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TRAVIS Younghusband has pointed to a new set of irons as one of the main reasons for his victory at the Mount Gambier Golf Club on Saturday.
The 30-year-old, who had not won a competition for more than 12 months, topped the leaderboard with 41 stableford points.
While most golfers highlight improved putting for their turnaround in form, Younghusband said a new set of Callaway Maverick Pro irons had helped significantly.
“I’ve only had them for four competition rounds and I’m still not exactly sure which one I should be hitting,” he said.
“But they’ve added two clubs to how far I’m hitting so they’re certainly making a difference.”
As an example, the 12-handicapper said he would normally hit a six iron on the par 3 16th hole.
But on Saturday, even with the pin right at the back of the green he hit an eight iron close enough to make a birdie for three points.
That was his second birdie in succession after making four on the par-five 15th.
As well as those two birdies, he had also made nine pars to that point, his only blemish being a wipe on the par 3 sixth hole.
Even a missed par putt from inside four feet on the 17th could not derail the win, with a one-point bogey on the final hole good enough for 41 points, one ahead of Chris Lynch.
“I thought 41 would be a pretty good score, although the conditions were ideal so I wouldn’t have been surprised not to win,” Younghusband, who also coaches the East Gambier Football Club reserves side, said.
As it turned out, his score was good enough to win A Grade by two points from fellow 12-marker Peter Lock.
Andrew Stark was one point further back, the five-handicapper shooting the low round of the day, a three-over par 75 off the stick.
The B Grade winner was Ian Ewart who compiled 39 points off his 16 handicap to finish four points clear of runner-up Tim MacLean who claimed the pro pin on the 16th with a superb shot to about two feet.
C Grade was won by Lynch, whose 40 points was well ahead of runner-up Mitchell Broome’s 35.
Meanwhile Bryan Walsh had a fabulous back nine to thank for his win in Thursday’s stableford competition.
Playing off a seven handicap, Walsh had an underwhelming front nine with just 15 points coming from his 41 off the stick.
However, he was a different player on the inward nine, shooting a one-under par 35 off the stick to add an incredible 24 points for a total of 39.
Those nine holes included six pars, a bogey on the par 4 12th and birdies on the 15th and 18th.
That back nine earned Walsh the nod on a count-back from Peter Waters who had 21 points on the front nine after shooting an excellent 38 off the stick.
Unfortunately he could not back that up on the inward nine, shooting 42 for 18 points compared to 24 from Walsh.
Coincidentally for Waters it was the second time in successive competitions he had been beaten on a count-back after losing to David Boyce in the previous Sunday’s short course event.
