THE 2009 Veteran Golfers National Championships has proved a huge success with Adelaide senior golfer Colin Angel taking the title in a tense final day struggle with Cairns local Ian Cooke.

The one stroke victory at the 54 hole championship in Cairns highlighted a week of veteran golf that delighted organisers and participants.

Tournament Director Claud Clark said 327 men and 95 ladies contested their respective events and the turnaround from the championship in Adelaide last year reflected the success of an intensive marketing campaign.

Claud Clark reports:

The Bendigo Bank Veteran Golfers National Championships provided one of the closest and most dramatic finals in the history of the event.

Going into the final day Ian Cooke of Cairns Golf Club led the two time championship winner Colin Angel from the Grange Club in Adelaide by one stroke.

Playing in the same group both had pars for the first two holes but Cooke stumbled with a bogey on the third while the consistent Angel responded with a par to level the scores.

Cooke bogeyed  the fourth which gave Angel a one shot lead but Cooke responded with  a brilliant birdie at the sixth to again square the match.  In a matchplay type atmosphere the players went stroke for stroke until the tenth when the consistent Angel moved to a one shot advantage.

Fighting hard Cooke birdied the twelfth and thirteenth to secure a one shot lead in the Championship with five holes to play. Angel squared the match on the 15th and a two shot turnaround at the 16th gave Angel a two shot lead with two holes to play.

Cooke again produced a birdie on the 18th but the experienced and classy Colin Angel held on to claim his third National title with a narrow one stoke win.

After the game Angel gave high praise to Ian Cooke and said he was confident the Cairns player had the game and the temperament to eventually win the National Championship.

Cairns won its first ever National title with Sam Lemura winning the Nett Championship and the prestigious Vic Kendall trophy with a clear four shot lead over Chris Hollands from Kiama Club in NSW.

Ray Miller from Half Moon Bay shared the lead after day two of the event but could not hold on and Lemura took full advantage of playing his home course on the final day to secure a clear win with a nett score of 212.

B Grade was won by Young Kim of Asquith ( NSW ) with an impressive score of 253 from Geoff Lavis of Wanneroo Club ( WA ) and C grade was won by Harold Lovelock representing Redland Bay (QLD) from John Corr of Port Kembla ( NSW ).

The ladies staged a stableford event with Siobhan Davies from Club Pelican ( QLD ) winning the A Grade with 68 points on a countback from Elaine Woodard representing Mt. Lawley Club ( WA ).

B Grade Ladies was won by Kaye Roberts from Rockingham ( WA ) on 75 points from Marjorie Carter representing the Western Australia Golf Club on 69 points.

Members of the National Executive and players gave high praise for the event which many rated the best they had ever attended.

VETERAN GOLFERS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

54 Hole Gross Winner and Champion for 2009  -  COLIN ANGEL    The Grange Club  S.A.          230

54 Hole Gross Runner up                                     -  IAN COOKE         Cairns Golf Cub    QLD        231

54 Hole Nett  Winner                                           -  SAM  LEMURA   Half Moon Bay GC   QLD     212

54 Hole Nett Winner A Grade                              -  CLIVE HOLLANDS    Kiama GC       NSW       216

54 Hole Nett  Runner up  A Grade                       -  JAMES  CORDERY  Southern GC    Vic.            217

54 Hole Gross Winner   B Grade                          -  YOUNG  KIM     Asquith  GC    NSW                 253

54 Hole Gross  Runner up B Grade                       -   GEOFF  LAVIS  Wanneroo GC   WA                 259

54 Hole Nett  Winner  B  Grade                            -   MAT  SCHLOTTERBACH  Club Pelican  QLD 222 c/b

54 Hole Nett  Runner up B Grade                          -  JOE ALEXANDER   Nedlands GC   WA             222

54 Hole Gross Winner  C Grade                            -   HAROLD  LOVELOCK  Redland Bay QLD       275

54 Hole Gross Runner up C Grade                         -  JOHN  CORR    Port Kembla  GC     NSW           276 c/b

54 Hole Nett  Winner  C Grade                               - TOM  TWIBLE  Wynnum GC     QLD                  214

54 Hole Nett  Runner up C Grade                           – GARRY  CARTER   Western Australia GC   WA  217

Ladies Results

36 Hole Ladies Stableford A Grade Winner            -  SIOBHAN  DAVIES  Club Pelican  QLD  68 pts C/B

36 Hole Ladies Stableford A Grade Runner up       -  ELAINE  WOODARD  Mt. Lawley GC  WA  68 pts.

36 Hole Ladies Stableford B Grade Winner            -  KAYE  ROBERTS   Rockingham  WA   75 pts.

36 hole Ladies Stableford B Grade Runner up        -  MARJORIE  CARTER  Western Australia GC 69 pts.

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