Denis Dale reports on the latest news on the senior amateur golfing scene.
By Denis Dale
QUEENSLAND: Toyne on Top in the Queensland Order of Merit
Indooroopilly golfer Steve Toyne (pictured above) heads the PresCare Senior Order of Merit as it nears the final events of the year. The Queensland competition runs from August 2016 finishing with the two major Queensland titles in July,2017.
Currently Toyne has 1150 points made up of six wins and two seconds in the competition where each golfer counts his best eight performances. Toyne leads from Nudgee golfer Mario La Chiusa who has three wins from his eight starts for his total of 990 points. Timothy Deakin (865) and Joe McDermid (835) are also close up.
In the Super Senior section for golfers over the age of 65 Larry Pumpa from Virginia leads on 745 points from Rodney McNeven (Pacific) on 610 and Dick Kamen (Caloundra) on 558
There are still events remaining at Pacific Harbour, Carbrook, Coolangatta & Tweed Heads, Indooroopilly and Sanctuary Cove Golf Clubs before the season ends with the Gold Coast Senior Amateur from July 19-21 and the Queensland Senior Amateur Championship from July 31 to August 2.
|
Rank |
Player |
Club |
Starts |
Best 8 |
|
1 |
Steve Toyne |
Indooroopilly |
11 |
1150 |
|
2 |
Mario La Chiusa |
Nudgee |
8 |
990 |
|
3 |
Timothy Deakin |
McLeod |
12 |
865 |
|
4 |
Joe McDermid |
Gainsborough Greens |
12 |
835 |
|
5 |
Paranjit Singh |
Carbrook |
12 |
775 |
Royal Queensland Senior
The Royal Queensland PresCare QSOOM event attracted a good field with a total of 70 players (58 men and 12 women) competing. It was good to see a large field at one of the best golf courses in Queensland. It was extremely well presented, the weather was perfect for golf and there were some really great scores
Men
Winner Scratch – Mario La Chiusa 71
Runner Up Scratch – Steve Toyne 73
Winner Nett – Mervyn Birt 39 points
Runner Up Nett – David Reid 37 points
Ladies
Winner Scratch – Gwen Clutterbuck 91
Winner Nett – Margaret Emerson 34 points
More information on the Queensland Senior Order of Merit events here – http://www.golfqueensland.org.au/
VICTORIA: Kym Olsen leads the Victorian Senior Order of Merit
The National’s Kym Olsen has opened a commanding lead in the 2017 Victorian Senior Order of Merit. Olsen has been in sensational form in recent events with a highlight being a record breaking win in the National Masters at his home club. In that event he fired three consecutive rounds of under par to record a convincing win.
Approaching the half way point in the competition Olsen has amassed 2045 point s and he has a big lead over Gordon Caney on 1250 points who has also been in fine form with several wins. In third place is the defending champion Ian Frost on 1242.
|
Rank |
Player |
Club |
Starts |
Best 12 |
|
1 |
Kym Olsen |
The National |
10 |
2045 |
|
2 |
Gordon Claney |
Kingston Heath |
6 |
1250 |
|
3 |
Ian Frost |
Rich River |
7 |
1242 |
|
4 |
Ken O’Brien |
Rossdale |
8 |
958 |
|
5 |
Stephen Valentine |
Kew |
8 |
882 |
Cranbourne Seniors
Gordon Claney (Kingston Heath) has broken Gary Easte’s string of wins with today’s 2017 Cranbourne Senior Amateur victory.
Claney fired the only sub-par round for the tournament today, returning a 2-under 70 for 36-hole total of 147, equalling the winning score for 2016.
Claney had a 5 shot win over Kym Olsen (The National) who posted rounds of 74 and 78 for the event.
Paul Fink (RACV Cape Schank) made the most of the ideal conditions to seize victory in the nett championship with rounds of 66 and 74 total of 140, placing him 3 strokes ahead of a very consistent Stephen Valentine (Kew) who finished with a total of 143.
Alpine Senior Masters
Gordon Claney recorded another win in the gross event by 6 shots from Ian Frost (Rich River). Claney fired back to back rounds of one under par 71 for a two-round total of 142.
Rutherglen’s Bill Black took out the nett championship with a two round nett total of 141. Torquay’s Ross Bottomley finished second just one shot adrift on 142.
Mornington Peninsula Seniors
The Mornington Peninsula Senior Amateur was played in spectacular conditions at Portsea Golf Club. The still and sunny morning was a nice contrast to the extreme weather experienced at Flinders Golf Club yesterday that eventually led to the cancellation of round 1.
Kim Johnson from The National GC won the Men’s Gross Championship with a five over par score of 76. Stephen Valentine from Kew GC claimed the runner-up prize with a score of 79 on a countback.
In the Nett competition, Ignatius Duivenvoorden (Yarram GC) was a runaway winner, shooting 79 off the stick for a nett score of 65. Mark Dunstan (Spring Valley GC) had the next best score with a nett 70.
Eureka Seniors
The Eureka Senior Amateur was played in sunny conditions at Buninyong Golf Club.
Kym Olsen stormed to the overnight lead with a sensational six under par round of 66. He followed this with an even par round of 72 to record a 36-hole total of 6 under par 138 and seven-stroke win. Runner up was Rich River senior Ian Frost with a good score of 145.
Frost finished on one over par 145 and won runner-up honours on a count-back from local member Chris Tatt who took home the best gross prize in the 65+ category.
In the nett section it was another local member Ian Corcoran finishing on top of the leaderboard. The Buninyong member off a handicap of 6 finished with a 36-hole nett total of 140 to win on a count-back from Pakenham’s John Hoare.
Ballarat member Bob Cooper won the best nett prize in the 65+ category on a count-back from Hoare.
Box Hill Seniors
On a perfect morning for golf, 57 men and 15 women competed in the 2017 Box Hill Senior Amateur.
Doug Francis from Metropolitan Golf Club made the perfect start to his senior golf career by taking out the Men’s Gross Competition with a score of 73. Runner up Kym Olsen and third place Mick Streit both shot 75 but couldn’t quite chase down an in-form Doug Francis.
Christopher Clark (Gunnamatta Golf Club) played off a daily handicap of 8 and claimed the Men’s Nett Competition with a nett 70. Close behind him were Paul Williams and Chris Burt who both had nett 71.
Further information on the Victorian Senior Order of Merit is available on the Golf Victoria website www.golfvic.org.au .
SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Bruce Lindner the leader in the SA Senior Order of Merit
After four events in the ten event South Australian Senior Order of Merit competition Kooyonga senior Bruce Lindner holds a narrow lead.
Lindner has totalled 333 points to lead Link Lady Bay senior Nigel Turner on 282 points and Norm Cordina (Tea Tree Gully) on 275.
The competition ends with two national senior ranking events – the Grange-Kooyonga Senior Amateur from 31 August to September 1 and the South Australian Senior Amateur Championship at Tanunda Pines Golf Club from September 4-6.
|
Rank |
Player |
Club |
Starts |
Points |
|
1 |
Bruce Lindner |
Kooyonga |
4 |
333 |
|
2 |
Nigel Turner |
Links Lady Bay |
4 |
282 |
|
3 |
Norm Cordina |
Tea Tree Gully |
3 |
275 |
|
4 |
Steve Ross |
South Lakes |
4 |
255 |
|
5 |
Eric Lane |
Grange |
4 |
221 |
More information on the South Australian Senior Order of Merit events here – http://www.golfsa.com.au/
COMING SENIOR AMATEUR EVENTS
June 5 Pacific Harbour Seniors (QLD)
June 8 Manly Seniors (NSW)
June 9 Oatlands Seniors (NSW)
June 18 Heathcote Seniors (VIC)
June 19-22 * Australian Senior Amateur Matchplay at Coolangatta Tweed Heads
June 19-20 Shepparton Senior Amateur
June 19 Pymble Seniors (NSW)
June 22-23 Tocumwal Seniors (VIC)
June 26 Coolangatta Tweed Heads Seniors (QLD)
July 9-11 * Australia vs New Zealand for The Sanctuary Cove Trophy
July 10-12 Coomealla Seniors (VIC)
July 13 Sanctuary Cover Seniors (QLD)
July 19-21 * Gold Coast Senior Classic
July 27-28 Coffs Coast Seniors (NSW)
July 30-31 Seaside Classic at Port Macquarie (NSW)
July 31-Aug 2 * Queensland Senior Amateur Championship at Bribie Island
* Part of the Australian Senior Ranking System