The recent South Australian Senior amateur golf event at Blackwood Golf Club showed exceptional support from men and women senior golfers. JOHN ANDERSON reports:

SA Seniors – Blackwood Back to Its Best

February 9^th, traditionally the opening event of the SA Senior Order of Merit, the Blackwood’s round is now the third round after two events at the end of 2025.

Irrespective, it was great to see the Blackwood Golf Club event back to its very best with strong support from SA’s senior golfers filling a women’s morning field (68 entries) with the men out in the afternoon (103 entries).

A nice summer’s day, not too warm and no real wind plus the Cherry Gardens course in great condition meant everything was perfect for good scores.

A well promoted and organised event – congratulations to Blackwood – Peter Schapel, Chris Lemm and soon to be retired Club Pro, Matt Dent; and many thanks to long-term sponsor, Dave Benson from Explorer Caravans.

Dave had several very nice vans on display – clearly the field was a target market !

Senior Women’s Gross

Just back from the Tasmanian Senior Amateur, Amanda Heapy (The Vines of Reynella) was in-form with 85 to beat Blackwood’s top senior women player Gail MacPherson (87). Jo Ricourt (Glenelg) was third with 79.

Senior Women’s Nett

As is often the case a bit of a home club whitewash with only Heapy’s 76 for third getting a look-in. Winner was Janine Edwards with an excellent Nett 70 from Gill Scott (73) and Kerry Chevis, also a 76.

Super Senior Women’s Gross

Blackwood’s Angela Masters back in the winners circle (87) from Lee Sansom (Grange) (93) a score matched by home-club’s Paula White and Helen Rice.

Super Senior Women’s Nett

Anne Arnfield (Royal Adelaide) (77) but only on a countback from four locals –  Paula White, Angela Masters, Stephanie Mathews and Helen Rice.

Senior Men’s Gross

Your correspondent followed the marquee group of Phil Chapman, Nick Wake, Craig Gordon and Paul Gregory with the expectation that the winner would come from this group. Indeed for most of the round Gregory (The Vines of Reynella) looked a certain winner until a couple of bad holes late in his round saw his challenge unfortunately derailed. This left Chapman (Aston Hills) in the lead by only one shot from former long term Blackwood champion Wake. Nick’s birdie putt to tie on the 18^th came up a couple inches short and it looked like Phil was the winner.

However, starting from the second tee, Glenelg’s James Mattson had quietly done his stuff to also record a 74 and pip Chapman on a countback.

Senior Men’s Nett

A fine 2-under Nett 70 by Blackwood’s Jason Morgan to relegate Mattson (71) to second equalled by Mark Bolton (Murray Bridge).

Super Senior Men’s Gross

Matching the best Gross score of the day and giving Glenelg a double, John Keough led home the Super Senior Men by one with another excellent round of 74 from Tea Tree Gully’s Craig Morrison (75).

Blackwood’s Andrew Romeo and Phil Donaldson returned 81’s.

Super Senior Men’s Nett

Best Nett score of the day (69) to local Marc Walmsley from Keogh (70) followed by the home pair of Richard Clark and David Hissey (71’s).

For full results go to: https://tinyurl.com/yc8j67rr

Men’s winners photo – Left to right: Jason Morgan (Senior Nett – B/Wood), Marc Wamsley (Super Senior Nett – B/Wood), John Keogh (Super Senior Gross – Glenelg), David Benson (Sponsor – Explorer Caravans) and James Mattsson (Senior Gross – Glenelg)