THE Blue Lake Golf Club held its Monthly Medal on Saturday to clear the way for members and guests to prepare for Christmas and the festive season.
Sponsored by DiGiorgio Family Wines, Matthew Kurzman gave himself an early Christmas present, taking out the winners cash prize with his score of 84-20-64.
Kurzman started strongly, seven under his handicap after just six holes thanks to pars on the first, fourth and sixth, plus a birdie on the third.
It must have felt like Christmas for Kurzman who could do no wrong until taking on too much on the dogleg ninth hole, walking off with a double-bogey.
Turning with 40 off the stick he was still in the box seat for the win if he could keep it together over the closing nine.
He managed to do that for the first four holes but found tree trouble on the par 3 14th for another-double which he repeated on the next par 3.
A birdie on the 17th helped him avoid disaster and throw away a great round but thanks to his opening nine, he already had the runs on the board to take the outright win.
It was always going to be hard for Anthony Williams to give Kurzman 20 strokes head start but the scratch golfer fought his best fight and almost caught him.
Two birdies and two bogeys negated each other on the outward nine but then Williams put on an exhibition.
A two-under-the-card 33 strokes were all he needed to complete his round thanks to birdies on the 12th and the 14th holes to card a 68-0-68 to take the win in A Grade.
Second placed Brad Talbot was on track to also record a sub-handicap nine.
After a birdie on the third hole and no bogeys, he was confident he could clear the trees on the ninth to possibly add another birdie or better on his card.
Unfortunately he caught the trees and walked off with a six to dent his chances.
He equalled the outward 36 on the inward nine with two bogeys and a birdie on the 17th.
Talbot hung on, just edging out Bob White in a count-back.
White had equal splits of 38, his highlight an eagle on the third hole.
After celebrating the recent birth of his grandson, Roger Gale kept the good times rolling with a win in B Grade, carding an 85-17-68.
Gale started with the wind in his sails, parring the second and going even better on the third with a birdie but then lost gusto with a pair of double-bogeys.
Finishing with three successive pars put him back on track to turn with a 40 off the stick. Unfortunately for Gale his back nine was more like a tornado, either parring a hole or walking off with a double-bogey.
A par on the last saved him from disaster and he managed to clinch first place by a single stroke.
A count-back was needed to decide the minor placings, with Fred Knight and Barry Humphries finishing tied on nett 69.
Knight was rewarded with his 42 on the back nine too good for Humphries.
The scoring was hot in C Grade, with a nett 65 taking the cake which belonged to Scott Paterson.
After a birdie on the 15th hole, Paterson had an outright win in his sights, matching Kurzman’s score and all he needed was another par to take the major prize.
Unfortunately the innocuous par 3 16th hole was waiting for him.
Surrounded by trees and a tricky green to read was Paterson’s nemesis, adding another red score to his card on the last to let it slip.
His 48 off the stick still had some good golf in it and he deserved the win, finishing well clear of Steve Dwyer and Adrian O’Donnell who finished in second and third respectively.
White’s eagle on the third cleaned out the eagles nest while Andrew Russell (fifth hole) and Michael Watts (16th) won the pro shot awards.
The ball rundown included Trevor Gartside, Dudley Taunton, David Johnston 70, Tony Brooks, Gavin Coon, Watts, Doug McKenzie 71, Dieter Rostig, Marc Dalton, Bryan Scott, Callum Harvey and Russell Lingham with 72.
Nearest to pins went to Steve Jelly in A Grade and John Kamp in B Grade.
Monthly novelty awards went to Ben Gordon, Greg Cooper, Williams, Scott Sawyer, Kurzman, Robbie Drenthen and Gartside.
