By Casey O'Connor
After weeks of cold, windy or foggy mornings and sometimes all of the above, Stanthorpe Sporters were pleasantly surprised on Sunday morning to have warm and sunny conditions for their nine-hole event.
The back nine was in play and as the group teed off there was an expectation of some good scores.
John Rawlings did best returning the winning score of nett 19 score.
John’s warm up routine of pushing golf carts out and back into the shed obviously paid dividends.
Terry Roser and Paul Armstrong each returned the next best, nett 24.
Roser managed to draw a higher card and claimed the runner’s up position relegating Armstrong to the run down.
Brendon Barker continued his good form and had the lowest gross score of the day needing 38 hits for the round.
The only par three pin shot on the day was at the 17th hole and Brendon also claimed it.
Our spy tells us Gary Kirby found a new way to play the par five 11th hole which he was able to turn into a par eight.
Hitting trees often does this.
Kirby’s tee shot flew into the nearest tree, his next hit even further from the hole than the tee shot.
In the end an eight was a good score.
There was no Sporters event on Sunday with the Hello Yellow Charity Golf Day taking over the course.
Naturally we hope to see some regulars on course for Hello Yellow if not Sporters play again in a fortnight when the front nine will be in play.
Stanthorpe golfers played a stableford event last Saturday and a good field including visitors from Bribie Island, McLeod and Riversdale Golf Clubs and they must have brought along the great playing conditions which everyone enjoyed.
Club member, Ian Pickering kindly sponsored the round providing the prizes for the winners.
In the men’s event, three players came in with the best score of 37 points and a countback was necessary to find the winner.
The eventual winner was one of the Bribie Island visitors, Brad Silver.
Mark McCosker ended with the runner up prize and Ivan Juriss settled for an award in the run down.
The ladies were definitely pleased to find the course beginning to dry out and now affording some run now on the fairways.
The scores are starting to reflect the improved conditions.
Helen Jones returned the winning score of 38 points in the Ladies group.
Another countback was necessary to find the runner up with Nikki Waterworth and Lyn Ludlow, each returned 35 points.
Waterworth got the nod and Ludlow settled for a spot in the run down.
Len Leigh held the men’s pin shot at three, Ian Harvey at 12, and Ivan Juriss at 17.
The Ladies’ pins were claimed by Nikki Waterworth at three and Key Webb cleaned up at 12 and 17.
Mark Hendry held the pro-pin at 1/10, Mark McCosker at 5/14 and Scott Constable at 9/18.
The birdies’ nest at 10 was unclaimed.
Others who featured in the run down were Jacob Steele, Stephen Kay and Kay Webb.
This Saturday’s club event is the end of month medley stableford sponsored by Jamworks Gourmet Foods.
Play begins with a shot gun start at 12.00 noon.
Players are asked to register by 11.30 am to give the starter ample time to allocate tee positions.
