By Peter Owen
Sunday Moore won an enthralling match on the 17th hole at Gympie on Sunday to give her Noosa Springs team of best friends an upset win in the final of this year’s zone junior pennants competition.
And, in beating her opponent Ionna Muir 2&1, Sunday, 15, inflicted the first defeat of the season on a girl who, shortly after, would be named junior pennant player of the year.
The 2-1 win by Noosa Springs 1 – a team comprising Sunday, her 11-year-old sister Coco and her close friend Jasmine Lena – overturned an early season 3-0 defeat by Maroochy River 3, who many observers thought would be too strong for the Noosa Springs girls.
But they were wrong.
Jasmine played an outstanding match to beat her opponent Marley Habermann 6&5, and it made no difference that little Coco lost to Cooper Robinson 4&2, after conceding her opponent 15 strokes.
Two years ago, Jasmine and Coco – then only eight years old – were part of a Noosa Springs team that went down to Noosa in the junior pennant final.
“So we know how the Maroochy River team is feeling now,” Jasmine said. “Honestly, we really didn’t expect to win because they are such a strong team.
“We were actually preparing a speech to congratulate them, so to come away with this win is unexpected, but something we are enormously proud of,” she said.
Just as proud was team manager Di Banks, who described the girls’ effort as ‘amazing’.
“They’re a very close unit and they play for each other,” she said. “They also get wonderful support from their families. They have fun and they work hard.”
Maroochy River’s Ionna Muir, a scratch marker at just 13 and unbeaten until the final, won the player of the season award, and Noosa’s Amy Coates won the zone encouragement award – fitting for a girl who acquired her handicap only just in time for the pennant season.
Noosa back in A grade mix
In senior pennant competition, defending champion Noosa roared back into contention after a surprise first round loss, smashing the strong Headland team 7-0 and climbing quickly to third place in A grade standings.
George Giblett, Toby Harding, Cooper Clark and Alex O’Brien scored 2&1 wins over each of their rivals, while Sam Boulden (4&3), Alex Officer (3&2) and Ryan Mulder (2&1) all had good wins.
Noosa’s second team, Noosa 1, shared the points with Mt Coolum in their A grade clash. Noosa 1 winners were Miles Richardson (2&1), Bronson White (5&3) and Grant Baker (2&1), while Treg Kleidon squared his match with Mt Coolum young gun Jack Elsly.
Cooroy beat Noosa 4-3 in B grade to stand alone at the top of the standings, Cooroy’s Noel Ackland providing the highlight with a resounding 9&8 win over Noosa’s Nathan Jackson. Also in B grade, Mt Coolum was too strong for Noosa Springs, winning 5-2 – Ben McCulloch (1up) and James Hordern (2&1) the winners for Noosa Springs.
In Masters, Noosa crushed Cooroy 5.5-1.5 to go to the top of the ladder, while Noosa Springs and Mt Coolum fought out a 3.5-3.5 draw.
Pennant competition continues on Sunday at Caloundra (A grade), and at Noosa, Twin Waters and Cooroy (B grade and Masters).
Lorna’s making up for lost time
For a country which gave the world the game of golf, Scotland isn’t particularly supportive of its female golfers.
Or, at least, it wasn’t when Lorna Gibson was growing up near Glasgow.
The male members of her family, including her dad, were keen golfers but, in Lorna’s words, women weren’t encouraged to play the game.
Indeed, at nearby Royal Troon, women were not admitted as members until 2016.
It wasn’t until later, when she was living in Singapore with her husband David 20 years ago, that Lorna really got into golf.
And when she moved to Noosa in 2006, golf suddenly became an important part of her life.
Lorna is now active in golf administration, serving as the zone’s Championship Manager, responsible for three tournaments each year.
She’s a handy player, herself – notching 42 stableford points to win a midweek competition at Noosa Springs last week, though she modestly declares her success was entirely due to her putting running hot.
“It was totally unexpected,” she said. “I’d been playing poorly for a long time, and I think it was a bit of a fluke. Perhaps it was because I was just relaxed.”
Busy Lorna is also president of Sunshine Coast Challenge Golf, a group who play monthly competitions at some of the region’s best golf courses.
They also raise funds for worthy charities – including Mix-FM’s Give Me 5 for Kids appeal, to whom Lorna last week donated $5000 from money raised by her golfing friends.
New deal for time-poor golfers
Cooroy Golf Club has introduced an inexpensive new membership designed for golfers unable to play regularly or to justify the cost of full membership.
People wishing to become an Ordinary Pay-as-you-Play member pay no joining fee, an annual subscription of $300, and $20 each time they play – socially or in competition.
Club officials expect the new membership category to be popular with golfers who have limited time to play, but wish to maintain a handicap and enjoy the benefits of club membership.
Those taking up the offer can transition to Ordinary Membership by paying the appropriate fee.
Kids play free at Noosa Springs
Children are always welcome at Noosa Springs, and during the current school holidays they get to play free.
The offer is for youngsters aged up to 17, and they must be accompanied by a fee-paying adult.
Children – those aged 12 and under – also eat free on Fridays and Saturdays at the resort’s popular Relish restaurant, on condition you make an early booking.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday, 21 June
Women’s stableford: Cheryl Grieve 35c/b, Jane Petersen 35c/b, Jeannie Dodds 35c/b; women’s 9-hole stableford: Maris Dunworth 20, Maddy Nielsen 19, Trisha Dunn 17.
Tuesday, 22 June
Men’s stableford: A grade – Anthony Zipf 41, Darren Wylie 40, Richard Remy 38c/b, Joe Ottaway 38; B grade – Gary Tye 38c/b, Michael Kerz 38, Ron Male 36c/b, Anthony Jedynak 36c/b; C grade – Dieter Hoffmann 39c/b, Kevin Richter 39, Lee Clayton 38c/b, Ted Robinson 38c/b.
Wednesday, 23 June
Vets stableford: A grade – Brian Jackson 40, Harry Roberts 38, Neil Callow 37c/b; B grade – Ken Reed 40, Bernie Phillips 38c/b, Bert Hofer 38c/b; C grade – Jim Toovey 38c/b, Jeff Scougall 38, David Abey 37c/b.
Thursday, 24 June
Women’s stableford: A grade – Karen Haynes 37c/b, Heather Alsop 37c/b, Allana Moore 37c/b; B grade – Arlene Penlington 40, Jean Beasley 38c/b, Michelle Linklater 38; C grade – Christine Baker 40, Siri Stephens 38, Eugenie Mooney 34.
Saturday, 26 June
Men’s stableford: A grade – Michael Munt 42, George Giblett 41, Michael O’Connor 40; B grade – Edward Dodd 42, Gary Dolton 37, Chris Misios 36c/b; V grade – Greg Hinson 36, Peter McDonald 35c/b, Eli Cookman 35c/b; women’s: Jess Fleming 41, Jillian Yeatman 36, Arlene Penlington 35c/b.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, 21 June
Men’s stableford: Geoff Brady 37, Gregory Brookes 36c/b, Alex Wyer 36.
Tuesday, 22 June
Men’s stableford: Tony Carabetta 36c/b, Alexander Hackett 36, Ian Torney 30.
Wednesday, 23 June
Men’s stableford: Doug Oates 42, Vince Green 39c/b, Chris Harrold 39; women’s: Toni Liddy 40, Debra Oates 38, Lorna Gibson 37c/b.
Thursday, 24 June
Men’s stableford: Philip Fortington 39, Gary Webster 36, Alan Holley 32.
Saturday, 26 June
Men’s stableford: Anthony McMinn 38, Mike Angus 36, Andrew Tregaskis 35; women’s: Judy Buss 39, Rosie Randall 35, Annette Philp 32.
Sunday, 27 June
Men’s Sunday Series, stableford: Matt Higgins 36, Michael Weston 32, Owen Sykes 31.
COOROY
Tuesday, 22 June
Women’s stroke, 9 holes: Kathy Butler 33, Janine Wynwood 34.
Wednesday, 23 June
Men’s stableford: A grade – Brett LeMoy 37, Michael Lunney 36c/b, Bob Noble 36; B grade – Wayne Carty 41, Rex Williams 40, Ken McKay 39; C grade – Nick Kostalas 41c/b, Trevor Kinneally 41, Kerry Martin 38.
Thursday, 24 June
Women’s stableford: Lou Taylor 41, Chris Michael 36, Tina Thomas 34.
Saturday, 26 June
Men’s stableford: Div 1 – P. Jeucken 38, K. Davies 36; Div 2 – M. Arundel 37, M. Davies 36c/b; Div 3 – P. Gannon 39c/b, K. Griffin 39; women’s stableford: Lou Taylor 36, Lynne Dawson 32.
