Current Australian Senior Amateur Golf Champion Stefan Albinski has confirmed his class with a sizzling win in the 2008 North Sydney Seniors Championship.

 The Senior Order of Merit event was played over four days on four of Sydney’s best courses and Albinski has set an unbeatable record by posting the best score on each day.

 Albinski, who won the Australian men’s national senior title in Perth in April, blitzed the field by 15 shots in winning 72-71-73-75=291.

 The 72 hole tournament was played at Pymble, Pennant Hills, Avondale and Manly, all reasonably close to Albinski’s home course at Mona Vale GC.

 Second place went to fellow NSW golfer Rick Oliver (76-79-73-78=306), who currently leads the AUSOOM points table.

 NSW’s Tony Gresham (80-71-75-82) took third place, as he did in the national title. Fourth was Vince Clark (74-76-83-76=309) followed by Denis Dale (79-73-79-79=310).

High winds and fast greens on the final day at Manly made it hard for all competitors and Albinski’s grip on the tournament looked in jeopardy when he fell to be six over par on the front nine. However, he came back with a stirring two under on the final nine to make it a comfortable win.

The North Sydney Seniors Golf Championship is a major event in the NSW Senior Order of Merit as well as a point scoring event in the Australian Senior Order of Merit.

 Top 10 scores.

1.  291  Stefan Albinski 72-71-73-752.  306  Rick Oliver 76-79-73-78
3.  308  Tony Gresham 80-71-75-82
4.  309  Vince Clark 74-76-83-76
5.  310  Denis Dale 79-73-79-79
6.  314  Greg Stanford 80-82-74-78
7.  316  Richard Greville 77-76-80-83  Ross Bockman 82-74-79-81
9.  317  Greg Corben 84-79-74-80
10. 319 Jack Parker 77-83-80-79  Ted Johnson 85-76-79-79

See a YouTube video of Stefan’s swing here

 NSW senior golfer Brian Sams has conquered rivals on one of the world’s top rated desert golf courses to win the 2008 Northern Territory Senior Amateur Championship.

 In a classic final round, Sams finished one stroke ahead of the joint runners up, John Beaumont from South Australia and Peter Terrace from Queensland.

 The three round Senior Order of Merit event was held at the Peter Thomson designed Alice Springs Golf Course. Set in the foothills of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, the course is rated in the top ten of the world’s desert courses and blends its unique charms with some subtle severity.

 The desert win puts the well regarded Sams at number four on the Australian Senior Order of Merit.  Leading the AUSOOM is Rick Oliver from NSW, with Denis Dale (NSW) second and Ross Percy (VIC) third.

 For this year’s championship, a total of 31 interstate golfers - including the top six ranked players in the AUSOOM -travelled from across the country to compete against local players.

 Organisers say the growth of the NT Senior tournament also highlights the ongoing and successful growth of the Australian Senior Order of Merit competition.

 (Photo courtesy of AUSOOM with thanks to Graeme Altmann and Kerrie MacDonald )

VICTORIAN golfer Chris Tatt has won the 2008 Bendigo Bank Cobram-Barooga Seniors Championship, the latest Australian Senior Order of Merit event.

Tatt, a former Australian representative golfer, finished three strokes ahead of fellow Victorian David MacDonald.

Third place was shared by Russell Rogers (NSW), with his best Order of Merit finish, and consistent Victorian performer Michael Jackson.

Local senior golfer Ross Percy finished in fifth spot and in sixth place there was a three way tie between current Order of Merit leader Rick Oliver (NSW), Denis Dale (NSW) and Vince Clark (NSW).

Defending champion Bill Banks finished ninth.

Photos courtesy of Graeme Altmann and AUSOOM

NSW golfer Stefan Albinski has led from start to finish to win the 2008 Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at the Royal Perth Golf Club.
The Mona Vale GC member posted a 73 yesterday for a sensational three round total of four under, the only player to beat par.
Albinski was playing in his first Australian Senior Amateur Championship and came home four strokes ahead of West Australian Alex Cleave.
Cleave also shot one over in tricky conditions in the final round on the par 72 tight and challenging Royal Perth Course.
Leading all the way, Albinski (70-69-73) suffered a hiccup when he bogeyed the 11th hole and then saw Cleave (72-71-73) cut the margin to just two with a birdie on the 12th. But the NSW senior kept his composure to take out the title, helped along by a double bogey by Cleave on the 16th.
Fellow NSW player Tony Gresham (78-71-72) and American visitor Norm Swenson Jr (71-75-75) tied for third. Victorian Ross Percy (72-74-76) shared fifth place on 222 with another American visitor Kemp Richardson (73-75-74).
Incredibly, defending 2007 co-champions Denis Dale and Rick Oliver, both also from NSW, again finished the event dead level, scoring 227 and sharing 11th spot with Mark Meares (NSW), Ross Bockman (NSW) and Mal Roberts (WA).
The NSW team of Tony Gresham, Denis Dale, Rick Oliver and Bill Banks narrowly defeated the Western Australian team by two strokes in the State Teams Championship.

Photo: Championship winner Stefan Albinski (left) and runner up Alex Cleave. (Photo courtesy of AUSOOM)