Australian Senior Golfer

STEFAN Albinski has won his third Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship with a five stroke victory at Tanunda Pines Golf Club in South Australia’s Barossa Valley.

Albinski went into the final round with a three stroke lead and closed with a 2-over par 74 to be at 6-over for the 2011 championship.

“This is the greatest win as it now puts me in the company of the greats of senior golf including Tony Gresham, Rodney Barltrop and Trevor Wood who have won the title three times,” the Sydney golfer said.

“I played solidly all week without any silly errors. My worst score on any hole was a bogey which was good around this tight layout.”

Albinski previously won the championship at Royal Canberra Golf Club in 2010 and at Royal Perth Golf Club in 2008.

Joint 2007 champions Rick Oliver and Denis Dale, both also from NSW, finished second and third at 11-over and 14-over respectively.

Queensland’s Peter King finished tied with Paul Maslen (NSW) in fourth place.

The ACT’s Bill Banks finished in sixth place with Richard Greville (NSW).

The Age Division winners were: 55-59 Years – Paul Maslen (NSW) 231, 60-64 Years – Peter King (Qld) 231, 65-69 Years – Bill Banks (ACT) 232 and 70 Years and Over – Tony Gresham (NSW) 234.

The NSW team won the 2011 Interstate Senior Stroke Teams event by 18 strokes with Victoria in second place.

Top 10 Leading Scores:
222 Stefan ALBINSKI 73-75-74 NSW
227 Rick OLIVER 75-76-76 NSW
230 Denis DALE 76-76-78 NSW
231 Peter KING 76-78-77 QLD, Paul MASLEN 75-78-78 NSW
232 Richard GREVILLE 75-82-75 NSW, Bill BANKS 79-74-79 ACT
233 Graham BOWEN 76-79-78 WA
234 Anthony GRESHAM 76-79-79 & NSW
235 Chris TATT 83-77-75 VIC, Chris EVERETT 78-79-78 SA
Colin HALLAM 79-78-78 QLD

TWO time winner Stefan Albinski has a three stroke lead going into the final round of the 2011 Australian Senior Amateur Championship in South Australia.

The Sydney golfer had three birdies in an up and down 75 that put his two round total at 148.

Fellow NSW golfers Rick Oliver and Ross Bockman share second place. The long hitting Bockman recorded the equal best round of the day with a one over par 73 while Oliver dropped some shots late to finish with a 76.

These three will make up the final group when the final round gets underway at the excellently prepared Tanunda Pines Golf Club in the Barossa Valley.

Four strokes from the leader is another two-time winner in Denis Dale, also a New South Welshman, who has a pair of 76’s and needs to find form with his putter if he is to challenge the leader.

Bill Banks, another previous Australian champion, is tied for fifth with newcomer Paul Maslen.

Playing in his seventeenth consecutive Australian Senior Championship Kevin Ashley bounced back from a first round 95 to hit a 76, an astonishing turnaround.

The championship is open to players aged 55 and over.

Given his usual form in important final rounds it will take something special to beat Albinski.  

Leading Scores:
148 Stefan ALBINSKI 73 – 75 NSW
151 Rick OLIVER 75 – 76 NSW, Ross BOCKMAN 78 – 73 NSW
152 Denis DALE 76 – 76 NSW
153 Paul MASLEN 75 – 78 NSW, Bill BANKS 79 – 74 ACT
154 Peter KING 76 – 78 QLD, Steve CANN 77 – 77 VIC
155 Graham BOWEN 76 – 79 WA, Anthony GRESHAM 76 – 79 NSW
155 Grahame MACDONALD 78 – 77 QLD
156 Ross PERCY 75 – 81 VIC, Vince CLARK 78 – 78 NSW

ONE of the strongest fields in recent times will fight out the 2011 Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship in South Australia this week.

Over 70 players will contest the 54 hole event at the picturesque Tanunda Pines Golf Club in the Barossa Valley from May 3 to 5.

Defending champion is Stefan Albinski from NSW who will be vying for his third title in four years.

Albinski is the number one ranked senior amateur golfer in Australia and currently holds three State Senior Amateur Titles.

Another serious contender for what is Australia’s top senior amateur title will be New Zealand’s Rodney Barltrop.

Barltrop has claimed three Australian Senior titles since his first in 2004.

Flying the flag for South Australia will be John Beaumont from Mount Gambier Golf Club. Beaumont was part of the winning Australian Team that won the team event at the 2010 Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship in Bangkok.

One of the oldest players in the field is 71 year-old Tony Gresham from NSW. Gresham is one of Australia’s greatest ever amateur golfers, having won the 1975 Australian Amateur Championship and NSW Open, and the 1976 SA Open. He was also a member of the Eisenhower Team from 1968-1980, and is the only Australian player whose score counted in the team score for every one of his 28 rounds.

With all players from the top 20 of the Australian Men’s Senior Ranking System competing, competition is sure to be fierce.

DEFENDING champion Stefan Albinski has won the 2011 Western Australian Senior Amateur Golf Championship by a record 14 strokes and is a red hot favourite to again take out the national title in May.

In a commanding display at the Mandurah Golf Club, Albinski showed the form that has kept him on top of the senior amateur golf rankings in Australia for 74 weeks.

The Sydney golfer finished the three rounds at a one under par 215 (73-68-74) and but for an uncharacteristic triple bogey on the par five 5th would have had three sub par rounds on a course and in conditions others found quite difficult.

Second place went to the local Mandurah player Graham Bowen (80-74-75=229) with fellow West Australian Ian McPherson (74-84-74=232) third.

Roy Vandersluis (77-81-76=233) moved to second place in the national rankings with his equal fourth placing with West Australian Brendon Curtin (76-81-75-232).

Fellow New South Welshman Denis Dale fought back after a poor first round (81-76-77=233) to fill sixth place but was ruing some missed birdie putts in the final round.

The 2011 Australian Senior Amateur Championship will be held at Tanunda Pines Golf Club in May.

2011 Western Australian Senior Amateur Golf Championship Final Scores:
1 215 Stefan ALBINSKI 73 – 68 – 74 NSW
2 229 Graham BOWEN 80 – 74 – 75 WA
3 232 Ian MCPHERSON 74 – 84 – 74 WA
4 233 Brendan CURTIN 77 – 81 – 75 WA
4 233 Roy VANDERSLUIS 76 – 81 – 76 NSW
6 234 Denis DALE 81 – 76 – 77 NSW
7 235 Tony MUSGROVE 76 – 82 – 77 WA
8 236 Tony KENNINGS 87 – 76 – 73 NSW
9 238 Chris COATS 80 – 78 – 80 QLD
10 239 Barry SQUIRES 84 – 78 – 77 WA

AUSTRALIA’S elite amateur senior golfers have ended the year on a high note with the national squad winning the Team Championship at the 2010 Asia Pacific Senior Championship and Sydney’s Stefan Albinski successfully defending his title at the 2010 Hong Kong Senior Amateur Championship.

The Asia Pacific Senior Championship was played at the Bangkok Golf Club and Australia entered the final round tied for the lead with New Zealand and two strokes in front of the Indian team.

In an exciting final round the Kiwis went to an early lead thanks to front nine sub par heroics by their stars Rodney Barltrop and Murray Martin but the Australians fought back to end the day three in front of their trans Tasman rivals.

India was another five strokes away in third

At the end of play the Australians had a narrow three stroke margin over the Kiwis with India another five strokes away in third place.
In the individual section the winner was Taimur Amin from Pakistan with a 54 hole total of 215 – one under par. The best placed Australian was Greg Corben who finished in equal fourth position on a total of 226.

The Australian team included Corben, Rick Oliver, Grahame MacDonald, Stefan Albinski, Peter King and John Beaumont.

Albinski wins in Hong Kong

Leading senior amateur Stefan Albinski successfully defended his title at the 2010 Hong Kong Senior Amateur Championship.

The Mona Vale golfer posted consistent rounds of 73-73-74 (220) to be a three stroke winner over fellow Australians John Beaumont (78-76-69=223) and Greg Corben (76-74-73=223) who tied for second.

Grahame MacDonald (75-78-73=226) finished in fourth place making it a clean sweep for the Australians.

Denis Dale wins 2010 NSW Senior Order of Merit
In other senior amateur news, Denis Dale has won the 2010 NSW Senior Order of Merit competition for the fourth time in the five year history of the event (Albinski won in 2008).

New senior Denis Day charged home with some great performances late in the season to claim second place.

Day currently has a handicap of +2 and will be one to watch in senior events throughout 2011.
Finishing in a tie for third place were Greg Stanford and Greg Corben, with the Over 65 medals being won by Jack Parker, Clark Gibbons and Geoff Lumsden.

A special award was given to three Iron Men – Barry Bray, Geoff Lumsden and Chris Collins who competed in 32 of the 35 events.

Percy takes the 2010 Victorian Senior Order of Merit

Ross Percy won seven events to take the Victorian Senior Order of Merit for the third time (2006-7, 2010).

Percy led the Doug Bachli from the start of the season, showing a clean pair of heels to second place getter Alan Bullas, with Ray Walker coming in third.

Australia’s elite senior amateur golfers will now no doubt spend the Christmas break following strict dietary regimes and amping up their personal fitness routines.

AUSTRALIA’S top senior amateur golfer Stefan Albinski has won another honour, finishing on top of the 2010 Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Ranking System.

The Sydney golfer finished ahead of John Beaumont from South Australia with fellow New South Welshman Rick Oliver third.

The 2010 Senior Ranking Winner in the 65 Years and over division was Queensland’s  Ian Read, with Geoff Everett (NSW) second and Michael Jackson (VIC) third.

The ranking system operates over a 12-month rolling period with players’ points determined by their finishing positions in events across Australia.

The events attracting the strongest fields are awarded the most points.

The player with the highest points average at 31 October each year is recognised as the winner.

See the complete results here on the AUSOOM website.

AUSTRALIA’S top senior amateur golfer Stefan Albinski has taken out the 2010 Victorian Senior Amateur Championship with a typical fighting final round to make up a three stroke deficit.

Albinski, the reigning Australian Senior Amateur champion, put himself further behind overnight leader Bill Banks when he bogeyed the first hole at The Sands Golf Club, Torquay, in the three day event this week.

But as the 64 year old Banks and others dropped shots at crucial times, Albinski held firm.

A great birdie on the 178 metre par three 17th by the Mona Vale golfer sealed the win and saw him finish with a one under par 71.

It was Albinski’s second Victorian Seniors title and his 14th win since exploding onto the over 55’s elite Australian amateur golf circuit by winning the 2008 Australian Championship, his first event.

The Sydneysider has battled some injury and related form loss of late but looks to be coming back to his best.

Banks, not far off his 65th birthday, finished three strokes behind but by leading the first two rounds demonstrated he is still one of the county’s best senior amateurs.

Rick Oliver, who had his chance when a birdie on the 9th put him briefly in the outright lead, finished in third place a stroke behind Banks.

Attention will now turn to the Australian Senior Match Play Championship to be played at the nearby Thirteenth Beach Golf Club from Monday (October 25) next week.

In November, Albinski will lead a six man team of Australian seniors to compete in the 2010 Asia Pacific Senior Championship in Thailand.

The Australian team will be keen to take back the title they lost to New Zealand last year.

The Australian team includes Albinski, John Beaumont, Peter King, Greg Corben, Rick Oliver and Grahame MacDonald.

2010 Victorian Senior Amateur Golf Championship Final Result:

1    221    ALBINSKI Stefan    76  -  74  -  71
2    224    BANKS Bill    74  -  73  -  77
3    225    OLIVER Rick    76  -  73  -  76
3    225    MASLEN Paul    80  -  74  -  71
5    226    TATT Chris    78  -  73  -  75
6    228    BEAUMONT John    79  -  72  -  77
7    229    SAMS Brian    81  -  70  -  78
7    229    PERCY Ross    79  -  72  -  78

LEADING Australian senior amateur golfer Stefan Albinski has been in imposing form over the past three days winning the 2010 West Australian Senior Amateur Championship by six strokes.

The defending champion led after day one and never looked like being headed as he added yet another state championship to his growing collection.

Albinski carded a highly consistent 74-74-73 over three rounds at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.

Michael Jackson, winner of the 2009 Victorian Senior Order of Merit, improved his scoring every day and finished runner-up with rounds of 78-76-73.

Queenslander Grahame MacDonald was in third place another four strokes away with scores of 78-75-78.
Finishing fourth was evergreen 69 year old Tony Gresham (75-81-76) with the top five rounded out by West Australian Nigel Goodall who also improved every day (81-79-74).

Goodall was the leading West Australian senior in an event dominated by the visitors.
Leading Scores:
1    221    Stefan ALBINSKI   74 – 74 – 73   NSW
2    227    Michael JACKSON   78 – 76 – 73   VIC
3    231    Grahame MacDONALD   78 – 75 – 78   QLD
4    232    Tony GRESHAM   75 – 81 – 76   NSW
5    234    Nigel GOODALL   81 – 79 – 74   WA
6    236    Tony KENNINGS   79 – 82 – 75   NSW
7    237    John BEAUMONT   76 – 81 – 80, Will GERRARD   79 – 80 – 78

LEADING senior golfer Stefan Albinski has won the inaugural Australian Senior Amateur Ranking System Gold Medal.

The Sydney golfer cemented his place at the top of Australian senior amateur men’s golf by taking the title, which is a year long competition including 15 events that has replaced the old Australian Senior Order of Merit (AUSOOM) system.

The new system, introduced by Golf Australia last year, includes over six categories of players and determines Australia’s best Men, Women, Boys’, Girls’, Senior Men and Senior Women golfers.

Albinski won six events in the Senior section (over 55), including four state titles and culminating in his victory at the Australian Senior Matchplay Championship last month. That win saw him take the overall title from Queenslander Grahame MacDonald.

Albinski has been dominating senior amateur golf since he qualified and began competing in 2008, winning the Australian Senior Amateur Championship in April that year at his first attempt.

Silver medal winner MacDonald also had a great year, winning the Northern Territory Seniors, placing second in the Australian Seniors Championship and regularly finishing inside the top ten.

His selection in the Australian team for the Asia Pacific Championships in December capped a memorable 12 months.

Third place and the bronze medal went to popular NSW golfer Denis Dale who was also consistent all year with a win in the Grange Seniors and a top ten in every event contested.

Dale had won the gold medal in 2006 and 2007 before being runner up in 2008.

Donohoe wins Women’s Senior Medal

The NSW south coast dominated the women’s senior ranking with the recently crowned Australian Senior Amateur Champion Sylvia Donohoe from Narooma taking the top title.

Lynne Townsend from Wollongong was second while Queenslander Josie Ryan from the Headland club took third.

The Super Senior Section, for players aged 65 years and over, also went to Queenslanders, in Fay Payne and Ian Read.

HE was taken right down to the wire but gun senior amateur golfer Stefan Albinski proved too tough in the final of the 2009 Australian Senior Matchplay Championship at the Thirteenth Beach Golf Links in Victoria today.

Albinski beat fellow New South Welshman Russell Rogers 1 up after 18 holes and added another prestigious title to a trophy cabinet that is bulging after just a couple of years on the men’s over 55 amateur circuit.

Albinski won the first hole but when Rogers birdied the second to take it back to square it set the tone for the match.

Whenever Albinski managed to get one or two in front, Rogers would claw his way back with some quality golf. After the 16th it was all square.

On 17 Albinski looked to be in trouble when he drove too far right but stopped just a few metres short of potential disaster.

After a nice drive Rogers was on the sloping green for two but his ball somehow stayed above the hole, giving him an almost impossible downhill putt.

Albinski’s second missed the green but he chipped close to the hole for a gimme putt.

Rogers slippery downhill putt rolled a couple of metres past the hole and when he narrowly missed the return he started the 18th 1 down.

After beautiful drives, Albinski found the centre of the green with his second while Rogers missed to the right.

When an outstanding chip by Rogers guaranteed him a par, Albinski coolly putted to within inches to safely level the hole and take the title.

Albinski currently holds the Senior Amateur titles in Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria but lost his national title earlier this year.

“It’s fantastic to win the championship,” Albinski said. “The course is in great condition although the wind has made it tough and it’s great to win a national title.”

All in all it was a highly successful event with 32 of Australia’s top senior amateur golfers battling it out from the start of the week.

Defending champion Denis Dale lost a close match against  Queenslander Dave Morrison 2 & 1 during the second round so there was always going to be a new name on the trophy.

(Photos Courtesy Golf Austalia)