ACT senior golfer Bill Banks has won an exciting 2013 NSW Senior Amateur Championship at the Howlong Golf Club on the Murray River.
His one stroke victory over leading amateur Stefan Albinski brings the veteran’s NSW senior championship tally to five.
Banks, 67, trailed overnight leader Greg McKay by three shots after 36 holes and with just two holes to go was three behind new leader Albinski.
Playing in the second last group, Banks holed a nice putt to par the long par-3 seventeenth and then dramatically holed a 30 foot birdie putt on the final hole for a par equalling round of 70.
He stood by the eighteenth green to watch the final group as word arrived that Albinski had three putted the seventeenth for a double bogey. Albinski needed a par on the short par-4 eighteenth to force a play off.
Albinski drove well on the last hole and then played a perfect wedge to inside 20 feet. A large crowd watched as Albinski lined up the putt he needed to win the only senior state title he has not won in his impressive senior golfing career. It was well struck but slipped by about a metre. Then, to the surprise of all watching, Albinski missed the return and the 2013 title belonged to an equally surprised Banks.
Overnight leader Cabramatta’s Greg McKay played solidly in the final round to finish in third place ahead of defending champion Peter King who closed with a round of one over par 71. Sharing fourth spot was the big hitting NSW senior Terry Small who was one of only two players to break par with his second round score of 69.
Seventy two year old Jack Parker equalled his age on day one and followed that with two more solid rounds of 75 to easily win the Over 70 section of the tournament.
The NSW team were comfortable winners of the annual Walking Stick Trophy played between six man teams from NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT.
The 2014 NSW Seniors Championship will be played at Forster-Tuncurry Golf Club at the same time of the year.
No doubt Bill Banks will be looking to equal the record of six NSW titles held by Tony Gresham.
Leading Scores:
214Â Â Â Bill Banks ACT 70-74-70
215Â Â Â Stefan Albinski NSW 70-72-73
216Â Â Â Greg McKay NSW 71-70-75
217Â Â Â Terry Small NSW 73-69-75
217Â Â Â Peter King QLD 74-72-71
220Â Â Â Ross Bockman NSW 74-71-75
220Â Â Â Jack Parker NSW 72-73-75
220Â Â Â Roy Vandersluis NSW 71-73-76
221Â Â Â Ray Walker VIC 75-72-74
221Â Â Â David Robb NSW 75-70-76
222Â Â Â Denis Dale NSW 72-75-75
222Â Â Â Steve Gibson NSW 78-69-75
222Â Â Â Kevin Skehan VIC 75-74-73
223Â Â Â David Limbach NSW 73-71-79
223Â Â Â Chris Tatt VIC 74-77-72
(This report compiled with the aid of original source material from Denis Dale at the Ausoom website)