Numurkah Div One Champions
Posted on: 27 July
Pennant Finals
Friday and Saturday brought significant rain and drizzle and no evaporation to local golf courses and in particular to Mooroopna the host course for the finals. Late Saturday afternoon a decision was made to try to postpone the finals. However, players in Division One and Two could not postpone because of commitments to the Victorian Mid-Amateur event next weekend. With some desperate phone calls, it was agreed that the match between Mooroopna and Numurkah would be played at Mooroopna on Sunday while at the same time the two Shepparton Teams Gold and Blue would play each other on their home course.
In far from ideal conditions of squalling rain and wet underfoot the Mooroopna and Numurkah teams commenced at 9.30 am. James McGibbon led for Mooroopna against Numurkah team Captain Nick Ludington. Ludington edged ahead on the back nine and won 3/2. Brett Wildes was the next Numurkah winner 2/1 over Mooroopna team Captain Michael Barca. Numurkah Club Champion Mitch Grandell played great golf to defeat Jordan Geisler 5/4. This gave three individual wins to Numurkah enough for the team win, so in great spirit Ben McGibbon and Andrew Storer agreed to square their match. Meanwhile at the back of the field Mooroopna’s Brett Kellow had defeated Sam Robertson 6/5. In the final scoring the records show a win to Numurkah 3.5 to 1.5.
No doubt Mooroopna would be disappointed losing on their own course, but Numurkah have been a consistently good team for years and will be happy with the win after being runners up to Shepparton in the last few years.
The Numurkah Division One Winning Team L to R, Sam Robertson, Mitch Grandell, Brett Wildes, Andrew Storer, Nick Ludington
As mentioned above Division Two final was a battle between two Shepparton GC teams named Gold and Blue, and given the weather situation it was agreed that they could play each other on their home course, in what some members termed the Club grudge match.
In squalls of rain, clouds and wet patches, one commentator called it a “blue day”. Gold team dominated. Kirk Dalziell defeated Trav Wayman 2/1. Mark Jones defeated Kevin O’Donoghue 3/1, James Faram defeated Josh Preston 4/3 and Jordan Crawford had a day out in his 7/6 win over Nathan Dickson. With four wins to Gold Mick Loughead and Eamon Reeves shook hands for a squared match.
Well done to Shepparton Gold and no doubt there will be some good banter of bragging rights in the Shepparton Clubhouse for the next few weeks.
Gold is a happy colour for James Faram, Mark Jones, Eamon Reeves, Kirk Dalziel and Jordan Crawford.
A big thanks to Mooroopna and Shepparton Clubs and the players in both Divisions for their cooperation and organisation to play in true winter weather. Next Sunday it will be the finals of Division Three and Four at Mooroopna where in Division Three Shepparton will play Cobram-Barooga and in Division Four Tocumwal will play Hill Top.