MURRAY DOWNS MEN
A HUGE amount of golf has been played at Murray Downs over the past week, with the annual Golden Putter tournament being held.
It started on Friday with the Golden Shoe Singles Stableford competition, in which 140 players participated. The course was in excellent condition, thanks the hard-working ground staff, with many very positive reports being received that they had never seen the course in better condition.
After all the dust had settled and the scorecards submitted, it was regular visitor Leon Egan, of Horsham, who took out the 2022 Golden Shoe. Egan, playing off his daily handicap of 17, accumulated 41 Stableford points to take out the event by one point over Heath Jaensch, of Port Fairy.
Runner-up to Egan in Division 3 was Rob Merrett (Murray Downs) with 39 points, followed by Michael Cunningham (Goonawarra) on 37. In Division 2, Mark Douglas (Horsham) was the best with 39 points, from Shaun Merrett (Midlands) and Stephen Wik (Horsham) who both finished with 38. Heath Jaensch took out Division 1 with his 40 points, from Grant Wright (Horsham) with 39 and Ray Bonnici (Melton Valley) on 38.
In the major event of the weekend, the 55th Annual Golden Putter (4BBB, 36 holes against par), a pair of former winners, albeit with different partners, stormed home on Sunday to take out the tournament on countback with a final total of 16 up against par. Murray Downs member Malcolm Seton-Stewart and his partner David McFarland, now of Yarrawonga, started with a modest score of five up on Saturday, before really hitting their straps on Sunday, to come home with a brilliant score of 11 up to take out the event from last year’s winners Greg Cadd and Brad Arnoldt, who complied scores of nine up on Saturday and seven up on Sunday. Finishing third were local member John Tripodi and his partner Aldo D’Amico (Coomealla) with 15 up.
In the daily events, Saturday’s winners were Adam Attard (Gisborne) and Gary Porter (Melton Valley), with nine up, from Adam Wilde (Eynesbury) and Michael Ryan (Keysborough), also with nine up. Josh Burgess (Horsham) had a hole in one on the second. On Sunday, local members Tony and Grant Ford were best with eight up, from Andrew Davies and Tony Gepp (Woodend) on seven up.
Overall, it was a successful weekend of golf at Murray Downs and many thanks must go to the committee members, pro shop staff, ground staff, bowlers for the barbecue and all the club staff for making the weekend an enjoyable experience.
We are back to a somewhat normal program this week, with the annual Medal of Medallists playoff and the July monthly medal event, all coinciding with the elimination final of the Swan Hill Wholesalers Premier League competition, where the The Sticky Bandits take on reigning premiers Presidents Cup and the Royal Goat Trackers up against The Dukes.
In the first match, the top-of-the-ladder Bandits, consisting of Jorgen Leschke, Sarah Clark, Jackson Quirk, Johny Hirst, Justin Condely, Andrew Halligan and Daniel and Brenton Cruickshank, on current form should be too good for the reigning premier team of Mick Kiley, Ken Gregory, Alan Mason, Col Hedwards, Gerard Moloney, Gary Bailey and Chris and Rob Merrett.
In the other final, the Goats are just starting to come good, led by Tony Ford, who hit a small purple patch over the Golden Putter weekend. As we all know, these purple patches don’t normally last very long and his fellow Goats Geoff Frame, Tony Wilson, Paul Raudino, George Sidorow, Brenton Gurnett, Graeme Mathiske and Kain Domaille are up against the consistent Dukes (Carol Wiseman, Brian Elliott, Paul Sparks, Claris Bourne, Greg Armsden, Steve Blumer and Brad Cockfield). This match could go right down to wire for a place in the grand final on July 9.
MURRAY DOWNS LADIES
THE 49th Golden Putter has been run and won at Murray Downs.
Clubs from more than 35 Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian clubs were represented in the field of 140 that teed off in benign conditions on Thursday, but it was Murray Downs competitors who prevailed.
Judi Benbow (25) and Jenny Lynas scored 10 up to win the coveted Golden Putters, from Jenny Monahan (33) and Rosie Ficarra (24), nine up. Third placegetters were Glenys Dixon and Lynette Purvis, of Hamilton Golf Club, with eight up. Michelle and Bev Holt were next best with seven up.
Kerry Lynch (The Sands), Sonia Hill (Shepparton), Robyn McGrath (Bright) and Kerry Pederson (Gisborne) were rewarded for accurate shots on the par threes.
Cold conditions produced some hot golf at Murray Downs on Wednesday, when 52 ladies teed off in the Stableford event. The best score of the day came in Division 2, where Avis Shipsides enjoyed the shorter version of the golf course to score 40 points from her handicap of 28. Runner-up was Fay Rush (28) on 38 points.
Thirty-nine points was the winning Division 1 score, with Georgina Douglas (19) surviving a countback from Jenny Ford (16). Junior Tara Free (35) took advantage of the school holidays to join the competition and scored 35 points to feature in the ball countdown and collect the nearest-the-pin prize on the 15th. The other ball winners on 35 points were Virginia Allen and Judi Lonergan, while Jenice Krahnert, Eileen Morath, Neeta Hutchins and Naomi Domaille collected the other NTP prizes.
On a sad note, long-time members of both the Donnington and Murray Downs clubs were saddened to hear of the passing of Irene Masters, who was always great company on and off the golf course.
LALBERT GOLF
THE final round of the club championships was held, last Sunday, with Doug Meehan taking out the scratch event with a score of 77 from Charlie Kingwill (80) in the A Grade men’s competition. Charlie got one back, however, winning the handicap competition with score of net 71.
In B Grade, Maurice Meehan took out the scratch event with a score of 85 from Lee O’Meara on 86 – with Lee winning the handicap event with net 73.
For the ladies, Karen McKissack took out the scratch competition with a score of 94, from Sarah Young with 103. Sarah won the handicap event with net 74.
In the nine-hole juniors, Chayse Worner won the scratch event with a score of 55 from Dakota Meehan on 56, while Dakota won the handicap tournament on a countback from Carly Shepherd with net 36. Nearest the pin was Jess Worner.
James McLean was declared the 2022 club champion. McLean won the scratch and A Grade championship with 231 from Doug Meehan on 235. In B Grade, the club champion was Maurice Meehan on 254, with Stuart McGregor next best on 284. The NDGA award was won by Dave Doolan with net 220, from Charlie Kingwill and Maurice Meehan on net 224.
Karen McKissack won the ladies’ championship with 283 from Jess Worner on 318. In the Pat Jobling Memorial Award, Karen McKissack won with net 235, from Maree Kingwill and Danika Meehan on 241.
The18-hole junior competition was won by Charlie Kingwill with a scratch score of 251, from Danika Meehan (334) and Caitlin McKissack (354). Charlie followed by winning the handicap event as well with a net 224 from Danika Meehan (241). In the nine-hole juniors, Dakota Meehan won the scratch event with 165, from Chayse Worner on 170, while Dakota also won the handicap competition with net 108 from Chayse and Carly Shepherd on 109.
TOOLEYBUC LADIES
June 22:
Winner – Marg Lauer 29
Runner-up – Ros Jennings 28
Nutrien Award – Leonie Lambert
Nearest the pin – Lisa Zanker
Trophy donor – Leonie Lambert
June 29 Stableford:
Winner – Narelle Fraser 36
Runner-up – Marg Rowe 34
Balls down the line – Marg Lauer and Ros Jennings
Nutrien Award – Ros Jennings
Nearest the pin – first and 10th, Marg Lauer
Nearest the Pin – seventh and16th, Ros Jennings
Trophy donor – Lois Jordan
