Leading in to the South Australian Senior Amateur locals and visitors have battled it out at top SA golf courses Royal Adelaide, the Grange and Kooyonga. Reports by John Anderson.

Locals and Visitors Battle at Royal Adelaide

Monday 28 August 2023, the SASOOM moved to the second of the sand-belt venues with the opportunity to play Royal Adelaide attracting a strong field of 93 players including many from interstate including a number of new faces who were most welcome and added to the strength of the competition.

Senior Men

Good weather and a nice course length and set-up for Senior golf saw some excellent scoring particularly from the Senior Men’s section where David Alexander from Royal Perth showed that he was comfortable on another Royal course in scoring a superb sub-par round of 70 to win from Davide Pateyjohns (Willunga) (72) – this David enjoying the expanse of RA to utilise his length of the tees. Accomplished SA country golfer Mark Pretty  was third with 75 a score also matched by Greg Rhodes (Coomealla).

Mike Jones (Kogarah NSW) also felt at-home with an excellent Nett 67 from David Alexander’s 69 and Pateyjohn’s 70.

Super Senior Men

An “80” was enough for another visitor, Greg Orvis (Thirteenth Beach) from long-time visitor to SA events, Ian McPherson (Joondalup) (82) and Andrew Curran (Mt Osmond) (84). A popular winner in the Super Senior’s Nett was the ever-persevering John Gilleade (Blackwood) (73) on a count-back from Peter Waters up from Mt Gambier in SA’s South-East. George Cleland (The Vines of Reynella) was third with 74.

Senior Women

A strong round from accomplished player Gale McPherson (Blackwood) (82/75) to win the Gross and Nett. Kim Burke (Shelly Beach) and Jill Hodge (Glenelg) (86 & 90) followed Gale in the Gross. In the Nett, place-getters were Amanda Heapy (The Vines) (76) from Kim Burke (81).

Super Senior Women

Helen Pascoe (Buninyong Vic) (91) won the Gross from visitor, June Ticknell (Trafalgar)and Blackwood’s Angela Masters (94’s). Briony Williams (Mt Osmond) (79) took the Nett from June Tickell (80) and Angela Masters (82).

Again, we thank Royal Adelaide for hosting the event and providing an opportunity for local SOOM contenders and our interstate visitors to test their games on this renowned course.

For full results go to: https://www.golf.org.au/orderofmeritinfo/

Exciting Finish at Grange/Kooyonga

Thursday 31/8/2023 and Friday 1/9/2023 saw the 2-round Grange/Kooyonga rounds of the SA Senior Order of Merit with full strength field of 120 players with many interstate contributing to a high quality group of contenders for this Nationally ranked event at two of Adelaide’s top sand-belt courses.

Perfect golfing conditions and, as is always the case, some went well and others found difficulties with the demands of the courses. Scores seemed higher at Kooyonga but maybe the early morning shot-gun start contributes to this as both courses were similarly well set-up for a senior tournament of its statue.

Senior/Super Senior Women

A combined field for this event with Cath Stolz (Shelly Beach) a clear winner in the Gross 158 (76, 82) from Jill Hodge (Glenelg) (165 – 80, 95) with Helen Pascoe (Buninyong) 3 strokes further back. Cath also took the Nett (148) but only by one shot from June Tickell (Trafalgar) with Jill Hodge (153) third.

Senior Men

This is where the excitement came with Andrew Brown (Royal Perth – part of a strong WA contingent) and Warwick Oxenford (Brisbane GC) both shooting 153’s. Andrew taking the day at Grange with an under-par 71 but faltered at Kooyonga (82) to Warwick’s 79 and 74.

The Rules of the event required a play-off but plane flight schedules and the presentation lunch did not provide sufficient time and Warwick generously conceded such that the trophy and prizes went to Andrew. (SOOM points, of course were equally divided).

Mark Allen From Drouin, was third with consistent scores of 77 and 78 for 155.

Warwick got some consolation by winning the Nett (145) from David Schirripa (147) who had the advantage of holding Grange and Kooyonga membership. Andrew Brown  (149) took third.

Super Senior Men

Doug Cullam from Monash with 156 (75, 81) was a clear winner from Dean Harris (Glenelg) (161 – 82, 79). Dean has been a long-time top golfer in SA and it was good to seeing in both participating and performing well. The omni-present Mike Richards (Tea Tree Gully –  81,82) tied with a welcome visitor in Ian McPherson (Joondalup (83, 80) on 163.

In the Nett, Chris Claxton (Blackwood) surprised himself with a very consistent 148 (74, 74) from Mike Richards and Ross Robertson from Coomealla – 150 to 152.

The event concluded with an excellent lunch and presentation including the perpetual trophies for the best overall men and women. Overall, a very good event on two challenging and superbly presented courses.

For full results go to: https://www.golf.org.au/orderofmeritinfo/