The finale to the 2015 Stuart Appleby Regional Series was contested today with a recorded breaking 132 players on the North course at Sandhurst Golf Club. The sun was out in force for the entire day with players also enjoying only the slightest westerly breeze – conductive for low scoring.
Following a strong finish in the NSW Subaru State Championships Matias Sanchez used all of his local knowledge today to manage his way around the par 72 layout and secure victory. Teeing off in the final group Sanchez started slow with a bogey at the par 4 2nd hole before rallying with birdies at holes 5 and 8 to turn with one under-par 35. An up and down inward nine of five birdies and two bogies saw the Royal Melbourne member come home with three under 33 for an excellent round of four under-par 68.
Fellow Royal Melbourne compatriot Harrison Gilbert fished two shots back of the winner with a round of two under-par 70. Whilst Gilbert’s round today placed him second overall, it was good enough to take home the A Division prize with a nett score of 69.
Marc Marc Massarotti found the day easy going when he posted a score of 66 early on in B Division. However Mornington’s Matthew Howell nudged out Massarotti for top honours when he signed for a round of 65 nett from his 14 handicap.
Joshua Lee from The Heritage returned a fantastic 41 stableford points for his second C Division Regional Series victory for the year, the first coming at Kooringal. Three players were tied on 40 points but it was Hannah Mournat that prevailed in the countback for second place.
The overall Regional Series Cup was fiercely contested today with the leading eligible playing earing rights to represent Victoria in the upcoming Jack Newton Srixon Invitational. It was a showdown today between Aiden Didone and Harrison Whykes who were tied on 4600 points apiece heading into today’s final event.
Didone showed why he was given a birth in the Victorian Boys team earlier this year with his rock solid play, notching out Whykes by a single shot today to be crowned the Regional Series Cup champion for 2015.
However, with Didone turning 18 years next week Whykes has been granted a birth in the Victorian team headed for the Hunter Valley.
Joshua Lee tallied the maximum score of 150 points across 54-holes in the C Division Regional Series Cup to guarantee victory. Cody Cuthbert was presented with the B Division Cup with a season tally of 82 points. Cuthbert was a solid performer all year with his strongest finish coming at Kooringal in April.
Meanwhile Antony Majstorovic’s consistent season earnt him the A Division Cup for the second conductive year. Majstorovic had solid rounds at both Woodlands and Kooringal before a brilliant tournament at Yarrawonga which also saw him walk away the winner following a sudden death playoff with Mikihisa Matsumoto.
40 9-hole players were out early on the back nine at Sandhurst to contest in the Stuart Appleby Rookie Series. Liam Mourant came in early with a phenomenal nett score of 19 to blitz the field in the U11 boys section. Morten Hafkamp narrowly edged out Harrison Gomez on a countback with a round of 41.
Rookie series specialist Jazy Roberts notched up another victory in the U11 girls component after returning 42 this morning. Sayumi De Costa walked out with the nett prize in the U11 girls after 32 this morning.
First timer Finley Campbell took out the U15 boys section with a very solid score of five over-par 41 while Jordan Alston claimed the nett trophy with 35. Alexander Kerr added her name to the list of winners with a gross score of 51 in the U15 girls.