FORMER Mount Gambier Golf Club B Grade champion Stacey Parsons has found his best form on the eve of this year’s The Barn Club Championships.
Parsons, who had not had a top-10 finish for at least six months, shot an impressive +6 to top the leaderboard in last Saturday’s par competition.
The 46-year-old was on a 13 handicap when he took out the B Grade competition three years ago, but after last weekend’s win will play off 10 in A Reserve this year.
Qualifying will kick off on Saturday with a stroke round, followed by the March monthly medal round next Saturday, with the top eight players over the two rounds in A Grade, A Reserve, B Grade, C Grade and D Grade progressing to the matchplay phase of the competition.
Playing off 11 last Saturday, Parsons shot an impressive four-over par 76 off the stick, one better than runner-up Kent Comley.
Parsons dropped a shot on the first hole, but quickly made up for that with a par-four on the second hole to get back to square.
He picked up two more shots with pars on the fifth and seventh holes, before moving to +3 after making a 12-foot putt for birdie on the par 3 eighth hole.
Unfortunately he gave that straight back after what turned out to be his worst hole of the day on the par 4 ninth, ending up with a double-bogey six after being just off the green for two.
However, that proved to be only a temporary setback, as Parsons lit up the back nine with five consecutive pluses after making pars on the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th holes, plus a birdie on the par 4 12th.
“I hit most of the fairways which always helps and also hit quite a few greens in regulation,” he said.
“It makes it so much easier when you do that.
“Usually I’m not too bad with the wedge so if I do miss a green I can still get up-and-down a lot of the time.”
His great run on the back nine on Saturday ended with a half on the par 5, before dropping his first shot after a bogey on the par 3 16th.
That dropped him back to +6 but he was able to hold on to that number with two more halves on the final two holes to finish with the best score of the day and take out A Grade.
Also playing off 11, Comley shot an excellent 77 off the stick (40/37), to just miss out, while another 11-marker, Garry McCormack, was one shot further back.
B Grade was won by the rapidly-improving Wayne Davison who came in with +3, one ahead of Tony McGregor.
The C Grade winner was David Pike who also signed for a +3, edging out Warrnambool visitor Paul Oprean on a count-back.
Meanwhile in last Thursday’s stableford competition, Peter Ewer put on a chipping clinic to win with an impressive 45 points, three ahead of Bob Tonkin.
Ewer kicked off his round with a one-putt birdie for four points on the first hole, then added two more after a bogey on the par 4 second.
He then picked up three consecutive three-point pars after chipping close on each hole and having no trouble tapping in the resultant short putts.
Two more pars – on the seventh and eighth holes – and two bogeys saw him finish the front nine with a superb two-over par 38 off the stick and 25 points.
He started the inward nine with back-to-back two pointers, before picking up six more points after pars (both after getting up-and-down) on the 12th and 13th.
It seemed only a disaster would cost him victory and thanks to pars on the 15th and 16th holes (after an excellent bunker shot) he already had 43 points in the bag with two more holes to play.
Unfortunately he messed up his only chip of the day from just short of the 17th green for two, managing just one point after a double-bogey six and added one more after a bogey on 18 to finish with 80 off the stick.
Tonkin had a rare day out, but wipes on the fourth and 18th holes proved costly, leaving him three behind Ewer but taking second place after beating John Kirby on a count-back.
The best round of the day was turned in by Andrew Stark who finished on 38 points after shooting a one-under par round of 71 off his one handicap.
