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.
