The Queensland AGHS Chapter held its third hickory event for 2015 at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Friday 27th March. On a beautiful Brisbane afternoon a field of ten players competed in a stableford competition over Royal Queensland’s front nine.
John Trubicyn was the outright winner with 20 stableford points off a daily handicap of 9. Runner-up was recent hickory convert Neville Sandford with 18 points off a daily handicap of 11. In third position (on countback) was Chris Cooper, scoring 18 points off a daily handicap of 3.
The high scores from recent events was discussed over post-round drinks and it was unanimously agreed that the standard of hickory play in Queensland has improved markedly over the few short years of the group’s existence. This was highlighted by off-the-stick scores of 38 and 39, respectively, by Chris Cooper and John Trubicyn, against a par of 36.
Anyone who was paying attention to the weather on the morning of Monday 30 March 2015 would have been forgiven for having flashbacks to the 2014 Dan Cullen when a more than generous downpour resulted in the event being called off.
However, the skies mercifully cleared, and 21 players arrived at a Long Reef course that was looking – and playing – at its best. There were two first timers in serious hickory competition – Warwick Stanwell and Alan McDonald.
For the par 43 over 11 holes, there were some reasonable scratch scores: Rod Clarke benefited from the local knowledge in the pair when he and Les Browne recorded a 43, which included birdies on both the par threes on the first nine; Dennis Sundin and Neville Ryder returned a 45; while the pairings of Tony Mountstephens and Des Froneman and Michael Sheret and Tom Winter came in with 46 apiece.
But . . . . the Dan Cullen is not about scratch scores, and the winners were Dennis Sundin and Neville Ryder from the Cromer Club with a net score of 38.4. Runners-up were Les Browne and Rod Clarke with 40.2, while Tony Mountstephens and Des Froneman filled the third step on the podium with 40.7.
Full Scores
Two Ball
Gross
Handicap
Net
Dennis Sundin & Neville Ryder
45
6.6
38.4
Les Browne & Rod Clarke
43
2.8
40.2
Tony Mounstephens & Des Froneman
46
5.3
40.7
Alan McDonald & Steve Doorey
47
5.5
41.5
Tony Pickrell & Martin Pickrell
48
6.0
42.0
Micheal Sheret & Tom Winter
46
3.7
42.3
Tom Moore & Geoff Martin
48
5.3
42.7
Paul Gladwin & Warwick Stanwell
48
3.0
45.0
Ross Howard & Henry Paterson
52
6.8
45.2
Bruno Pase & Stephen Fletcher
52
4.7
47.3
Winner Dennis Sundin (left) accepts the Dan Cullen Trophy from Alan McDonald
A hearty thanks to Les Browne and the Long Reef Club for organising and hosting the event, and further thanks to all those who participated. It’s probably a bit early to mark your diaries for next year, but keep the event in mind when planning your early 2016!
