By Peter Owen
Golf has always played a big part in Gary Wood’s life.
He once managed Twin Waters’ golf operations alongside Adam Scott’s dad Phil and Noosa professional Brett Officer, plays the game two or three times a week, and currently runs the bar at Mt Coolum Golf Club.
So it came as a jolt when, three years ago, he had to have one of his knees replaced – a procedure with complications that led to a second knee replacement.
“I really struggled for a while,” Gary said.
“I still can’t walk freely. It’s been a bit difficult.”
But all that was forgotten last week when Gary played one of the rounds of his life, scoring 44 points in Noosa’s Tuesday Club competition, and winning the A grade prize by seven strokes.
“Something clicked,” said Gary, who played off a 12 handicap – generous, considering he was once a five-handicapper.
“The ball went just where I intended, my short game was on, and I made every putt.”
The win was special for Gary as he’s the president of the Tuesday Club, a 20-year member of Noosa Golf Club, and now sits on the club’s board.
“We’re very proud of the Tuesday Club,” he said. “We get 220, or 230, players each week, we often need a ballot and it just gets bigger and better.”
Juniors owe much to Noosa Springs
For the third year in a row Noosa Springs has been voted the Sunshine Coast club that has done the most to promote, develop and nurture junior golf throughout the year.
Executive general manager Mark Brady accepted the award at last week’s presentation dinner of the Invincibles Sunshine Coast Junior Golf Tour, which coordinates junior events in the region and mentors hundreds of aspiring young golf stars.
“I’ve played and enjoyed sport my whole life,” Mr Brady said.
“And I’m glad Noosa Springs can play a role in encouraging young golfers.”
As well as hosting its own Noosa Springs Junior Open, the resort this year hosted two rounds of the Sunshine Coast Junior Masters, as well as the season-ending Invincibles Gold Cup of Cups.
Fittingly, the Noosa Springs’ team of Sunday and Coco Moore and Jasmine Luna won this year’s Sunshine Coast junior pennant title.
Tooman warms up for Legends assignment
Noosa’s Simon Tooman warmed up for his return to the Australian Legends Tour with an outstanding two-under par round in Noosa’s Tuesday Club stableford competition last week.
Tooman, playing off a handicap of plus 3, scored 35 points to figure prominently in the competition’s rundown.
Also using the popular Tuesday club competition to chip off some rust from their game were veteran Mark Tickle (33 points) and Eumundi’s Hugh Dolan (33 points).
All three will play in the Gold Coast Senior PGA Championship at Lakelands on Thursday and Friday, along with Yandina’s Brad Burns, and Sunshine Coast stars Anthony Gilligan, Glenn Joyner, Adam Le Vesconte and Steve Hutchison.
Then they’ll play an event on North Stradbroke Island on Sunday before beginning the Legends Tour’s Sunshine Coast swing at Noosa next Tuesday.
Home ground knowledge helps
More than 160 golfers came from throughout Queensland to compete in the A, B and C Grade Championships at Noosa Springs over the weekend, but it was a couple of locals who took out the coveted A grade titles.
Noosa Springs’ Rob Mowat was the A grade men’s champion, scoring 101 stableford points over the three rounds of the championship, to beat visitor Andrew McLucas on a countback.
And fellow member Noi Pike won the women’s A grade title with 104 points, two more than teenager Maddison Kelly, adding to the B grade championship she won in 2017.
David Wrigley (106 points) and Cathy Mathieson (106) won the B grade titles, while Paul Phillips (107) and Carol Yancey (100) were the C grade champions.
Noosa chases fourth pennant
Noosa Golf Club will begin its quest for a fourth straight Sunshine Coast A grade pennant title when it takes on Peregian in the first round of the 2022 competition on Sunday 10 July.
Next year’s draw was published this week, with only five rounds of A Grade matches scheduled before the semi-finals at Maroochy River on 14 August, and the finals at Headland the following weekend.
Teams from Noosa, Peregian, Maroochy River, Mt Coolum, Caloundra and Headland have nominated for the A grade title.
B grade and Masters competition, which includes teams from Noosa, Gympie, Noosa Springs and Peregian, also begins on July 10, while Juniors begin their campaign on May 15, with the final at Headland on June 19.
Grant’s back to his best
Cooroy Vets captain Grant Smallacombe knew something good was about to happen when he birdied the first hole, picking up four stableford points, in last week’s Vets competition.
He went on to score two more four-pointers, as well as six three-pointers, on his way to tallying 43 points and winning the day’s Division 2 prize.
It was a welcome return to form for the 21-handicapper, and a good test for Cooroy’s newly introduced MPower competition management system.
Club competitions
Noosa
Monday 22 November
Women’s stableford: Joan Jacka 38c/b, Arlene Penlington 38c/b, Rungratree Cox 38; women’s 9-hole stableford: Barb Allen 23.
Tuesday 23 November
Men’s stableford: A grade – Gary Wood 44, James Cervi 37c/b, Darren Weatherby-Blythe 37c/b, Anthony Zipf 37; B grade – Shane Taylor 37, Bob Cox 34c/b, Gary Shaw 34c/b, John Mill 34c/b; C grade – Jim Booth 33, Jim Grant 32, Danny Woodward 32, John Morton 31.
Wednesday 24 November
Vets 4BBB stableford: Keith Howard & Alec Graham 45c/b, Geoffrey Wild & Alastair Kerrison 45, Raymond Grigg & Bob Foster 44c/b.
Thursday 25 November
Women’s 4-person Ambrose: Sally Simmons, Tash Baker, Mandy Webb & Ann Tummon 60.375, Peta Mancktelow, Pauline Sunderland, Narelle Cooper & Noreen Scanlon 61.5, Heather Alsop, Rungratree Cox, Fiona Watson & Jess Fleming 62.
Saturday 27 November
Men’s stableford: A grade – Richard Townsend 38c/b, Mike Quincey 38, Adam Dehnen 36c/b; B grade – Marcus Edwards 40, Allan Coulson 39, Grant Holloway 37; C grade – Ben Butler 41c/b, Geoffrey Smith 41, Rob Bruce 39 women’s: Deb Matheson 36, Janine Freestall 33c/b, Heather Alsop 33.
Noosa Springs
Monday 22 November
Men’s 4BBB stableford: John Reid & Hartmut Schlichting 48, Steven Bailey & Paul Sprunt 46, Robert Flipp & Ian Griffiths 45; women’s par: Robyn Buchanan +2c/b, Rosie Randall +2, Joan Reeve +1.
Tuesday 23 November
Women’s stableford: Michele Schneider 34c/b, Jeni Allen 34, Irene Plumridge 33.
Wednesday 24 November
Men’s stableford: Robert Aitken 42, Nathan Weygood 41, Rod Probert 40; women’s: Margaret Hart 39, Niki Matthews 38, Tereza Holley 37.
Thursday 25 November
Men’s stableford: Martin Scollon 34, Ryley Martin 33, Peter Foulsham 31.
Friday 26 November
Men’s A, B, C Championship, 1st round: A grade – Brett Reibel 38, Andrew McLucas 37, Chris Clarke 36; B grade – Max Lamb 39, Hadyn Powell 37, Chris Wilson 35; C grade – William Coman 36, Paul Phillips 35c/b, John Battilana 36; women’s: A grade – Maddison Kelly 39, Angela Fong 36, Tracey Carter 34; B grade – Cathy Mathieson 38, Andrea Holt 35, Ping Liu 34.
Saturday 27 November
Men’s A, B, C Championship, 2nd round: A grade – Shannon Peel 35, Phil Harrison 34c/b, Michael Steer 34; B grade – Chris Wilson 38, Paul Grant 36, David Wrigley 35; C grade – Paul Phillips 36, Bill Young 35, Michael Joe 33; women’s: A grade – Noi Pike 41, Judy Buss 34, Angela Fong 33; B grade –
Jill Wilson 37, Jen Carr 36c/b, Barbara Stott 36; C grade – Merilyn Fletcher 34, Jill McGhie 33c/b, Kylie Wharington 33.
Men’s stableford: Gus Torney 39, Rick Tasso 38c/b, Craig Willian 38.
Sunday 28 November
Men’s A, B, C Championship, 2nd round: A grade – Michael Morgan 38, Dean Burley 37, Rob Mowat 36c/b; B grade – David Wrigley 36c/b, Douglas Oates 36, Hadyn Powell 35; C grade – Paul Lowe 37, Gregory Barron 36c/b, Paul Phillips 36; women’s: A grade – Tereza Holley 36c/b, Karen O’Brien 36, Noi Pike 34c/b; B grade – Fiona Francis 41, Cathy Mathieson 38, Toni Liddy 37; C grade – Carol Yancey 36, Fay Layton 33, Diana Foulsham 32.
Cooroy
Tuesday 23 November
Women’s stableford, 9 holes: Beatrice Bruin 19, Lee Williams 16c/b.
Wednesday 24 November
Vets stableford: Div 1 – Scott Bennett 40, Richard Gibson 39, Terry Magill 38; Div 2 – Grant Smallacombe 43, Darryl Ayers 38, Kent Griffith 37; Div 3 – Michael Hill 39c/b, Glen Johnstone 39, Graeme Osborne 36.
Thursday 25 November
Women’s stroke: Juliet Hall 69, Fay Wiggins 72.
