MURRAY DOWNS MEN’S
THIS weekend was a busy one for the Murray Downs Golf & Country Club, with the club hosting their 31st Annual Reciprocal Tournament, with players from all around travelling to take part.
Thursday’s medley Stableford event was a high scoring affair, with Robert West (24) scoring a very impressive 44 points to win D grade and take out the top score of the day.
Gerard Mackay (24) shot 36 points to finish runner up in D grade, which was two more than Charlie Blake (26) who finished third with 34 points.
Bruce Wilson (19) scored 42 points to be declared the C grade winner, beating Mick Burns (20) with 39 points and Chris Grant (20) with 38 points who finished second and third respectively.
B grade was won by Robert Hinton (16) after he scored 39 points to claim the top spot ahead of Grant McNees (13) who scored 37pts, with Roger Walker (15) third with 35 points.
Lastly, A grade was won by Lakeside member Paul Bethune (11), who scored a top notch 43 points, with Doug Grant (8) and his 40 points good enough to see him finish second, with Craig Fletcher (9) close behind with 38 points in third.
For a place, 34 points was required, with the nearest the pins going to Malcom Talbot (2nd), Gisborne visitor James Gordon (5th), Barham’s Wayne Wisby (11th) and Chris Fordham (15th).
Our 31st Annual Reciprocal Tournament began on Friday with a 4BBB event, with the team of Bernard Tanner (31) and Clinton Robinson (17) from Box Hill Golf Club claiming the top spot with an astonishing 52 points.
They were followed by Matt McCann (12) and Philip Tolliday (7) from Buninyong Golf Club in second with 48 points and Mark Hay (29) and Bruce Cumming (13) from Rich River Golf Club in third on 46 points.
Dean Laws (+1) and John Payne (14) from Box Hill Golf Club took out fourth with 45 points on a countback, which edged them over fifth placegetters Anthony Lansdown (17) and Les Jonas (26) and their 45 points.
Forty four points was required to get a placing on the day, with the nearest the pins won by Paul Ross of Thirteenth Beach Golf Club (2nd), Murray Downs Golf Club local Christy Merritt (5th), John Payne of Box Hill Golf Club (11th) and Dean Laws of Box Hill Golf Club (15th).
It must be mentioned that on one of our more difficult holes, the par 4 6th, Daniel Irwin from Buninyong Golf Club hit his second shot from roughly 150 meters out which landed on the green and rolled into the hole for a remarkable eagle.
Two hundred and sixteen players were out on course for the teams section of the Reciprocal, playing a best three of four Stableford competition over the weekend.
Starting with the visiting teams, the winners were Philip Tolliday (7), Brett Tolliday (3), Adam McCann (13) and Matt McCann (12), who shot 118 points on Saturday and 102 points on Sunday, for the top score of 220 points.
Runners up were by Paul Bennetts (22), Andrew Whittle (18), Bernard Tanner (31) and Anthony Lansdown (17) with a combined score of 204 points, while third was won by the team of Michael Adams (14), Matthew Burdon (9), Jarrod Ferguson (19) and Joel Burdon (32), with their scores over both days coming to 202 points.
Finishing fourth, with a total score of 199 points, was the team of Clinton Robinson (17), David Pritchard (11), Mosstyn Howell (6) and Andrew Heath (22), while fifth place went the way of Bruce Cumming (13), Trevor Hay (14), Wayne Sperling (13) and Mark Hay (29) and their overall score of 197 points.
The members side was won by the group of Noah Starrs (2), Kamron Ley (35), Jorgen Leschke (5) and Matt Lenton (17), who managed 111 points on Saturday and 91 points on Sunday, combining for 202 points and claim victory.
Behind them were the team of Ben Smith (15), Jarrod McKenzie (15), David Doolan (19) and Luke Doolan (5), who took out second place with their combined score of 200 points.
The third place team of Ashley Free (5), Dallas Free (0), Bobby Kelly (9) and Dennis Kelly (21) was only one point shy with their total of 199 points, while fourth place, with 196 points and winning on a countback due to their superior Sunday score, was Spencer McKenzie (4), Oliver Rodhe (6), Tyrone Parkinson (11) and Daniel Delmenico (8).
They edged out the team of Lisa Brady (27), Dione Heppell (10), Sarah Clark (19) and Mia Hirst (35) with the ladies also finishing with 196 points and in fifth spot.
With the hot and sweaty weather, only 24 players braved the conditions for Tuesday’s medley Stableford event.
Top of the leader board for the day was Blackwood Golf Club visitor Michael Green (11), who scored 40 points and was followed by Paul Bethune (10) in second with 38 points.
You needed to score 34 points to get a ball, with only two nearest the pins won, with Paul Bethune claiming the 11th and Murray Conn winning the 15th.
MURRAY DOWNS LADIES
THE official golf season got underway at Murray Downs Golf & Country Club on Wednesday, with 44 women taking to the course which has benefited greatly by recent rain.
Carolyn Zambelli started off the season on a high note, scoring 69 nett from her 27 handicap to win the February Monthly Medal and Division 1, with Ruth McAlister (27) scoring 73 nett and finishing as runner up.
In Division 2, Barb Clark (30) 73 nett and Kayla Shadbolt (31) 74 were successful, with Kayla continuing her good form, having featured in the winners list over the last few weeks and pruning 16 shots from her handicap in that time.
Mag Kiley also scored 73 nett to lead the ball pool, with Marg Moore and Jenny Lynas next best.
Michelle Holt used her putter 31 times to win the putting competition, while the lucky shots on the par 3’s were executed by Lynne Bishop, Tamika Hogan and Shelley Wilkins.
MURRAY DOWNS DADS’ ARMY
ON Wednesday, January 29, Dads’ army members played a fun round on the front-nine, whereby they had to use an iron of their choice to drive at each tee. On Monday, February 3, no competition golf was played owing to the heat, although a few did play, with Brian Devlin having a good day.
On Wednesday, February 5, members played the front-nine, with Damian Kelly finishing with the best score of 20 points, ahead of Graeme Bray and Barry Ingram on 19 points.
They were followed by Ian Dickson on 16 points, Ross Cox on 15 points and Gavin Scown on 14 points, with the monthly winner being Ian Dickson, who received the prized tin of fruit.
