Do you think your inspirational leadership could make a difference to golf in Australia? Well, Golf Australia is searching for a new CEO following the resignation of Tony Hallam.

The organisation has posted the following details:

Golf Australia is the peak body responsible for the leadership, marketing, promotion and development of amateur golf throughout Australia from grassroots through participation, golfing pathways, elite development and the Australian Golf Opens.

As CEO, you will lead, inspire and implement the strategic vision for golf in Australia, as well as develop and foster effective collaborative relationships with all stakeholders of Golf Australia. Reporting to the Board, you will drive golf to the next level and ensure its popularity, development and international competitiveness experience significant growth.

You have extensive experience working with a Board at an executive level in a market driven organisation, preferably within the sports industry. You are a strategically minded leader with a high degree of empathy and a proven ability to manage complex relationships with a diverse range of stakeholder groups.

In addition to an impressive record of commercial, stakeholder and human resource management, you will have excellent communication skills, a track record in attracting and securing corporate sponsorships, and success in dealing with TV networks and the media. A passion for golf is a given.

Click here to see the full job application

Want a successful and repeatable senior golf swing?

You could try following the hundreds of different (and often opposing and confusing) golf swing tips in golf magazines or all over the internet, or you could take a few minutes and have a look at the easy, fluid motion of the swing of current Australian Senior Amateur Golf Champion Stefan Albinski.

Stefan Albinki Iron shot Royal Perth Golf Club

 
Stefan Albinki Fairway Royal Perth

(Uploaded to YouTube by AUSOOM)

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

Laws of Golf

 LAW 1: No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.

LAW 2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.

LAW 3: Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water.

LAW 4: Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.

LAW 5: No matter what causes a golfer to duff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant; “You lifted your head,” or invoke the wrath of the universe.

LAW 6: The higher a golfer’s handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.

LAW 7: Every par-three hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers. The shorter the hole, the greater its desire.

LAW 8: Topping a 3-iron is the most painful torture known to man.

LAW 9: Palm trees eat golf balls.

LAW 10: Sand is alive. If it isn’t, how do you explain the way it works against you?

LAW 11: Golf carts always run out of juice at the farthest point from the clubhouse.

LAW 12: A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, a group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer and an IRS agent — or some similar combination.

LAW 13: All Drivers are demon-possessed.

LAW 14: Golf balls from the same “sleeve” tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water (See Law three).

LAW 15: A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.

LAW 16: “Nice lag” can usually be translated to “lousy putt.” Similarly, “tough break” can usually be translated “way to miss an easy one, sucker.”

LAW 17: The person you would most hate to lose to will always be the one who beats you.

LAW 18: Whether you are having a good or bad round, the last three holes of the round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.

LAW 19: Golf should be given up at least once per month.

LAW 20: All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until sunset.

 australianseniorgolfer.com.au

This is the sensational view from a Senior Golf Exchange listed beachfront home in Tennyson, South Australia. Owners Chris and Sue Watson are both members of  The Grange Golf Club in metropolitan Adelaide.

 Older golfers gazing longingly at travel brochures or getting all misty eyed thinking about unreachable faraway links and saying to themselves, “if only”, can take heart.

 Often, for the older age group it is not finding the time to take the golfing holiday of your dreams that is the problem, it’s the prohibitive costs involved.

 Well, what if you could schedule, say, a three week holiday in the Australian or international location of your choosing, and the accommodation and associated costs were just a one off $99.

 That’s right,  what if you not only got superior, home-style accommodation at that price, but the possibility of some special golf friendly extras thrown in, such as use of a motor vehicle, golf equipment and reduced private member introduced golf club green fees.

 Not only that, but for that same $99 you could repeat the process as many times as you could arrange in a year. If it is all starting to sound like that old well-known television commercial, “but wait, there’s more!”, don’t be concerned. In this case it is all true.

 This is a new, Australian based, golf related travel concept that is set to revolutionise holiday options for senior golfers. It is modeled on the spectacular growth of international and domestic home exchange programs - there are now some 60 such internet-based operations with more than 130,000 member listings.

 But Adelaide entrepreneur and avid golfer Graeme Smith has taken the concept a step further and optimised it for golfers - particularly those aged 50 and over.

 He has launched SeniorGolfExchange.com, which he says is the world’s only private member listing specifically designed for golfers, and one which will facilitate the opportunity to play the world’s best golf courses without incurring accommodation costs.

 Essentially, Smith has adopted the increasingly popular concept of people swapping homes - or alternately hosting each other - for holidays, and improved and tweaked it for older golfers.

 ‘‘The aim is to offer golfers the opportunity to stay in privacy and comfort, close to virtually any world golfing region of their choosing,” Graeme says.

 ‘‘For Adelaide golfers that could mean a weekend within comfortable driving distance of, say, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula or the sand belt. They could also travel to further afield golfing meccas such as Perth or the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

 ‘‘But I expect the jewel in the operation will be the international program which will give members the opportunity to spend several months abroad - potentially playing courses like St Andrews, Pinehurst and Pebble Beach - with no accommodation costs and reduced green fees through member introductions.”

 There are also other spin-offs that will add appreciably to the concept’s appeal.

 ”Vehicle hire costs might also be avoided by the exchange process, and the same with golf equipment, even motorised or electric buggies,” he says.

 ‘‘It will also give members the opportunity to live like a local in the area when it comes to meals and entertainment.”

 Initially, many people are attracted to the home exchange concept because of the huge cost benefits, but often they find that it is the actual experience that is the real value.  Things like making new friends and having the opportunity of living in an area like a local, rather than as tourists segregated away in an expensive but nondescript hotel.

 As Graeme says, it can “provide golf travel experiences that money can’t buy.”

 As a first reaction, some people might balk at the idea of having “strangers” in their homes and have a myriad of questions.

 If you visit the extensive Senior Golf Exchange website you will see every possible issue and topic is covered down to the finest details. Everything can be discussed and agreed upon beforehand, so you will extensively “know” who you are dealing with long before there is any  home or hospitality exchanged. (Check out some of the member profiles to see the sorts of people involved with the scheme.)

 It is one of the beauties of Graeme’s service that senior golf fits so perfectly with the home exchange concept. These schemes operate quite successfully with a general populace clientele without problem. Here you know you are dealing with senior golfers only. It is also ideal for golfers wishing to travel extensively within Australia playing in major veteran golf tournaments.

Graeme admits that, apart from his own passion for the game, this is one of the main reasons he specialised the exchange  for the senior golf market.

 ‘‘It is very much because of the ethos of the game and the fraternity it invokes,” he says. ‘‘What that means is that golfers know other golfers will respect the privileges, property and environment afforded to them. ”

 ‘‘It may sound corny but the great English writer PG Wodehouse got it absolutely right. ‘‘What he said was this - ‘Golf is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone,  with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will serve you faithfully and well’.”

 Sticking with the golf theme, SeniorGolfExchange.com will also offer exchange arrangements to coincide with significant professional and amateur events around the world.

 Officially launched in April, there are still foundation memberships available to the first 100 suitable applicants from each of the major regions of the world. This will entail a joining fee of $99 that will provide two years of free subscription. Life membership is available for just $499.

 Enquiries can be made to at the Senior Golf Exchange website, or call Graeme Smith on 08 8344 8400 or Mobile 0412 822 233.

This US home, perched on a private golf course itself and minutes from Chanbers Bay Golf Course, selected for a future US Open, is one of the properties listed at the new Senior Golf Exchange private members club.

 What Are Home And Hospitality Exchanges?

Home exchange is a reciprocal arrangement between two exchange partners to exchange vacant possession of each other’s home for an agreed period of time and with specific understandings relating to the use of each home’s facilities.

A non-simultaneous home exchange can occur if one exchange partner has a second or holiday home or may be travelling on another arrangement, and would prefer to have their home occupied in their absence, and “bank” an exchange opportunity for later.

Hospitality Exchange, sometimes referred to as “hosted”, is a two-part arrangement. One exchange partner stays with the other for an agreed period of time and at a later agreed date the positions are reversed. If, for a time, Members are precluded from offering accommodation within their home, a Hospitality Exchange, excluding accommodation may be arranged.

Exchanges don’t need to be “like-for-like”, or of the same duration. The exchange partners agree on what is acceptable to them and the end result may be a very creative combination of the various exchange options.

Because SeniorGolfExchange.com is a Private Members’ Club, it is anticipated about half of the exchanges will be Hospitality Exchange, sharing in some of their golfing experiences, and other common interests, which are discovered during search activity and time spent getting to know each other.

“First, search for a fellow Member with compatible circumstances, in a location you want to visit, then two way communication by all the means at your disposal - email, telephone, digital photos, video. Ask for references if they make you more comfortable.

Ask all the questions you need answers for. If you are still not comfortable with the prospect of handing over your home, select another Member as your exchange partner, or perhaps you are more suited to a Hospitality Exchange, with or without in-home accommodation.”

For answers to any questions, call Graeme Smith direct on 0412 822 233.

Forty five year old US golfer Rocco Mediate lived the fairytale for 19 play off holes at the US Open at Torrey Pines before being eaten up by big bad Tiger Woods.

“Oh, my God, that was ridiculous,” Rocco, World No 157, said of his slightly better known opponent. “He’s hard to beat. I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink, everything right at him.”

Throughout the five days of a remarkable tournament, Rocco laughed and joked his way into being a crowd and viewer favorite.

Whatever happed on the course itself, it was remarkable that there were people sitting in the 18th hole grandstand at 6am, when the two players weren’t due to pass by there themselves, just once, till after one in the afternoon.

All the people in grandstands on the way – it was like going to the motor races when two cars were only going to do the circuit once. There was an estimated crowd of some 25,000.

When talking about Rocco, it is hard not to compare him to an animated character. He says all that smiling, chatter and pacing is nervous energy coming out.

When things started getting really serious in the playoff, -  particularly after the 10th and when Rocco came back and birdied 13, 14 and 15 and pulled one stroke ahead – it seemed when he wasn’t smiling he was sweating.  He looked like he was hyper sweating like some exaggerated cartoon character.

It should not be forgotten that Rocco is a 20 year tour veteran who has battled a bad back for a number of years. He would have been the youngest ever US Open winner and the youngest ever first time major winner.

Rocco knew he was living a golfing dream and was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said after his fourth round tie with Woods forced the playoff.

“Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Tiger Woods V Rocco Mediate

Earlier US Open Reports

Update  19/6/08

Just days after winning his 14th major, Tiger Woods announced he will have reconstructive surgery on his left knee that will sideline him for the rest of the 2008 season.

Woods will have reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and will require time off to rehabilitate a double stress fracture of his left tibia that was found last month.

Doctors say the long term prognosis for the 32 year old is good, but Woods is expected to limit the number of tournaments he plays annually in future.

Rocco Mediate is in Seventh Heaven and laughing all the way to his US Open playoff with Tiger Woods

And the winner is……a bit of a letdown. All that drama and tension on the last few holes and the final result is a delayed 18 hole playoff between Tiger Woods and World No 158 Rocco Mediate.

For Australian viewers the playoff will start at the ungodly hour of 2am (EST) Tuesday. It’s a matchup that could be memorable, or could quickly become a lopsided affair.

Once the Australians were out of contention - Geoff Ogilvy being the last - it was a bit of a tough decision about who to barrack for.

There was the great Tiger Woods going for his 14th major. His back nine on the third round was amazing - five behind with six holes to play and he sinks a bomb putt to eagle the 18th and start the final day in the lead.

He starts the final day badly, double bogeying the first and grimacing in pain from his dodgy knee after every full shot.

Asked later if it was the knee that contributed to some uncharacteristic fluffed shots, he had a one word answer: “No,” he said, and refused to be drawn further, though he did admit at another point to “taking some stuff” to help with the pain.

Whatever he took, it seemed to help with the pain as his round progressed, but maybe it was also that killer instinct adrenaline coming out in the final stages of a major he wants so dearly to win.

Then there’s the happy-go-lucky Rocco Mediate. Not much more than a name to me (and I suspect many others) before the tournament, but with an attitude that made him a crowd favourite, laughing and joking and engaging with the galleries as others around him grumbled and groaned and kicked bags in frustration.

Interviewed, with his one stroke lead still intact, as Tiger Woods and Brit Lee Westwood came up the 18th fairway, a birdie from either to force a playoff, everyone else biting their fingernails, Mediate,  wearing more US Open pins than just about any of the Torrey Pines tourists, said: “It’s the most fun I could ever dream it would be.”

At 45, Mediate would be the oldest ever first time major winner. He had to qualify to gain entry, was well out of the world top 100 golfers. It was all a fairytale waiting to happen - and it still is.

Rocco had been hugely disappointed he did not get in the final pairing with Woods for the final round. Now he will get his wish.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said of his final day, admitting the infectious smiling and chatter comes from nervous energy.

Tomorrow, he pledged, the show will continue.

“Absolutely. Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Woods, he said, would have no choice but to respsond.

Woods knows what he is in for, but was just a touch more measured.

“I’m sure I will talk a little bit,” he said. “Roc is………..he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He’s been a friend of mine ever since I’ve been out here on Tour. We’ll talk. But we’ll also understand we’re trying to win a U.S. Open. And we’ll have our moments where we’ll go our separate ways and be focused for each and every shot.”

Maybe it will be worth a 2am start after all.

Round One

Australian golfers Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby are just one behind the leaders after the first round of the US Open Golf at Torrey Pines in southern California.

Ogilvy and Appleby were two under par at 69 behind the joint leaders, little known Americans Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks.

Ogilvy, the 2006 champion, recovered from two bogeys in his opening three holes, to finish with five birdies.

Robert Allenby, who finished just one stroke further back, was earlier threatening the leaders and at one stage had five birdies in six holes.

It was also good to see two time champion Ernie Els back in contention. He finished one under along with Allenby, Vijay Singh and Crazy Phil Mickelson, who left his driver at home in favour of a three wood and an extra wedge.

World Number 3 Adam Scott was the next best Australian at two over, with Aaron Baddeley and Rod Pampling a further shot back at three-over.

The much hyped teaming of Tiger Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott attracted huge galleries in the sell-out crowd (and the sort of blanket US network hyperventilating we predicted below).

The Woods-Crazy Phil-Scott show will be much better for free to air Australian television audiences Saturday morning, with the threesome scheduled to tee off 36 minutes after the Channel 10 coverage begins at 6am (EST).

That will be just after lunch San Diego time and the beverage fuelled afternoon crowd might not be as polite and cultured as they were for the group’s morning tee off today (Fri).

Galleries up to five deep surrounded every hole, producing a repeated chorus of “Lets go, Tiger” and “C’mon Phil.”

 ”I thought it was great,” Mickelson, who lives nearby, said of his home town crowd. “There were not any derogatory remarks. Whether they pulled for any of the three of us, everybody was really cool today. I was very proud to be from here.”

Mickelson acknowledged that there was not as much banter between the three competitors.

“I know it’s a big pairing,” Adam Scott admitted after the round. “There’s a lot of hoopla about it. But … I played with Phil a lot in majors. It seems like I get drawn with him a lot. But I enjoy playing with Tiger, as well. I find it is a lot easier to focus, because I think I’ve got to be a lot more disciplined.”

Scott - who corrected that it was a bone in his hand broken in a car door recently, not his little finger - was overall happy with his game. He just wanted to sink a few more putts.

That little finger, undamaged as it was, had a fair bit of media attention, but nothing like Tiger Wood’s knee.

Coming back after surgery, Woods hit his first competition shot - and his first shot of the US Open - into the rough, leading to a double-bogey first hole. He had another double bogey on the back nine and three putted the par five final hole to finish one over at 72.

“To make two double-bogeys and a three-putt and be only four back, that’s a great position to be in,” Woods said. “Because I know I can clean that up tomorrow.”

US Open first round scores:
-3: Justin Hicks 68, Kevin Streelman 68
-2: Stuart Appelby (Australia) 69, Eric Axley 69, Rocco Mediate 69, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69
-1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 70, Ernie Els 70, Ricki Fowler 70, Robert Karlsson 70, Lee Westwood
E: Patrick Sheehan 71, Joe Ogilvie 71, Phil Mickelson 71, Carl Pettersson 71, Andres Romero 71, Vijay Singh 71, Luke Donald 71

Others:
+2: Adam Scott (Australia) 73
+3: Rod Pampling (Australia) 74, Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 74
+4: Craig Parry (Australia) 75, Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 75
+6: Mathew Goggin (Australia) 77
+7: Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 78

Preview

Our prediction for the US Open is that the American television networks will be in an ecstatic frenzy of self pleasuring over the opportunity of having Tiger Woods and Crazy Phil Mickelson paired together for the two opening rounds.

Even some US commentators are suggesting there has already been too much hype about the coupling, especially considering Tiger’s dodgy knee and Crazy Phil’s form at the event, even though it is virtually a home town course for him.

Still, it will be fun to watch and the other good thing about the pairing is that it is actually a threesome, with World No 3 Aussie golfer Adam Scott intruding on the party.

Even the US networks won’t be able to ignore Scott completely in their frenzied focus on the Woods-Mickelson juggernaut, and we should at least get some passing glimpses of Adam - at least by accident.

Scott, nursing a broken right pinkie finger, (good opportunity for a non Woods-Mickelson close-up there) is one of nine Australian golfers competing at this year’s Open, to take place at Torrey Pines, San Diego, starting early Friday morning (EST).

It is a measure of the health of Australian golf that as a nation it has the third most starters behind the US (too many to count) and the UK (11 starters). Sweden has eight, Canada seven and South Africa six.

As well as Scott - still waiting to win his first major but at 27 has plenty of time - a number of Aussies have been mentioned as possible winners.

(And as for the experts’ picks, as one US golf writer suggested, hands up all those who predicted Argentinean Angel Cabrera would win the 2007 US Open at Oakmont, Aussie Geoff Ogilvy at Winged Foot in ‘06 or Kiwi Michael Campbell at Pinehurst in ‘05?)

As a former champion with a long game that is said will suit the punishing Torrey Pines south course, Ogilvy has been pushed as a contender.

Then there is Aaron Baddeley, who don’t forget was leading into the final round last year before imploding on the first few holes. He learnt a lot from that experience and is back with renewed confidence.

“I feel like my game is at that level,” Baddeley said this week.

“If I can play my game I definitely have a chance to win. You have to drive it straight. I can do that. I know I can putt well,” he said.

“Last year it was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, golf course in America. I was leading after 54 holes.”

Robert Allenby is another entering the tournament in a positive frame of mind after finishing equal second behind American Justin Leonard at the Stanford St Jude Championship.

Tasmanian Matthew Goggin is a 300/1 longshot, despite his recent hot form, and isn’t phased by the fact that at 6988m, Torrey Pines will be the longest ever US Open course by more than 300m. Goggin was surprised during his first practice round to encounter playable rough and soft greens.

“They’re obviously trying not to have the rough unplayable, to try to tempt you to go for the greens if you miss fairways,” Goggin said.

“I wouldn’t say this is the toughest course in America, but I guess we’ll find out. As a par 71, it’s going to be long and demanding but Oakmont (site of last year’s Open), I’ve never seen a course that hard.”

The other Australian entrants are Stuart Appleby, Jarrod Lyle, Rod Pampling and Craig Parry.

At 42, “Popeye” Parry is an ASG favourite. We are not saying he is going to win, but he does boast the best ever US Open round of any of the Australians competing this year - a 66 at Baltusrol in 1993. And, as well as bolting to win the Australian Open last year, he does have the added advantage of definitely not having been picked by any of the US pundits this week.

Note: Australian free to air television coverage of the US Open begins on Friday 6am - Midday (EST) on Channel Ten. By our (suspect) international time conversion calculations, that’s about five hours after the Woods-Crazy Phil-Adam Scott tee off.

We predict you can catch them teeing off for the second round at 6.36am on 10 on Saturday morning. Daily Foxtel coverage begins at Midday.

Rules Quiz  No 1:

A ball at rest on the green simply rolls in to the hole when no one is near it.  What is the ruling ?

 Answer:

If after playing a stroke the ball stops overhanging the hole, the player has “reasonable time” to reach the ball and a further 10 seconds to see if the ball will fall into the hole.

If it doesn’t fall in that time the ball is deemed to be at rest.  If the ball falls into the hole after it has been determined to be at rest, the player is deemed to have holed out on their previous stroke BUT they are penalised one stroke. (Rule 16-2)

Obviously, where the player has played an 9-iron approach shot next to the hole, the time taken to “reasonably” get to the hole will be longer than if the player had played a one metre putt and, as neither wind nor water are outside agencies, if the wind blew the ball into the hole within the “reasonable time” period, then the player would be deemed to have holed out with the previous stroke without penalty.

This is the first of a new regular Golf Rules Quiz series to keep us all up on this important aspect of the game.

This quiz item was supplied by Cliff Nunn. Cliff is a Victorian Golf Association (VGA)  State Accredited Rules Official.  

 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 )