By Mike Searles
The tall bloke in the picture is Melbourne based Long Drive Champion, Steffan Scutti.
The other is yours truly standing 185 cm, and dwarfed by Steffan’s towering 201 cm frame.
Scutti won the 2019 Australian Long Drive Championship with a 352-metre drive in the final. The COVID pandemic put a sudden halt to his aspirations of competing on the world stage. But he re-emerged in 2022 to win the Professional Long Drive Association event in Melbourne with a 358-metre blow. He validated that success by capturing the Asia Long Drive Championship in Thailand, setting a tournament-record with a 369-metre drive.
I watched him in person yesterday (Oct. 22) at Centenary Park Golf Club in Frankston (Victoria) as he demonstrated how he belts those long bombs using a driver with only a 3 degrees of loft.
One-hundred and sixty-nine other golfers were also there participating in the Rotary-Wranglers Charity Golf Day event.
Despite Melbourne turning on a cold, windy and sometimes wet day the first group of players hit off at 6.30 am. It was a fun 4-Ball Open Ambrose Competition played over the course’s 18-hole, par 73 layout.
Players and sponsors were treated to an egg and bacon breakfast, followed by a delicious lunch catered by Frankston Rotary Club Rotarians and their partners. There was a happy atmosphere in the Clubhouse as everyone took their chance to win a prize at the spinning wheel.
My team of players finished with a gross score of 70, nett 60.
2023 Rotary-Wranglers Charity Golf Day Winning Results:
Winning Men’s Team – Joe Russo, Dallas Brooks, Ben Croker, Michael Nugent with a Nett Score of 57.25
Winning Ladies Team – Sara French, Serena Palmer, June Luxmoore, Penny Theobald with a Nett Score of 63.6
Winning Mixed Team – Jo Miles, John Miles, Jan Sharwood, David Sharwood with a Nett Score of 64.8
Longest Drive Ladies Winner – Jenny Jeong
Longest Drive Men Winner – Grant Goodall
Putting Competition Winner – Steve Wright
Putting Competition Runner Up – Manny Polites
At day’s end Frankston Rotary handed not-for-profit group Community Support Frankston a cheque for $10,000 to help support and prevent homelessness in the community. What a terrific result.
Well done to Steffan Scutti, event organisers, many volunteers, generous sponsors, and the 169 other golfers who made the day a success to assist those people living through personal struggles at this time.
About the Writer: Mike Searles is a Melbourne retiree who’s living the golfing dream.
A wonderful report on a terrific event.