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GOLFERS contested the monthly medal at the Blue lake Golf Club on Saturday, with Gavin Coon a worthy victor.
Winning a medal of any colour was the furthest thing from Coon’s mind after starting 6, 4, 6, 6 to find himself struggling to break par.
But after a birdie on the eighth hole his round soon improved, with a neat 38 off the stick on the back nine to run out an easy winner.
A count-back was required in A Grade to separate Jamie Dunn and last week’s winner Tim Smith.
This time Smith was not so fortunate, missing out to Dunn who had a hot finish, a birdie on the last giving him 36 off the stick.
Smith did all his good work on the front nine where he also had a 36 thanks to consecutive birdies on the eighth and ninth holes.
A double bogey on the 11th rocked his foundations slightly but he still finished 76-8-68.
Jason Clauson rounded out the prize winners with his 81-12-69 to fall just short.
He would rue double bogeys on the first and fourth holes on his opening nine but would still be happy to have beaten his handicap and cement his position in the premier grade.
Matching the A-graders pair of 68’s was B Grade winner Graham Burke, who was also off to a rough start with a couple of double bogeys but then treated the back nine like he was in his own back yard.
Keeping the red ink off his card and throwing in three pars, Burke took three strokes off his score on the front nine to close out the win.
Stephen Smith (82-13-69) showed the value of consistency with a pair of 41’s providing a solid foundation for his round to finish in second place.
Jamie Walters had a possible win in the bag up until the 14th hole where the par 3 took its toll with tree trouble.
He managed to hang onto third place by the barest of margins, finishing 87-15-72.
Preparation for playing well in the monthly medal competitions is wide and varied but C Grade winner Ross Jewell took it to the extreme by spending time resting and recuperating in the Queensland sun to make sure he was in tip top condition.
Unfortunately his front nine still had him in holiday mode with a modest 47 off the stick but he soon rectified that with pars on the 13th, 15th and 18th holes to close out a net 69.
Ever-improving Brendan Lunnay (92-21-71) is well on the way to B Grade and with his birdie on the seventh hole it is obvious he has the talent to make it.
Penola Golf Club’s Trevor Williams was rewarded for his trip down the highway with third prize with his net 72.
It was A-graders who led the pack in the ball rundown led by Brett Perryman, Michael Dedonatis (70), Neal Doody, Keith Ransom (71) Michael Watts, Richard Kuhn (72) Trevor McLean, Robert Martland, Marc Dalton, Jarrod Ryan, John Brown and Stephen Easterbrook all on 73.
Ransom added to his collection with the pro shot on the fifth hole, while Bob White won the nearest to pin on the 14th for A Grade.
Novelty and monthly medal wins went to Dunn (least putts), Dedonatis, Coon and Jewell.
