Monthly medal draws big field

TOP SCORE: B Grade winner and equal overall best score in the Mount Gambier Gold Club’s monthly medal was Jason Millhouse (right). He is with playing partner Setio Shanahan.

IN the biggest field since last summer, 122 players vied for the Mount Gambier Golf Club’s monthly medal on Saturday.

With the advent of Spring and the end to most winter sports, golfers returned to the Attamurra course last week in big numbers, with 90 also playing in the Thursday competition.

Leading the way to be equal overall was C Grade winner Graham Robinson.

The former Rotarian president was in top form, with a consistent 45/46 split and with a generous 23 handicap, had a nett 68 to win by one shot over Craig Wirth with 69.

Wirth had trouble with the par fives, with double bogeys on each of the 11th and 15th, but then had pars on 16, 17 and 18 to come homely strongly.

In B Grade, Jason Millhouse came home well to record a four-shot win over big-hitting left-hander Jason Mann.

Millhouse showed great consistency, with a 41/41 split without getting into too much trouble and with his 14 handicap, produced a healthy return of nett 68 to have the equal best overall score for the day.

Mann went out with 44 off the stick, but his 42 on the back nine helped him return a nett 72.

In D Grade the consistent Jim Douglas continued his good form with 105-32-73, winning from Graham Kain on a count-back.

Douglas followed up his excellent 42 points from the previous Thursday and has been a regular in the winner’s list over the past month.

In A Grade the scores blew out, with Michael Cutting edging out Nick Black.

Cutting went out with 41, but his homeward journey reaped rewards with 39 off the stick.

It was built on the back of a storming finish.

After bogeying the 14th, he had back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 and pars on 17 and 18.

His nett 74 counted out Black, who went out with 41 and back with 40 and, but for bogeys on 17 and 18, could have taken the medal.

Other leading scores were Stephen Stuart, Charlie Finch (71), Robert aHarkness (72), Kevin Lennon, Kennetth Whitehead (73), Stacey Parsons, Andrew Noble, Jonathan Bruhn, Peppi Pace, Neil

McKay, Leigh McManus, Darren Harding, Graham Greenwood (74), Michael Rees, Brad Von Duve, Bryan Pink, John Gosling, Rob McIntyre (75), Graham Smy, Michael Foran, Jim Leane, Tony McGregor and Stephen Day (76).

Christopher Patterson had the best shot on the eighth hile, while Whitehead took the pro shot on the 16th and both nailed their birdies

Other birdie balls went to Jeffrey Hodge, Cutting, Russell Lewis, McIntyre, Hardin, David Anderson, David Pike, John Sandery, Graham Thomas.

For the women, Bernie Jennings took the honours in a solid field, with nett 69, just getting home from the consistent Betty McKechnie on 70.

The ball winners were Heather Chapman (71), Maxine McGregor (73), Lois Harvey, Kate McCormick (74), Yvonne Shirley and Marie Douglas (75).

Jennings also won the pro shot on the eighth hole, while the nearest the pin on 16 went to Douglas.