FANTASTIC golfing weather greeted competitors at the Attamurra golf course on Saturday and a bumper field of 120 ensured victory would not be easy.
As it panned out Millicent’s Marc Pretty, Penola’s Greg Hutchesson plus Mount Gambier members Grant Lean and Mick Gill all tied for round-of-the-day honours with 41 points.
Pretty’s score was good enough to win A Grade by one from Tony Revill on 40 points.
Hutchesson won B Grade from Gill on count-back and Lean took D Grade by one from Tom Miles on 40.
In C Grade it was the “Penola Stakes”, with Penola members John Wilkinson, 40 points, and Andrew Hutchesson, 37 points, taking first and second places.
Players needed 36 points or better to win a ball, with Stephen Gray and Paul Reade unfortunately missing out on count-back.
On the other side of the ledger were David Anderson, David McGregor, Shayne Hosking, Jonathon Bruhn, Grant Harvey, Tom Madigan, Parker Smith, Chris Patterson, Jim McPherson, Ben
Robinson, Kevin Cook, Nick Black, Craig Davis, Ross Bond, Shane Brook, Adrian Ballintyne, Scott Christian, Kent Comely, Tony Klug, Darren Coxon and Daryl Morgan.
In the birdie competition 15 players managed to put a two on the left of their cards, with winners including, Graham Greenwood, Simon Tulak, Andrew Noble, Grant Harvey, Garry Button, John
Maxwell, Darren Griffin, Stephen Gray, Paul Harmer, Setio Shanahan, Stephen Day, Lindsay Storer and Shane Brook.
The pro-shot on the 16th hole belonged to Pretty and shot-of-the-day honours belonged to Stephen Day on the eighth.
In the wash up of the Penola/Mount Gambier challenge, which takes an average score from all participants, Penola once again came out on top, winning 66.3 to 64.9.
Seniors Championships
SUNDAY saw the running of the Mount Gambier Golf Club Seniors Championships, with three different age groups, (50-59, 60-69, 70+) across men’s and women’s fields.
Jim Leane was crowned this year’s Men’s Seniors Champion after a fantastic 73 off-the-stick, including birdies on holes one, six and 13, plus an eagle-two on 10.
It equated to a square-with-the-card front nine of 36, before collapsing slightly, for 37 on the back.
For the women it was back-to-back Seniors Championships for Helen Gregory with 89 off-the-stick.
Bernie Jennings beat a quality field in the 50-59 bracket taking best gross with 95.
In the 60-69 group Faye Mainwaring, (91) was five clear of Sue Coulter on 96.
The nett event went to Di Norman on nett 75 by count-back from Mary Kentish.
In the 70+ division it was Bev Pedlar on 94, two clear of Di O’Donnell on 96.
For the nett event Betty McKechnie claimed first with 71 nett and Marie Douglas second on nett 74.
In the men’s 50-59 Joe Clements (75) claimed first with Ken Whitehead second on 77.
In the nett event Brad Von Duve claimed first with 68 and Peter Dempsey second on 69.
The 60-69 group Rob McIntyre claimed first with 78 off-the-stick and Bryan Walsh second on 79.
Brian Norman claimed the nett event with 67 and Max Tollner second on nett 72.
In the 70+ group Mike Foran posted 85 to win by two from Graham Greenwood.
Bob O’Connor was first in the nett event with 69 and Brian Simmonds second on nett 70.
