District Championships Decided
Posted on: 26 August
At Cobram-Barooga Golf Club on Sunday 25 August the Goulburn Murray Golf District Championships were played in cool, breezy and tough conditions. A very high quality field of players took part which saw some of the best players in the District competing in the range of events.
In the women’s championships Alex Radeski from Mooroopna with a scratch score of 88 just got in ahead of Rowena Wallace from Cobram-Barooga on 89. As a reflection of the tough conditions Alex and Rowena played great golf but both suffered from a couple of triple bogies in their rounds.
The men’s championships had four players in the field on plus handicaps and the two best in Andrew Storer from Numurkah and Caleb Bovalina from Tocumwal tied both on 75. A play off was required to decide the winner and Andrew managed to defeat Caleb in the sudden death contest. In accepting the trophy Andrew thanked and congratulated Caleb on his attitude, thanked the organisers and expressed his gratitude and thanks in somewhat of a mental comeback after his defeat in the recent pennant final Matt Miller from Hill Top Tatura finished three shots behind on 78.
In conjunction with the Championships the Champion of Champions was played in which the field is restricted to the champions of each club. Again is was Andrew Storer via the playoff who took the prize and Rowena Wallace won the women’s title ahead of Bobette Wilkinson from Tocumwal.
The Junior Boys Championship was won by Cooper Gentle from Parkland with a scratch score of 81 ahead of Jordan Bovalina on 83. However Jordan won the handicap event with 72 nett which was the best nett score of the day.
As with all District events there was competition of all golfers, not just the elite, and the woman’s nett event was won by Di Woods from Shepparton Golf Club with 78 nett. Last week Di took a lot of convincing to represent Shepparton but her trophy acceptance speech conveyed her excitement and revealed to others the fun of competing. Julie Daniel was runner up to Woods with 82 Nett. The under eighteen junior boys are also eligible for the men’s events and Jordan Bovalina with the best nett score of 72 won the Men’s silverware ahead of Stephen Piggot also from Tocumwal on 75.
To add a bit of extra fun to the day Club Champions can bring a guest and Julie Daniel, guest of Rowena Wallace (Cobram-Barooga Champion) and Jamie Baker guest of his son Austen (Parkland Champion) won the respective Women’s and Men’s guest prizes. The teams’ event for clubs was won by Parkland with the Baker family of dad Jamie and sons Austen and Jarrod and Cooper Gentle. For the make-up team Alex Ravdeski (Mooroopna) Matt Miller and Tom Phillips (Hill Top) and young Jayden Geisler (Cobram-Barooga) were successful. Nearest the pin on the fifth hole went to Brad Davey.
What a great day for the players. One common theme from all the winners was the fact that clubs who did not attend missed out on a great day.
District President David Roberts and Captain Annie Beveridge thanked all the players for their co-operation and support and finished the day by announcing the women’s and men’s teams to represent the GMGA District at the annual Country Teams’ event in Melbourne in early October.
The women’s team will be selected from Steffi Vogel, Rowena Wallace, Maxine Sadler (Cobram-Barooga) Tracey Clouston, , Felicity Booth, (Numurkah) Alex Radeski Sandy Millett, (Mooroopna) Kim Morris (Shepparton), Bobette Wilkinson and Petra Wilmot (Tocumwal) .
The Men will go with a more set team of seven with power to add at this stage. The team will be captained by last year’s Victorian Country Representative Caleb Bovalina (Tocumwal) along with Andrew Storer, Matt Sellers, Nick Ludington (Numurkah) Matt Miller, Blair Christie (Hill Top Tatura) and Jordy Geisler (Mooroopna)