IT was a scoring free-for-all at the Blue Lake Golf Club for Saturday’s Bay Pizzaria sponsored stableford round and a capacity field of over 100 starters took to the course.
Normally a score of 40 points ensures an easy win but Brett Perryman, David Johnston and Thomas Von Stanke needed a count back to decide an outright winner.
Johnston was the score board leader for the majority of the round but he was eventually pipped by Perryman.
With birdies on the sixth and ninth holes, Perryman boasted an impressive 20 points to his name at the halfway mark.
Another two birdies on the 10th and 13th holes helped him to repeat the same feat of 20 points on the inward nine.
Despite bogeys on three of the last 5 holes it was still enough to be crowned the outright winner.
Johnston bookended his round with opening and closing double bogeys but it was an impressive performance otherwise.
However, he missed out on victory due to the count-back.
Von Stanke was even more unfortunate after the C Grader earned 22 points on the front nine to set him up nicely at the turn.
However, a more regulation 18 points over the back nine relegated him out of the play-off.
A Grade winner Derek Sargeant was on fire early after his 38 off the stick saw him earn 21 points on the front nine.
He opened the back nine with a pair of pars and was eyeing off a win.
However, a double bogey on the 14th hole and a complete wipe on the 16th derailed his round despite a birdie on 17th.
It was still a respectable closing 18 points but it was a case of what could have been.
Tim Smith and young Callum Harvey tied for second, Smith’s 37 on the back nine was going to be hard for Harvey to match.
Harvey was on track to not only do that but also surpass Smith but a double bogey on the last hole only earned him the solitary point and he was relegated to third.
Johnston was the stand-out winner in B Grade and despite the opening and closing double bogeys, the rest of the round he felt like he could walk through walls.
Four scores of three points each on the front nine was almost matched on the inward nine and even though he was on the wrong side of a count back he was still very happy with one of his better rounds of golf for some time.
Every week Colin Tester gets a little bit healthier and stronger and each week he features in the prize winners list.
An impressive performance all-round was highlighted by his high level of consistency, with points on every hole.
There was a gap back to third place getter Michael Johnston but he was another who showed that consistency matters in stableford as he also scored on very hole.
A couple of double bogeys on the way in cost him a shot at advancing up the score board.
Von Stanke’s 40 points was enough for him to claim the honours in C Grade.
He was another who scored on every hole with splits of 22 and 18.
The day ended strongly for Von Stanke with a brace of three-point holes.
Von Stanke had to work hard for his win with Brenton Hodge hot on his heels, especially over the closing holes.
Von Stanke closed with 7 points over the last three holes but Hodge stormed home with an amazing 10 points as he finished with a par, a birdie and a bogey.
Scott Montgomery was another who found the last stretch of holes to his liking, earning 17 of his back nine 21 points over just six holes.
Scores of 35 or better were needed for a ball prize and they included Jim Ferrazzola, Zeick Dalton, Jarrod Ryan, Michael Watts, Damian Dixon, Steve Dwyer, Michael Dawe, Colin Rex, Jake Matthews and Bruce Morale.
Morale also cleaned out the Eagles Nest of eight golf balls with his 2 on the 11th while Dewain Barrett won four for his pro shot on the 5th.
The hot scoring from Saturday’s round continued in the flow on Stableford event on Tuesday and David Dowie claimed the victory.
After an average start of seven points after four holes, Dowie then strung together a run of three-point holes, which started with a birdie on the fifth hole.
He backed this up with three consecutive pars before a bogey on the ninth hole to turn with an admirable 20 points.
Dowie then went on another run of three consecutive pars which was only bettered on the 17th hole with a birdie to end the round with 41 points.
A four-point par on the seventh hole helped Karl Ransom end the front nine with 17 points.
He continued his form into the back nine to come home with 22 points and claim second place.
Fortunately for Ransom, his strong finish helped him clinch the runner-up position from Jim Ferrazzola after both finished on 39 points.
Ferrazzola was a lot more consistent but with his 21 handicap he was always going to miss out on the high-scoring par holes.
He scored on every hole to end with splits of 19 and 20, which were built from five impressive pars.
There were some unfortunate players who sizzled around the course but had to settle for a ball prize.
This included Wayne Dunford with a 39 off the stick on the inward nine for 22 points and just missed out on a major prize with 38 points.
Similarly John Brown was on track for a win with 38 points with a hole to play but the 18th hole was his only bad hole.
Bruce Tichbon and Ian Bown had 37 points with the latter going around the front nine in only 37 strokes which was the same amount of strokes Brett Perryman needed for his back nine.
Colin Ferguson went even better with a blistering 36 strokes on his back nine but had only 16 points on the front and was another who settled for a ball prize.
Jake Matthews had two birdies in his 36 points.
