Jackie Glazier from Settlers Run partnered by club professional Steve Kent have won the 2014 Sir Dallas Brooks Trophy.
The pair defeated Royal Melbourne’s Caroline Edwards and Metropolitan professional Todd Nicholson on the 18th hole in a close and exciting final played at the superbly presented Metropolitan Golf Club on Saturday 13 December.
On a perfect blue sky day with a moderate northerly breeze making for warm but pleasant conditions, Edwards and Nicholson raced to a four hole lead after a third consecutive birdie on the par-five sixth. Glazier and Kent then steadied in halving the seventh and eighth holes with pars before taking the ninth to reduce the margin to three holes heading into the final nine.
Receiving nine strokes in the final, the Glazier/Kent duo then took advantage by winning the 10th courtesy of a shot; the 11th with a par three and the 12th with a par to level proceedings. Edwards and Nicholson momentarily regained control and the lead with a par three on the difficult 13th before a par five by Glazier and Kent at the 14th again levelled the enthralling final.
Giving a stroke at the long par four 15th, Edwards and Nicholson secured a half with an excellent birdie three before the 16th was halved with bogey fives. The match remained square but with Glazier and Kent receiving a handicap stroke at each of the final two holes.
Having only taken up golf over the past twelve months, Glazier withstood the pressure of the occasion to play a good tee shot and find the fairway at the 17th. Edwards followed suit to leave their respective partners with mid-irons into the green. Obscured by the group of small pines that guard the right side of the fairway, Kent found the left side of the green with his approach while Nicholson fired to around three metres below the hole.
From around 15 metres, Glazier played an excellent lag putt to within a metre of the hole. Edwards, sensing that she needed to make her birdie putt to halve the hole, ran it over a metre and a half past in her subsequent attempt. After Nicholson coolly holed the return for par, Kent lipped out with his par attempt which saw the match remain level heading to the 18th.
With the pressure of the final now reaching its peak, Kent played a superb tee shot which split the middle of the fairway while Nicholson hit to the right amongst the trees. After Edwards played a fine recovery just short of the green, Glazier again belied her inexperience with a solid approach that finished just over the back edge of the green.
Faced with the undulating and difficult two-tiered green, Nicholson played a good pitch to just under two metres below the hole. Kent responded with a controlled approach putt down the slope to just over a metre. Edwards then putted for par and saw the ball agonizingly just pass over the right lip before Glazier then sealed the title by holing her par putt to cap-off a tremendous final.
First played in 1955, the Sir Dallas Brooks Trophy has been played annually at Metropolitan since the inaugural year except for two occasions whilst the traditional host venue undertook major course works. With close to 100 pairs competing again in 2014, the final befitted the tradition of the event.
At the presentation, both couples complemented each other on the close encounter, particularly the sporting and friendly nature displayed by each of them as well as complementing Metropolitan for the magnificent presentation of the course for the duration of the Championship.
Click here to see full results from this week.