Published August 18, 2013 17:55
The 2012 Regional Championships were held at Kew Country Club (formerly known as Camden Haven Golf Club) over the weekend of 17 / 18 August and a team of 21 players covering juniors (under 18), colts (19 - 24), masters (over 50)) and open (all ages) travelled to Kew to contest the event.
In addition to the selected team the Association entered up and coming Toukley junior, Beau Willett, as part of his development and also because he was the defending nett winner from the 2012 event.
Kew Country Club presented a true test to all of the players with very tricky greens that in some instances looked flat but were far from that. Indeed, after several of our squad played practice rounds on Friday 16 many declared that scores would be high and that whoever came to grips best with the tricky greens would probably win.
Day one was overcast but play commenced without delay and at the end of the day CCDGA and Lower North Coast DGA held a lead of 2 shots from Newcastle DGA in the coveted Jim Baker Shield with HRDGA some 5 or 6 shots off the pace. To say that the contest was close is an understatement. The course was the main winner with only one player in a class field able to better par. Best performers for CCDGA were Everglades youngster Branden Biddle who returned the second best score of the day with 71 (par 70) and Wyong's Ethan Forsyth who double bogied the last hole for 72. Both Branden and Ethan were seeded in the top 8 for the second round.
Day 2 was a completely different day in respect of not only the weather, which was summer like, but also the fortunes of the Coast players. A few improved their score from the first day but unfortunately we faded dramatically in the Baker Shield which was eventually won by Newcastle DGA by 1 shot from the hosts, Lower North Coast. CCDGA had to be content with 3rd place in a field of four!
Trevor Walker of Everglades performed consistently over the 2 days and captured the runner up prize in the Masters individual section. Jordie Garner, a young gun from Wyong wore some rather loud trousers on the first day but proved he has the game to justify the trousers and captured a place in the overall event as did Branden Biddle whose great first round was the best of the day. Both these boys are young and will undoubtedly be on the representative scene for years to come.
The Association team for the NSW Country Championship is selected based on scores returned in the Regionals with the leading 6 players, regardless of age, forming the team for this event. The players who have won their way on to the team for the Championship to be played at Muswellbrook Golf Club over the weekend of 2 & 3 November are Ethan Forsyth, Ben Corlett, Jordie Garner, Craig Wickham, Trevor Walker & Brent Soutar