: A grade – Murray McMillan 39c/b, James Cervi 39, Mark Tickle 37c/b, Neville Hazlett 37c/b; B grade – Brad Edwards 41c/b, Dale Officer 41, Garth Wood 38c/b, Michael O’Connor 38c/b; C grade – Robbert Willink 43, Robert Hemmings 40, Tom Mulcairn 39, Daryl Bates 38.
Wednesday 11 August
Vets stableford: A grade – Ray Egge 39, Rob Martin 37c/b, Philip Knight 37c/b; B grade – Grahame Warren 39c/b, Neil Prideaux 39, Murray Joseph 38c/b; C grade – Michael Breid 41, Daryl Bates 38c/b, Ken McBryde 38c/b.
Thursday 12 August
Women’s stableford: A grade – Peta Mancktelow 38, Barb Allen 33c/b, Heather
Alsop 33c/b; B grade – Linda Laws 38, Judy Patterson 37c/b, Cindy Lawson 37; C grade – Donna Coey 40, Eugenie Mooney 37, Lindy Owen 36.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Saturday 14 August
Men’s stroke: Scott McMenamin 68, John Glennon 71c/b, Alex Hackett 71; women’s: Jenny Hickey 72c/b, Silvana Phillips 72, Susan Harrold 74.
Sunday 15 August
Men’s Sunday Series, stableford: James Hordern 39, Ryza Garbacz 38, David McMartin 37; women’s: Judy Buss 32, Julia Caldwell 31c/b, Elizabeth Wadsworth 31.
COOROY
Wednesday 11 August
Vets stableford: A grade – Russ Rylance 40, Laurie Staples 36c/b, Kerry Davies 36c/b; B grade – Bruce Wilshire 45, Mark Woolway 40, Doug Pearce 36; C grade – Geoff Cowan 36c/b, Don Clelland 36, Glen Johnstone 35.
Thursday 12 August
Women’s stableford: Jenny Tucker 41, Lynne Dawson 37.
Saturday 14 August
Men’s stableford: Div 1 – N. Ackland 37c/b, P. Jeucken 37; Div 2 – D. Davy 37, T. Gordon 35; Div 3 – P. Gannon 37c/b, T. Kershaw 37; women: Carmel Clark 39, Judy Kitcher 36.
