Date: May 11, 2016
Author: Christian Puccini

ADF Golf Team 16 def Golf SA Invitational Team 2

SA Team

David Cherry (Capt)  (Royal Adelaide) SA Golf Hall of Fame Member

Patric Kroschel (Royal Adelaide) Simpson Cup player & Vardon Trophy entrant

Kari Heikkonen (Blackwood) Captains selection

Phil Chapman (Mt Barker-Hahndorf) 2013 SA Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion

Tony Timmins (Kooyonga) Golf SA Board Member

Deb Percey (Kooyonga) 2015 SA Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion

Chris Whitford (Glenelg) Past Chair Golf SA

Connor Chant (Glenelg)  Invite

Norm Cordina (Tea Tree Gully) 2015 SA Senior OOM Winner

Ramon Thorne (Tea Tree Gully) Golf SA Country/District Rep

Adrian Johnston (The Grange) Host Club Rep

Sudeera Botejue (The Grange) 2014 SA Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion

The Golf SA versus Australian Defence Force (ADF) Match was played on Mon 9th and Tue 10th May on the East Course at The Grange Golf Club with the ADF side winning overall 16 matches to 2.

The ADF Golf Team, a Combined Services team (with representatives of the three Services – Army, Navy and Air Force), has been conducting matches against Golf NSW since 1988, Golf Victoria since 1989 and the Australia Seniors Order of Merit Team since 2006.

In 2013 Golf SA was asked to fill the void left by Golf Queensland who played the ADF between 2005 – 2012. In the inaugural year the Golf SA side won 15 matches to 9, in 2014 the ADF squared the ledger winning 14 matches to 10 and last year SA went 2-1 up winning 16 – 8.

The South Australian team, which is an invitational side Managed and Captained by SA Golf Industry Hall of Fame Member David Cherry, consisted of 12 invited players. There were 4 new players to the team this year; Golf SA Match Committee Member and current Mid-Amateur Champion Deb Percey, 2015 Senior Order of Merit winner Norm Cordina, Simpson Cup Player and our Amateur rep to play in the upcoming Australian PGA team v China Golf Association in China, Patrick Kroschel and invite Connor Chant.

Players selected in the SA team (with a handicap up to 6) were commensurate to those selected by ADF who select their team from the previous year 72 hole National Championship, which is held at Federal Golf Club in Canberra each December.

Players faced gale force conditions on Day one with the afternoon Foursomes Matchplay having to be cancelled due to the extreme weather, including 60km/h winds.

The ADF Team held a 5.5 – 0.5 lead heading into the final day which consisted of each player competing head to head in singles match play.

Although there were many close matches the ADF team proved too strong winning the singles 10.5 – 1.5 to claim the series overall and square the ledger again, 2-2.

Once again all players competed in the right spirit, with plenty of new friendships formed.

A dinner was held post series in the Beeston room at The Grange with all players attending and representatives from Golf SA and Nathan Clinge, CEO of RSL Care SA, the event sponsor in attendance.

Also in attendance were The Grange Golf Club’s President Bruno Battistella and General Manager Barry Linke, who both teams were grateful to for agreeing to host the series and the support they provided throughout.

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Final Results

 Day 1 (am) – Monday 9th May (Round 1) 4BBB

 ADFGA        5 ½             def               Golf SA        ½

A Ezzergiallis & C Sarquis

sqr

P Kroschel & P Chapman

 

B Magi & C Shepley

def

C Whitford & C Chant

2up

D Russel & T Greenwood

def

S Botejue & A Johnston

5/3

R Smylie & B Mullins

def

R Thorne & N Cordina

5/3

K Lampie & T Wareing

def

D Cherry & K Heikkonen

4/3

A Adams & R Marley

def

T Timmins & D Percey

4/3

 Day 1 (pm) – Monday 9th May (Round 2) Foursomes Matchplay

Cancelled due to extreme weather

 Day 2 (pm) – Tuesday 10th May (Round 3) Singles Matchplay

 ADFGA        10 ½                   lost to              Golf SA      1 ½

Duane Russell

def

Patric Kroschel

1up

Chris Sarquis

def

Norm Cordina

2up

Andrei Ezzergiallis

sqr

Phil Chapman

 

Tony Greenwood

lost to

Connar Chant

1up

Connar Shepley

def

Sudeera Botejue

1up

Ben Magi

def

Tony Timmins

3/2

Kurt Lampie

def

David Cherry

5/4

Rod Smiley

def

Raymond Thorne

7/5

Todd Wareing

def

Adrian Johnston

2up

Ray Marley

def

Kari Heikkonen

3/2

Andy Adams

def

Chris Whitford

3/2

Bronwyn Mullins

def

Deb Percey

3/2

ADFGA defeated Golf SA 16/2