Club results for 28/9/24

It's amazing how quickly the sun on your back and a firmer golf course can improve the scoring.

It's also helps when you are teeing off the white tees rather than labouring off the back blue ones.

Just ask Neil Howard who played the perfect 6 iron on No 2 for his first hole-in-one. The nine-holer's shot to the par three never left the pin before taking one bounce and scurrying into the hole. His was the third ace in a month following ones by Jack Denton and Paul McCrae.

It propelled Neil to 25 stableford points for the front nine and a comfortable win. Paul McCrae pipped Heather Carey for second on countback after both posted 21 points, while John Dixon was also on song with 20.

The other highlight was the club champs semi-final junior B clash between Jim McMullan and Barry Rhodes which went to the last holes before Jim prevailed 1-up. Jim was two up early but Barry won three on the trot to edge ahead before Jim won the ninth with a par to draw level. They each won three of the next six holes and halved the 17th to go to the last all square. After Barry drove it into the trees and struggled to get out, Jim grabbed the initiative by hitting it down the middle. When he put his third on the green, Barry conceded. Jim will play Lewis Wilson in the final.

In  a catch-up intermediate quarterfinal midweek match Jason Lee trounced Richard Pearson 8/7. The other delayed quarterfinal between Junior A graders Gareth Edwards and Maurice woodhouse will be played early next week  before the other semi-finals next Saturday (Oct 5).

In the match of the day, a net round off the white tees which counted as the 12th round each of the Barkman Trophy and Shootout, almost half the field shot 73 or better in the sunny and blustery conditions. 
Paul Tunnicliff put together a fine 67 to take top honours. Driving accurately and typically tidy around the greens, he went out in 40 and back in 43.

Despite nursing a sore shoulder, Andy Isle shot a 69 to snare second. Pete Green was two under the card at one stage but had to settle for a 70 and third. He was followed by Neil McLaren, Keri Kotua  and Mick Leggett on 72, while Peter Watson grabbed the last Barkman point on countback after a 73.

Pete G (74), Andy (76) and Keri (78) all broke 80 off the stick.

The twos were shared by Andy, Pete G, Jonathan Tuheke and Bryan Ramsey with one each.

It's back to the blue tees for the club champs semi-finals next Saturday which will see James Campion play Andy and Pete G take on Keri in the seniors, Jonathan verse Bryce Vincent and Peter W battle Jason in the intermediates  and Graham Galt play Mike Williams and Brendan Doyle meet the winner of the Edwards/Woodhouse clash in the junior As.