Belmont Golf Club’s Dom Kelly mastered the tough conditions to take out the 2016 Ladies Hunter River District Golf Championship recently.
Kelly played steady golf in the wind and rain to shoot a 9-over par 80, winning by five shots from locals Dale Hamilton and Jodie Dunn.
The trick to her victory was keeping the ball in play and putting it in a position where you could attack the green.
“I was reasonably lucky in a couple of situations and being able to stay on the fairway is a big advantage here,” Kelly said. “The wind really picked up on the back nine and that was a really hard thing to judge”
The seven marker was elated with her win.
“I have played here a few times over the years and it is always nice to come back and playing in the Hunter Valley, it’s great to win,” she smiled.
The Closed Championship, which was contested solely by Hunter River District members, was a thrilling affair with a playoff needed to decide the winner.
Hamilton eventually claimed the title from Dunn with a par on the tenth.“It was fun to have a playoff especially playing against Jodie. We know each other pretty well,” Hamilton said. “I always feel a bit guilty when winning. You don’t feel very nice when it’s against someone that you’re friends with, it’s always a bit difficult, but that’s golf.”
The nett championship went to Helen Vandenbruggen with a nett 73, which was a big surprise for the Branxton Golf Club member. “I had a lot of luck, a lot of shots that came good for me and I was able to recover out of some very difficult spots,” she said. “I had a great day today, lovely playing partners and it was just one of those days where the course agreed with me.”