The advantage of playing at home was well illustrated in the latest Western Sydney Region Veteran Golfers Association’s Interclub Challenge at Wallacia Country Club.
124 players teed off on the chilly and slightly damp Friday morning despite the forecast of continued rain. The weather gods were nice and largely ignored the forecast.
The Wallacia golfers took full advantage of their local knowledge to feature prominently in the list of prizewinners, and also take out the team event for the first time since February 2023. The combined scores of Steve Snell, Warren Husband, Steve Francis and Dave Coombs was 147 stableford points, enough to overcome Glenmore (142), closely followed by Richmond and Penrith (141 each) who were narrowly ahead of Dunheved and Leonay (140 each).
The home side shone in the individual competitions, securing the top prize in all three men’s competitions.
In A Grade, Steve Snell (38 points, Wallacia) was followed by Richmond members Karl Lozier (37) and Paul Evans (36). In B Grade Wallacia’s Warren Husband (38) edged out Scott Bailey(Glenmore) and Grant Bissett (Leonay) by a single point. The C Grade pairing of Dave Coombs (35 points) and John Woods (34 points) didn’t combine well enough to take a team prize but did finish in the top two places in their grade, but only on a countback from Stonecutter’s Fred Croyston.
The Ladies competition was taken out by Jean Paterson from Penrith Golf Club (38 points), well ahead of Julie Edwards (Glenmore) and Jo-Ellen Thorpe (Wallacia) who both had 33 points.
The 2BBB Medley competition was very close – with only a single stableford point separating the leading four teams. The Richmond team of Lynette Luttringer and Allan Davies overcame Jean Paterson and Jyulie Berg from Penrith on a countback after both pairs finished with 42 points. Third place was also taken on a countback on 41 points, and went to Christine Hoppe and Robert Browning of Wallacia.
The Men’s 2BBB competition was almost as tight. Steve Malesevic and Grant Bissett (Leonay, 46 points), were just ahead of Paul Fairbrother and Warren Beard from Dunheved (45 points) who were in turn narrowly ahead of Andrew Burns and Michael Hughes (Leonay) who took out third place after a countback with 44 points.
The final interclub event for the year is at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club on Wednesday 23rd October.
REPORT: NOEL HOPPE | WSRVGA
{The photo has Dave Coombs, John Woods (Wallacia) Andrew Burns and Michael Hughes – all prize winners, on the 10th green}