The halfway point of the 2016 Mazda Victorian Fourball qualifying rounds has been reached, as a total of 244 players took part in three events today & over the weekend at Bairnsdale, Hamilton & Barwon Heads GC’s.
It what can only be described as perfect golfing conditions, a full capacity field of 104 players took to the picturesque Barwon Heads links layout this morning looking to book their place at the state final on March 21 & 22 at Sorrento & The National GC’s.
Today’s men’s event saw a tight finish occur, with a four way countback on a score of 43 points needed to determine second & third place. The Keysborough pair of Nathan Mullins & Hong Chau finished in third place with Ron Scholes (Kew) & Grant Flanagan (Royal Melbourne) finishing in second place. The day’s top men’s score featured another Keysborough pair with Anthony Lee & Paul Marsh firing a round of 44 points to secure first position.
Winners of the women’s event came from local Barwon Head’s member Yvonne Hern & Lonsdale member Carolyn Yates who returned the overall equal highest score of the day 44 points. In second place was East Geelong’s Kath Dellar & Helen Norton just one point adrift with 43 points. In the mixed event, Rosebud’s husband & wife duo of Rod & Julie McFarlane recorded the day’s best mixed score of 43 points. Port Arlington’s Megan & Elias Siotos finished runner-up with 42 points.
84 & 56 players participated in the Bairnsdale & Hamilton country qualifying rounds respectively on Sunday 31 January. In the Bairnsdale men’s event, local Bairnsdale pair of Tom Hollingsworth & Roger Oakley proved too strong for the men’s field with 46 points. In second place was the Sale pair of Aaron Pattern & Kane Martin with 44 points.
The women’s event saw a jam packed leaderboard, with three pairs tied on 40 points. The Sale pair of Tracey Potter & Jenny Cashman emerged from the tie to finish in first place with local Bairnsdale members Jenny Gibbs & Heather Morrison finishing in second place. The mixed event was taken home by Bairnsdale couple John & Sue Gannon with 43 points. Fellow local members Allan & Judy Stewart finished in second place with 42 points.
At Hamilton, Wayne & Lee Hatherell (Hamilton) used local knowledge to their advantage finishing with the day’s top men’s score of 44 points. In second place was Damien Ferguson & Rick O’Connor (Hamilton) with 43 points. In the combined mixed & women’s event, Brian Clark & Helen Holcombe (Hamilton) finished atop the leaderboard with 42 points with Guy & Georgina Sevior in second place with 40 points.
The next qualifying round heads to Trentham GC Sunday 7 February followed by Neangar Park on Sunday 14 February.
Click here to view the full results of all three events.