Cliff hanger finish at golf

On Saturday the golfers encountered mid-winter conditions as they battled away in the Individual Stroke event, sponsored by B M Tooth. The field of 69 produced scores better than last week, having adjusted to the cold conditions and hastened their game to enjoy the warmth in the Golfie. The Div-1 results provided to be a cliff-hanger when two players finished on 69 nett and thus required a count back. The declared winner was Glendon Hooper who had a hiccup at the start of each half, with double-bogeys on the 2nd and 11th holes. But he played steady golf on the other holes to finish with a 41-40 split. Runner-up Caleb Hanrahan played immaculate golf on the front-9. Although he was unable to convert for better than pars on the par-5's he did turn with a 34. The back- 9 was a repeat of the front-9 with three birdies, but alas he had a flounder on the 18th. His par putt horseshoed out to leave him a tap in bogey, and thus fall into the count back, where his handicap was against him. The Div-2 winner portrayed a swing reminiscent of Adam Scott. That is if you take into consideration the lower backswing arc, the reluctant body turn, and the shortened statue. But nevertheless Brian Doyle responded well to the conditions and finished with a nett 71 to take the honours. He could not capitalise on the par-5's and had blemishes on the 4th and 17th holes, finishing with 42-45. The Div-2 Runner-up was Ben Kelly from Caragabal, who seemingly enjoyed the grass greens despite 'raising the bat'. He would have felt so much better if he had not had a 'Bo Derek' on the 4th hole, which seemed to knock the wind out of his sails. He did pip Adrian Cole on count back. The ball sweep went to 76 nett, going to: 70 - K Herbert; 71 - S Kirkman; 72 - A Cole; 73 - R Webb, A Dukes, C Banks. W Powter; 74 - J Milton, B Ashton; 75 - D Young, K Tyne, D Mylecharane, P Kay, B Parker, P Dawson; 76 - S Hayes, M Watts, C Goodsell, D Rhodes. The visitors included a good group of guys from Gulgong on their annual pilgrimage - D Young, S McDonnell, A McKeown, A Landorf who struggled a bit except for Dale Young (75 nett). Other visitors included: Parkes (W Powter, R Hey, C Goodsell) and Ben Kelly (Caragabal). The NTP's went to: 9th - Kailab Tyne; 18th - Wayne Powter, with Kailab converting successfully. Perhaps Wayne needs some new glasses as his shot was very close but his putt when walkabout. There were seven 2's scored, with only one on the 18th by a Div-2 player. The Div-1 players managed their two's on the 3rd and 9th only. The 18th NTP was well contested with Wayne being the fourth name on the sheet, but Kailab scored his early in the field thus negating other fine efforts. The Pro Shop Super-Pin, held on the 9th hole, went to Kailab Tyne. His shot to 45cms raised the excitement level on the tee as it very nearly dropped in for him. But he was satisfied with the '2' and the Super Pin prize. The day did have its challenges for many. The expected 'speed bumps' on the 7th and 15th holes did not seem to emerge prolifically. But surprisingly there were a few 10's on the 9th hole. One was by Tony McKeown (Gulgong) whose score was compiled with a combination of poor tee shot, best described as a dribble, and striking the trees. Another was by returning player Archie Quirk who struck the ball well but had an induced headache with chipping and putting woes. The award for the highest individual hole score was taken by Andy Landorf (Gulgong) with a '13' on the 4th . He followed that with a 'Bo Derek' on the 7th. The highest scores of '11' on the 7th were shared by Laurie O'Connor who followed the example set by a member of the Duke family, who shall remain incognito, and who were the group ahead of Laurie's group. And there were the usual blow-outs on other holes as well, although the 15th remained relatively quiet all day. On the other side of the coin it was too cold for eagles as they remained hidden in their nests. High accolades go to Caleb Hanrahan who carded five birdies, among which were two 2's. But he could only manage pars on the par-5's. Kim Herbert mixed birdies with too many bogeys, while Andrew Dukes had a good run of 4's from the 14th to the finish. Harry Callaghan was in such a hurry that his scorecard was lumpier than a crocodiles back. And Clayton Alley kept the winning streak in the 'Brother Duel', clipping Anthony by one shot. And at least no-one hit the safety fence off the 1st tee, unlike a number of social players later that afternoon. Here is the News: The Membership Renewals have been rolling in but the 'period of grace' has now ended. If you have any problems please contact Head Pro Will or Secretary Steve Grallelis. Members with un-paid renewals will be recorded as un-financial. This is a reminder to get your team ready for the Annual KENO Scramble Day, scheduled for Sun 1 Sep. Notices are posted in the Pro Shop. The Trundle Men's Open is set for Sat 3rd and Sun 4th August. Saturday has a 4BBB Medley, with the Open Tournament to be held on Sunday. Refer to the notices on the notice boards for registration details and costs. Additionally, we have received notification of the Temora Open, to be held on Aug 10 and 11. Refer to the notice board for details. It is a shame we cannot record 'frequent traveller miles' if we can manage to get to these events. I record with sadness the passing of Graeme Howe, a long-time member of the club. His service was held last Thursday with a ceremony on the golf course and wake in the 'Golfie'. The Club extends their condolences to the family. It is crystal ball time: This Saturday, 20 July, is a 2-P Ambrose Medley event sponsored by Hassall Trading P/L. Sunday 21 July has the Stableford Medley, but we have not received any advice regarding the possibility of a Burcher Open.