MURRAY DOWNS MEN’S
WELL, if you needed a fix of golf and you weren’t out camping like most Swan Hill residents, Easter weekend was the weekend for you, with six straight days of golfing competitions combined with glorious weather.
There was a strong start on Thursday, with all the male prize getters easily beating their handicap in the Stableford event.
Justin Toomey (15) had a very impressive 39 off the stick on the front nine and finished with 42 points overall to take out the number one spot.
Harper Wilson (11) claimed first place in the A grade with 40 points, ahead of Gene Brooks (11) with 39 points and Raymond Power (8) with 38.
Anthony Ford (18) was the best of the men behind Justin Toomey in B grade with 37 points, while Dan O’Bryan (32) finished with 39 points in C grade to save the day for the locals, otherwise visitors would have taken home all the chocolates in that division.
If you want to imagine how good golf is played, take the time to go back and look at Luke Merritt’s scorecard on Good Friday.
Luke (2) had 68 strokes and 42 points on his way around the course, finishing with an extraordinary four under on the front nine and debunking the often repeated myth that you should never birdie the first.
Brenton Halligan (11) was the next best of the locals in A grade with 37 points, while Adrian Knee (24) finished among the places in the small field, claiming third place in B grade with 38 points.
One hundred and four players turned up on Saturday, with four grades of competition registered thanks to the large field.
The drizzle and stiff southerly breeze early made scoring harder, but it didn’t seem to bother James Downing (16), who finished on top of the leaderboard with 39 points.
Scott Mathiske (6) was the best of the members in A grade after scoring 38 points, while Tynan Perry (11) with 39 points, Dale Leiper (11) with 38 points and Graeme Mathiske (14) with 36 points finished first, second and third in the B grade.
Anthony Ford (19) was the only other member in the winners’ list with 38 points in C grade, with the jackpot hole going off again with Christy Merritt hitting it to 70cm on the 11th, chasing an elusive hole-in-one.
Only 40-odd players came out for a hit on Sunday and Monday, with Robert Forster (8) and John Scott (13) finishing with 37 and 35 points respectively to claim the prizemoney in A grade on Sunday.
Geoff Brasser (32) finished with 38 points in B grade, with a visitor finishing just behind him, while Noah Starrs tried something interesting by playing off the red tees with a boggling -5 handicap playing the shorter course – imagine being five shots behind before hitting a shot.
The Monday A grade winners in the medley par competition included Mark Robertson (9) with +4 and Joh Engelbrecht (14) with +1.
Lachie Carroll (20) and Jayden Trebilcock (24) had +3 each, with Lachie beating Jayden via a countback in B grade.
Rounding out the six days of golf competitions, Glenn Palmer (9) was the best of the members with 37 points, while Jamie Crabbe (35) finished with 36 points to claim second in B grade.
MURRAY DOWNS LADIES
THIRTY pairs competed in a fourball event, sponsored by LJ Hooker on Wednesday, April 16, with Mandy Amezdroz, who was a winner on the previous Wednesday, teaming up with Cathy Darby to win the major trophies with 47 points, ahead of Rhonda Barrow and Jan McEwan on 46 points.
Cassie Barnett and Paula Pickert were next best and were followed by Tracy Hooper and Colleen Roberts.
Claris Bourne (26) and Nadine Cox (27) both scored 35 points and led a small field on Easter Saturday.
This Wednesday, April 23, saw 59 ladies take out cards in the Stableford event.
Julie McLennan travels from Wycheproof each week with three or four golf pals to join in the competitions at Murray Downs and on this occasion, scored 38 points from her 24 handicap to win the A grade competition on a count back from Belinda Gardner (25).
A count back was also required in B grade, where Kayla Shadbolt (33) scored 35 points to beat home Jill Bath (30).
Georgina Douglas on 37 points and Mag Kiley, Pam Austerberry and Lynne Bishop, all with 36 points, led the ball pool.
Jo Watts, Mary-Anne Davis, Lynne Bishop and Ruth McAlister were all rewarded for accurate shots on the par three’s and claimed the nearest the pin’s.
Di Plant scored 17 points to win the recent Golden Girls competition, with Kaye McAlpine and Maryanne Mathiske both scoring 14 points, while the Golfer of the Month for March was Barb Upton.
VETERANS
THE Northern District Veteran Golfers Association held their monthly competition on Tuesday, April 15 at the Barham Golf Course, with 29 members playing Stableford.
The ladies winner was Lisa Zanker from the Tooleybuc Golf Club, with 39 points and winning via a count back, ahead of runner-up Eileen Willox from the Murray Downs Golf Club, also with 39 points.
The ball pool went to Shirley E. Hall from the Barham Golf Club (39 points), Lisa Hyne also from the Barham Golf Club (37 points) and Joyce Boyd from the Kerang Golf Club (34 points), with the pen award going to Joan Foster.
The nearest the pins were won by Lisa Brady (1st), Mandy Male (6th), Lisa Hyne (9th) and Kerry Gammon (12th).
The men’s winner was Dallas Bibby from the Barham Golf Club with 38 points, while the runner up was Dennis Pretty from the Nyah West Golf Club with 36 points.
The ball pool went to Joe Tartaglia from the Kerang Golf Club (34 points), Rob Male from the Wedderburn Golf Club (33 points) and R.McKenzie from the Murrabit Golf Club (32 points).
The pen award went to L. Schultz, while the nearest the pins were won by J. Manser (1st), D. Pretty (6th), R. Power (9th) and J. Manser (12th).
A great game was played in great conditions and we thank the Barham Golf Club for their ongoing support, with next month’s venue being the Kerang Golf Club on Tuesday, May 13.
TOOLEYBUC LADIES
Stableford – Wednesday, April 23
Winner – Tracey Burge (40 points)
Runner up – Ros Jennings (37 points)
Nearest the pin 1/10 – Narelle Fraser
Nearest the pin 5/14 – Tracey Burge
Balls down the line – Janet Brauer, Lois Jordan, Lisa Zanker
Trophy donor – Tooleybuc Motor Inn
Next week – 8.30am/9am Ambrose
