Mudgee Golf Club's Mark Hale and Dunedoo's Chantell Greaves have made it back-to-back Sand and Grass Championships at Forbes today
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Hale too good as he goes back-to-back
Mudgee’s Mark Hale has tamed the weather to make it back-to-back Sand and Grass Greens Championships at Forbes Golf Club.
Hale, who started the day with a four-point buffer over Blackheath Nathaniel Foster, returned an impressive 34 points gross in the cold and blustery conditions.
RELATED LINKS:
DAY ONE PHOTO GALLERY: Grenfell Country Club
DAY TWO PHOTO GALLERY: Forbes Golf Club
RESULTS: Men's Gross Men's Nett Women's Gross Women's Nett
Although the Mudgee Golf Club tyro described his round as ‘just steady’, he was still delighted to defend the title in the testing conditions.
“It was trying out there,” Hale said. “If you can hang in at Grenfell you know you’re in contention when you come and play on the grass.
“I didn’t hit it really good off the tee but I chipped it so good; it saved me heaps.
“I was five over par with five to go, then went birdie, birdie, birdie to finish at two over. I think I saved a bit of face,” he smiled.
Hale praised the format and quipped he might begin to look beyond just the local version of the event.
“I enjoy the format, it's good.
“Maybe I will become a professional Sand and Grass player; I should go on tour.
“I’ll be back next year to make it three-in-a-row.
I want to thank both clubs for getting the courses into such good condition in this drought,” he added.
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Greves lifts women's crown
Chantell Greaves has maintained her composure to take out the women’s gross title by nine shots from Young Golf Club’s Elizabeth Harding
The Dunedoo golfer added an impressive 30 points to finish on 53 points total in trying conditions at Forbes Golf Club to win by nine points.
Greaves, who has just returned form World Deaf Golf Championships in Ireland where she was part of the Australian Team that finished second in the women’s division, described the win as satisfying, adding the key was remaining calm all day.
“I just had to hang in there being calm, and not worry about the wind.
“I’ve been putting very well lately and today it was brilliant.
“It feels lovely to win back-to-back. I will try and keep it going until next year, at least until someone comes along and beats me."
Greaves added her biggest fan, son Robbie willl be thrilled with the news.
“I’m teaching him how to play and he is enjoying it,” she smiled. “He will give me a high-five when he finds out.”
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DAY TWO: Forbes sets tough test
A bracing south-westerly is making life tough for golfers as the second round got underway at Forbes Golf Club.
With the mercury struggling to get into double figures, the field are battling not only the weather, but having to accustomise to the quicker, firmer grass putting surfaces.
Mudgee's Mark Hale has a four point buffer in the men's gross, while Chantell Greaves leads by one from LIz Harding in the women's section.
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DAY ONE WRAP: Hale, Greaves lead
Mudgee Golfer Mark Hale leads the men’s gross division of the NSW Sand & Grass Greens Championship by 4 points after a tough day at Grenfell Country Club.
A brisk south-westerly buffeted golfers all day, with a persistent drizzle making conditions difficult for most of the round.
Hale, a two-time competitor in the NSW Open, carded 33 stableford points in the modified format. In second place Blackheath's Nathaniel Foster on 29, while Forbes Andrew Dukes, who carded 25 points is in third place.
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In the men’s nett division, Grenfell Locals Brian Brown and Ashley Whitechurch lead the way after carding matching scores of 38 points. They lead by two from another Grenfell pair, Denis Smith and Alan Logan. Yowani’s Chris Bale is in third place alongside a trio of locals, Stephen Walker, Allan Jones, and Peter Mawhinney.
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Chantell Greaves of Duneedoo leads Elizabeth Harding of Young Golf Club by one point in the women’s gross after carding 22 points. They are two shots in front of Grenfell’s Virginia Drogemuller. Kerry Stirling of Forbes is in fourth place.
Sally Mitton and Valerie Forsyth lead the women’s nett after carding matching scores of 35 points. Drogemuller, and Dunedoo’s Karen Solberg are two points back in a tie for third.
The teams section is an all-Grenfell affair, with Denis Smith, Allan Jones, Brian Brown and Steve Grace leading with combined score of 107 points.
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Sand Grass Champs underway at Grenfell
The drought might not be over, but some welcome rain began to fall as the 2018 Golf NSW Sand and Grass Greens Championship got underway at Grenfell Country Club.
While the heavens opened, and the moisture is welcomed, more will be needed to satisfy the needs of desperate farmers around the region.
Play got underway at 11.30am, and with the mercury struggling into double digits, golfers also faced a bracing west-northwesterly wind that added some bite to affairs.
In this original format, the first 18 holes of the Championship is being played on the ‘sand greens’ of Grenfell, while the field will face the ‘grass greens’ of Forbes Golf Club to decide the champion.
Defending Champion Mark Hale is keen to make it back to back titles, while Chantell Greaves is defending the women’s crown.
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GOLF IN NSW: Community Impact Study
GOLF IN THE ACT: Community Impact Study