MURRAY DOWNS MEN’S
WELL, there must have been some gremlins in the scoring system last Thursday because the blokes playing on a handicap of 7 or under were left out of the list of prize winners.
There were 83 players who completed their Stableford round, and it appears that there should have been four grades decided instead of three in the system, so this report will try to clarify. The best of the lowest handicappers on the day was Paul Bethune (7) and Dale Jager (6).
Paul, one of our local milk production specialists, carded 76 off the stick to solidify his return to form with 39 points and Dale collected two nearest the pin awards on his journey to 36 points.
Ken Gregory (9) and John Tripodi (16) finished atop of their grade with 36 points each, Ken winning on a countback.
Terry McEwan (20) was the first in the next grouping with 36 points and Gerard Moloney (19) birdied the first hole on his way to second with 36 points also.
The final grade of players included the overall winner on the day, Peter Norgrove (26) played consistent golf to score 22 points on the front nine on his way to 40 points overall.
David Wilkins (32) was the final player in the last grade to beat his handicap and win a prize with 36 points.
There was a four-ball-best-ball stroke competition on the Saturday with 48 pairs of players combining their best scores in an attempt to win.
Christy Merritt (11) and Colin Hedwards (16) beat allcomers to finish with 57 Nett.
Christy and Colin finished the front nine with three birdies on seven, eight and nine and they might have had an inkling that might catch Sam Davis (8) and Leigh Paynter (15) who teed off early and held the clubhouse lead for most of the day.
Sam and Leigh had an impressive four birdies and one eagle to finish second with 61 Nett, just pipping David Wilkins (32) and Russell Parkes (20) who came third on a countback.
Four prizes were handed out in the competition and Craig Davies (21) and Christopher Joyce (17) finished fourth on 62 Nett.
John Webb (17) almost jagged a hole-in-one on the second hole hitting it to 50 centimetres.
Sixty nine players showed up on Sunday for a round and John Pertzel (16) was the overall winner with 41 points.
John played a steady round, equaling or beating his handicap on most holes on his way to the top position and winner in B Grade.
Ken Gregory (8) played another good round to finish with 36 points in A Grade.
No others in A or B grade equaled their handicap.
However in C Grade, Jaime Knee (28), Darryl Domaille (22) and Koa Wilson (29) all beat the course with 40, 38 and 36 points respectively on their way into the winner’s circle.
On Tuesday, in stellar conditions, John Tripodi (15) led the men with +2 and once again grabbed the top position.
MURRAY DOWNS LADIES
OLIVE Spitty is the 2025 Murray Downs Golf & Country Club champion after posting rounds of 73, 72, 70 .
This is 15-year-old Olive’s third consecutive title and adds to her championship titles that she currently holds at Commonwealth and Kerang Golf Clubs.
Sister Mabel Spitty was runner up with 248.
Olive also won the handicap section of A grade with a three round total of 212 which won her the perpetual trophy for the best nett score over all grades.
Val Hedwards was next best with 220.
In B grade, Shelley Wilkins and Mag Kiley had a close tussle, with Shelley prevailing by one shot, with her three round total of 291 also winning her the Hazel Holt Memorial trophy .
Captain Pam Austerberry was the B grade nett winner with 227, one shot clear of Suzanne Napier.
In C grade, Barb Cadd started the day 10 shots behind the leader but eventually made up the difference to also win by the barest of margins ahead of Sally Fearn.
Her three round total was 317, with the Monica Bailey Memorial trophy also awarded to Barb who started her golf at Donnington with Monica more than 40 years ago.
Sally Fearn prevailed to win the nett event with a three round total of 222.
In D grade, Mandy Amezdroz won both events with scores of 345 and 222 respectively. New golfer Di Pinal was one shot further back in the scratch event.
The over 70’s veterans champion for 2025 is Chris Warburton with a three round score of 229.
Olive Spitty posted the best score of the day on Wednesday with a scratch score of two-under 70, and, with her handicap of plus one, took out the major A grade prize with 71 nett.
Her sister, Mabel (8) 73 nett was runner up.
Barb Cadd (30) 72 nett and Mandy Amezdroz (40) 76 nett were the B grade winners.
Bev Holt, Val Hedwards and Pam Austerberry, all 75 nett were the ball pool leaders and nearest the pin rewards went to Pam Austerberry, Olive Spitty, Michelle Holt and Jenny Lynas.
Anne Webb and Ruth McAlister combined to score 62 nett to win Saturday’s fourball ahead of Dione Heppell and Sarah Clark on 66 nett and on Sunday Jenny Waterson (21) 38 points won from Kerry Gammon (33) 30 points.
Di Plant 16 points and Bev Boys 14 points were the leaders in the Friday Golden Girls competition winners, with Sheila Beard taking out the prize for a gobbler.
Murray Downs members are saddened by the recent passing of Fay Rush.
Fay had been a member since the inception of the club and had served as a committee member as well as representing the club in pennant and district tournaments.
In 2002, Fay and Maree Thurwood won the prestigious Golden Putter tournament.
DAD’S ARMY
ON Monday, May 19, members of Dad’s Army played the back-nine, with Robert Smith and Ross Cox finishing with 18 points to lead the field.
They were followed Tom Wilkins and Ray Frame on 16 points, Damian Kelly on 14 points, Brian Devlin and Graeme Brae on 13 points.
On Wednesday, May 21, members played the front-nine with Robert Smith having a good day to finish with 20 points.
He was followed by Barry Ingram on 18 points, Brian Devlin on 16 points, Damian Kelly on 15 points, Colin Hayward and Ian Ray on 14 points and Tom Wilkins, Ray Frame and Ian Dickson on 13 points.
The weekly winner was Robert Smith with 38 points, followed by Tom Wilkins, Ray Frame, Damian Kelly, Brian Devlin and Barry Ingram on 29 points, Colin Hayward on 26 points, Graeme Bray and Ian Dickson on 25 points and Ian Ray on 24 points.
NYAH WEST
IN cold, windy conditions last Sunday and with a good contingent of members playing in the Balranald tournament, Graham Muir excelled in the conditions from his handicap of 29 to score 31 Stableford points, with the next best being Allister Pretty (20) scoring 17 points.
The nearest the pins went to Graham Muir on the Goodyear Autocare 2nd hole, the Nyah West Pharmacy 12th hole and the Rutherford Street Tyres 16th hole, while Allister Pretty claimed the Nutrien Ag Solutions/Landmark 15th hole. Another ball landed in the Country Tracks 4WD Swan Hill Eagles Nest.
The club’s junior development program commences on Sunday at our Nyah West course, at 202 Yarraby Road, starting at 9.30am and will be followed by a free sausage sizzle and drink.VETERANS
TUESDAY morning, bright and early, saw 34 veterans from Barham, Cohuna, Kerang, Lakeside, Murrabit, Manangatang, Mooroopna, Murray Downs and Tooleybuc contest the annual Northern District Veterans Golf Association grass greens championships, which was played as a Stableford round.
The ladies winner was Carol Dear from the Kerang Golf Club, who finished with 39 points, while the runner up was Lorraine Howard from the Mooroopna Golf Club with 36 points.
The men’s winner was Rob Male from Murray Downs Golf Club with 39 points, while the runner up was Ian Gammon, also Murray Downs, with 36 points.
The nearest the pins Joyce Boyd and Dennis Pretty (3rd hole), Amanda Male and Ian Dodd (5th hole), Lorraine Howard and John Manser (9th), Amanda Male and Graeme Bray (13th hole) and John Manser again on the 16th hole.
After a wonderful lunch prepared and served by the lady members, presentations got underway, with Kerang Golf Club volunteer workers also thanked for the presentation of a great course.
TOOLEYBUC LADIES
Final Round – Club Championships
Club Champion – Lisa Zanker (265)
Nett winner – Tracey Burge (216)
2 Best Nett Winner – Lisa Zanker (137)
Nearest the pin 1/10 – Lisa Zanker
Nearest the pin 7 – Lisa Zanker
Nearest the pin 9/18 – Lisa Zanker
Least Putts – Tracey Burge (97)
Daily Winner – Janet Brauer (32)
Runner-up – Lisa Zanker (31) and Narelle Fraser (29)
Balls down the line – Tracey Burge, Lois Jordan, Dianne Walters
Trophy Donor – Narelle Fraser and Tooleybuc Sporting Club
