The annual Prostate Cancer and Awareness Charity Golf Day last Sunday had 20 teams contesting the 4 Person Ambrose event. Major winners on the day were the team of Guy and Brendon Bennett, Blake Janssen and Adrian Whittaker who returned a very impressive 51 3/8 nett. The team of Mitchel McGlashan, Kasey Fay-Rice, Robert Hey, Alec Maclean and manager Sarah McGlashan finished runner up on 51 7/8 nett after firing a brilliant 59 off the stick for the day’s equal best scratch score with Cameron and Wayne Butler, Lachlan Buesnell and Cherrie Phillips. The minor placing was taken by Phil Bishop, Dub Rodgers, Paul Applebee and Rod Kiley with a 53 ½ nett in the Men’s section.

Margaret Hogan, Frankie Cock, Lynne Guise and Kaye Jones dominated the Ladies section with an impressive 63 7/8 nett. More than $5,000 was raised to help the Parkes branch of CanAssist. President of the Parkes branch of the Prostate Cancer and Awareness Foundation, Michael Lynch, thanked all players and the day’s sponsors, particularily Northparkes Mines and Central West Credit Union, Radio 1400 2PK & Rock FM and the Parkes Services Club.

The final of the ultimate game for amateur golfers Handiskins will be played this Sunday at the Parkes Golf Club. Cameron Butler, Robert Cheney, Wayne Butler and Ian Phipps will battle it out for $1, 200 of club vouchers in a game that sees the four players go head to head over 18 holes off handicap of skins golf. The players all qualified for the final after being the leading players from the five qualifying rounds where the best three rounds counted.

Despite Sunday’s result, all four players will receive an invitation to attend the National Final at Hamilton Island.

By Paul Thomas

The dominance of champion ladies golfer Lynne Guise continued last Sunday when she and partner Robert Hey regained their mantle as the clubs premier Mixed Foursomes champions with a decisive two shot win. Guise, who has partnered with six different players in an 18-year reign, has won the title nine times.

In Sunday’s 27-hole Championship event Lynne and Robert recorded 124 to finish two shots clear of Joey Van Opynen and Cherrie Phillips. Defending titleholders Ian Phipps and Kaye Jones were a further three shots back after gaining the minor placing on a countback from Cameron Butler and Colleen Staples finishing on 129.

In the Consolation Division it was the junior combination of Lachlan Buesnell and Kasey Fay-Rice who held off club captain Paul Thomas and Liz Matthews in a tight finish that saw the victors finish on 145 with just one shot clear. Richard Hutchison and Barbara Donnelly were relegated to third position seven shots behind the winners.

In the Liz Matthews-sponsored Handicap sections, Cameron Butler and Colleen Staples took out the A Division on 108.75 nett with Robert Hey and Lynne Guise in the runner-up position on 110.5. Paul Thomas and Liz Matthews reversed the result when they took out the Consolation Division on 113.75 some 2 shots clear of Lachlan Buesnell and Kasey Fay-Rice.

In other golf results Cameron Butler took out the Peter Dixon, Mark Kelly and John Green-sponsored 18-hole Stableford competition played under Joker conditions last Saturday. He recorded a great 39 points plus 15 Joker points to finish on 54 points,while Tony Evans was awarded the best score under normal playing conditions
with 39 points on a countback from Wayne Parker and Ian Phipps. In the Ladies competition Cherrie Phillips won on 46 points in the Denise Charlton sponsored Stableford competition. This weekend the ladies will play the 5th Golf NSW Medal and Club Medal with the Parkes Golf Shop sponsoring the 18-hole Stroke competition, while the Men will contest the Telescope Tyres & Batteries August Monthly Medal.

On Sunday it’s the annual Parkes branch of Prostate Cancer and Awareness Charity Golf Day with a 4 Person Ambrose with Northparkes Mines, Central West Credit Union and 2PK & Rock FM as the sponsors for the day.

By Paul Thomas

A brilliant return to form by Phil Barnard saw him take out Saturday’s Whites Electrical 18 hole Stableford on a water logged Parkes Golf Course. Barnard finished the event on 38 points and had to survive a three-way countback from junior Lachlan Buesnell and Cameron Butler to take home the sponsor’s trophies. The Ladies competition was more clear cut as Glynis Conroy and Cherrie Phillips had a 5 shot cushion in winning the Colleen Flynn & Dale Matthews 18 hole 4 Ball Best Ball Stableford event.

Despite bitterly cold westerly winds a field of 18 golfers contested Cunningham’s IGA Scratch Shootout on Sunday.
At the conclusion of 17 holes it came down to a battle between two of the field’s outsiders as Joey Van Opynen and Mark Kelly went up the 18th hole in an effort to reign. Kelly’s tee shot missed the fairway and left him with a difficult shot over the trees from the edge of the 10th fairway, while Van Opynen was well placed despite a bad lie on the right side of the 18th fairway. Kelly played a magnificent wedge to pin high on the right side of the green but with a daunting 8 metre putt. Van Opynen gutted his second shot through the green and played a delicate chip within 50cm of the pin to guarantee a par.

Kelly’s attempt at a birdie came agonisingly close as it shaved the hole and came to rest 15cm past the hole thus ensuring both players would rely on the sudden death chip off to decide the outcome. Kelly played first and failed to reach the green. This took the pressure off Van Opynen and he hit a magnificent chip shot to 30cm to take the title.

The Parkes Pennants team is playing the quarter finals of the Western Districts Ladies Golf Associations Pennants today against a strong Mudgee club at Wellington. Tomorrow members will contest an 18 hole Stableford for Peter Dixon, John Green and Mark Kelly’s trophies in an event with a twist as it will be played under the Joker’s Rules.

The Joker’s Rules state each player has three Jokers and one Triple Joker during the 18 hole competition, however before a player can use a Joker they must nominate prior to hitting off on a hole if they intend to use a Joker. If a player decides to use a Joker the points they score on that particular hole are doubled and on a Triple Joker hole the score is tripled. The player who records the day’s highest score is the winner. The Ladies will also play the Jokers rules during their 18 Hole Stableford event.

On Sunday the re-scheduled 2016 Mixed Foursomes Championships over 27 holes will be from 10:00am, sponsored by Liz Matthews.

By Paul Thomas