By Peter Owen
Noosa’s A grade pennant team, led brilliantly by young guns George Giblett and Cooper Clarke, narrowly beat archrival Headland to land its third straight zone pennant title at Gympie on Sunday.
Giblett (4&2), Clarke (2 up), Sam Boulden (21st) and Ryan Mulder (4 & 2) were the winners for Noosa, who repeated last year’s final success over Headland.
Both clubs have a proud pennant history but Noosa again proved to be the Sunshine Coast’s champion team.
Mulder, Noosa’s No 7 and the first player to tee off, gave his side the perfect start, easily accounting for Headland’s Scott Walker.
Boulden scored an important point when he beat former Headland pennant captain Sean McGill on the 21st hole, after both players were all square after the regulation 18 holes. In pennant competition all matches are played out until there is a result.
Giblett and Clarke – veterans in A grade pennant competition despite their youth – then sealed the deal when they beat Headland’s schoolboy stars Ben Duncombe and Josh Holbrook in tight matches.
And in a great day for Noosa golf, Noosa Springs pipped Mt Coolum, 4-3, in the Masters final to take their second pennant title in three years.
The hero of the day was Noosa Springs’ No 2 player Simon Cotton, who led his team to victory after the two teams were locked at three-all. Cotton beat his opponent Barry Bowditch on the 21st hole to snatch the narrowest of wins for Noosa Springs.
After nine holes, Noosa Springs was down in five of the matches and staring defeat in the face, but with Chris Collinge and Jean Luc Chaudet both winning their matches on the 19th hole, the Noosa Springs men won when it really counted.
In B grade, Mt Coolum’s Mick Mraz played a miracle chip from the back of the 18th green to set up a par and win a tight deciding match to give his team a 4-3 win over Peregian. It was Mt Coolum’s third straight B grade title.
Noosa’s Chris Wright was named the B grade pennant player of the year.
Irene adds to her remarkable golfing record
For a woman who is quick to downplay her skills, Noosa Springs’ Irene Cordukes has notched up some pretty impressive performances on the golf course.
Two decades ago she was the first female to score a hole-in-one at Noosa Springs – holing her tee shot at the daunting par three fourth hole.
Years later she again scored an ace – this time at the 120m 18th hole on the difficult Lost Farm course at Tasmania’s famous Barnbougle complex.
And last week the long-time Noosa Springs member scored an impressive 46 points in a stableford competition at her home course.
“There was another golfer in my body,” said the 79-year-old with a laugh. “I should have been tested for performance-enhancing drugs.”
Irene and her husband Peter, a former Washington-based analyst for the World Bank, have been members since the resort opened in 1999, and were some of first residents of the Noosa Springs residential community.
It wasn’t until she settled in Noosa that Irene took up golf seriously, and she hasn’t looked back.
Once a four-game-a week player, Irene has cut her golf back to two weekly competitions – on Mondays and Wednesdays – and practises on Tuesdays.
“But, still, my handicap has continued to go out,” said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I scored so well last week. I’m playing off 34, you know.”
For her efforts, she sacrificed three strokes from her handicap – not that she’s concerned in the slightest.
And what did husband Peter think of her performance?
“Ever the accountant, he asked me how much prizemoney I’d won,” Irene said.
Ace leads to Cooroy comp win
The highlight of Judy Kitcher’s round at Cooroy last Thursday was a rare hole-in-one at the 135m par three seventh hole. It helped Judy to an impressive stableford score of 43 points – good enough for a three-point win from Eve Hunt, on 40.
Maverick’s career began in Noosa
Though he faded over the final three rounds to finish 29th, young Queensland golfer Maverick Antcliff made world headlines last week when he grabbed a share of the lead after the first round of the European Tour’s Czech Masters.
Antcliff, known for his long, flowing blond locks as much as his neat golf swing, began his journey to international golf at Noosa Springs four years ago when he won a qualifying tournament which eventually led to him earning a spot on the Australasian pro golf circuit.
Antcliff, 28, who studied at the Kooralbyn International School – just as his hero Jason Day did before he found fame in the US – finished five strokes clear in the 54-hole first round of Q-School qualifying at Noosa Springs, with rounds of 68, 66 and 68 for a 14-under total of 202.
He’s now one of the most promising of the young Australians on the world stage.
Antcliff romped to the Order of Merit title on the China Golf Tour in 2019 to earn his place on the European Tour and had his best finish earlier this season when second at the Canary Islands Championship.
A gift every dad would like
With Father’s Day scheduled for next weekend, Noosa Springs has come up with a range of gift ideas for the man of the house.
Your dad can enjoy breakfast or lunch, followed by nine holes of golf in an electric cart, or a Spa Thermal Suite experience, for the reduced cost of $79. Call the resort on 5440 3325 for details.
Who’s the best at Noosa, Cooroy?
Club championships begin this weekend at Noosa and Cooroy.
The Noosa championships – always a stroke event which attract the club’s best golfers – will be played on Saturday and Sunday, then over the next two Saturdays.
The Cooroy club championships will be played over four successive Saturdays, the final round scheduled for Saturday, September 18.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday 16 August
Women’s stableford: A grade – Jillian Yeatman 41, Rungratree Cox 37c/b; B grade – Jane Peterson 42, Rosanne Chisholm 38; 9 holes: Maddy Nielsen 21.
Tuesday 17 August
Men’s stableford: A grade – Alec Graham 39, Shaun Taylor 38c/b, Coman Reynolds 38c/b, Michael Napier 38; B grade – Philip Richardson 39c/b, Scott Olander 39, Peter Baynes 38, Mark Ostwald 37c/b; C grade – Damien Hopkins 41, Greg Kuch 38c/b, Peter McDonald 38c/b, Roger Chaffey 38.
Wednesday 18 August
Vets stableford: A grade – Stephen McCaul 39, Harry Roberts 38c/b, Barry Robinson 38; B grade – John Duke 41, Andy McGill 39c/b, Jim Schofield 39; C grade: Peter McGrath 40, Paul McKernan 35c/b, John Maree 35c/b.
Thursday 19 August
Women’s Monthly Medal, stroke: A grade – Peta Mancktelow 76c/b, Gayna Ryan 76c/b, Tash Baker 76c/b; B grade – Sandra Callaghan 69, Judy Meager 72, Rosemary Caffyn 73c/b; C grade – Lisa Joseph 70, Judith Boakes 71, Dianne Moncrieff 73c/b.
Saturday 21 August
Men’s stableford: A grade – Joe Ottaway 40, Chris Wright 37c/b, Ian Burrough 37c/b; B grade – Robert Upham 40, Grant Birkett 39c/b, Graeme Caffyn 39; C grade – Miles Roxbury 42, Christopher Townson 39, Terry Farrell 37c/b; women’s: Tash Baker 38, Paula Jeffrey 34c/b, Tina Hammant 34.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday 16 August
Men’s stableford: Paul Sprunt 42, Bob MacPherson 41, Paul Liddy 39; women’s: Irene Cordukes 46, Janet Young 37, Tereza Holley 36.
Tuesday 17 August
Men’s stableford: Alex Hackett 40, Martin Scollon 35, Steve Troon 30; women’s: Kerry McFarland 35, Maralyn Beamish 31, Scarborough 30.
Wednesday 18 August
Men’s stableford: Jeffrey Inglis 38, Paul Weatherstone 37c/b, John Glennon 37; women’s: Tereza Holley 37, Sandra Probert 34c/b, Debbie Collinge 34.
Thursday 19 August
Men’s stableford: Alex Hackett 35, Robert Dutton 33c/b, Ian Fettes 33.
Saturday 21 August
Men’s stableford: Tony Carabetta 43, Bob MacPherson 41, Jock Robertson 38c/b; women’s: Helen Ringrose 40c/b, Coco Moore 40, Mally Jane 39c/b.
COOROY
Tuesday 17 August
Women’s stableford, 9 holes: Julie Collis 22, Kaye Gilmour 19.
Wednesday 18 August
Vets stableford: A grade – Peter Crosby 39, Jeff McDonald 36c/b, Laurie Staples 36; B grade – Andre Smit 38c/b, Matt McQueen 38c/b, Doug Pearce 38; C grade – Jim Bisset 39, Kev Crandall 34, Bruce Dooley 33c/b.
Thursday 19 August
Women’s stableford: Judy Kitcher 43, Eve Hunt 40.
Saturday 21 August
Men’s stableford: Div 1 – M. Siva 36c/b, K. Hamo 36; Div 2 – K. Pronger 36c/b, T. Bernhagen 36; Div 3 – D. Clelland 39c/b, L. Horn 39.
