PARKES GOLF By PETER BRISTOL On Saturday we played an 18 hole Stableford event sponsored by Max Keith and Michael Thomas. The 2 young guns have been supporting their club for a number of years via this event and other activities, and we are grateful for their ongoing association. The player numbers have been on the up over the last few weeks and this Saturday there were 71 players out and about searching for those elusive birdies. Best on the day was Dave Brown with a tearaway 42 points. His round included 2 birdies, and 39 off the stick on the front nine plus 2 misses on the back. There would have been some lamenting over what could have been after handing that card in. But good to see Dave at least getting somewhere near to his summer scores. Michael Dellaca is lucky he got those rickety footballers knees fixed as he is having to climb the podium on a regular basis now. His 39 point haul also included a birdie and a 39 on the back 9. That 18 handicap that he played off will be a distant memory once the handicapper visits. Mel Matthews was next in with a 38 as she also recaptures some form with Phill Smith and Robert Hey also breaking stableford par for the event with their 37s. The Handiskins preliminary event draws to a close this weekend with the top four players set to play off in the final later in the year. It is a tight run affair with the scores a little down on past years so there are opportunities to still make the final. Typically 3 par rounds is sufficient to get a spot in the fab 4 at the end but this year Trevor Chatman on 106, Mel Matthews 104, Richard Hutchinson 103 and Col Braeden 101 are the final 4 leading into the last round. The other contenders still with a chance if the leaders falter are Aaron Gaffey, Lindsay Elliott, Gordon Pritchard, Brendan Hill, Ron Hetherington, Aaron Wilkie, Craig Matthews and Ian Phipps. This will make for an exciting finish with probably only Trevor assured of a spot in the final at this stage. The Nearest The Pins winners were – Bridgestone Mining 1st Jack Elliott at 560cm, Griffins Leading Edge by Justin Middleton at 154cm, Parkes Ready Mixed Concrete 9th by Phil Smith at 53cm, the Westlime 11th by Phil Bishop at 580cm, the Gulf Western Oil 17th by Rod Luyt at 220cm. The lucrative money hole was won by Phil Bishop at 580cm. Ball winners were Melissa Matthews 38, Michael Haydon, Phill Smith, Rob Hey 37, Wayne Powter, Phil Bishop, John Green 36. This week is a Stable ford event which doubles as the last round of Handiskins. VETERANS GOLF By JOHN DWYER Last Thursday’s Lachlan Valley Veteran Golf Association monthly 18-hole tournament played in Forbes showed there is still plenty of interest in the competition with 63 players taking part despite the ‘freezing’ start to the day. Starter and MC for the day Allan Rees, as expected, covered all bases thanking all those who travelled making the tournament such a success. Thanks also to course curator Jack Elliott and staff, kitchen and hotel hosts as well as Alf Davies and Beryl and Lyn (Roberts) for recording score cards to resident club professional Will Gunn. Multiple times club champion Don McKeowen from Bogan Gate displayed his talents highlighting putting from sand to grass greens stealing the show in A grade winning with 35 points from an improving local talent Andrew Norton-Knight next best on 34 points. In B grade Peter Howorth from West Wyalong appeared to have played a different course blitzing the field with 41 points, while runner-up Warwick Spence from Cowra posted 37 points. Nearest the pins - 9th A grade Don McKeowen (BG), B grade John Milton (Fbs); 18th A grade Alf Davies (Fbs), B grade Farren Stevens (Grenfell). The ball sweep went to 30 points and successful Parkes and Forbes players were: 35 points - Gordon Pritchard (P), Ross Williams (F); 34 - Nym Dziuba (P), John Dwyer (P), Frank Hanns (F); 33 - Barry Parker (F), Kim Herbert (F), Peter Scholefield (F), 32 Allan Rees (F), Steve Edwards (BG); 31 - Steve Uphill (F), John Milton (F), 30 Reggie Murray (F), Rod Luyt (P). In the Coles/Miller Shield Parkes (13 players) and Forbes (21) shared top honors on 104 points from their best three individual scores followed by West Wyalong (10) on 103, Condobolin (8) 90, Grenfell (3) 84 and Bogan Gate (2) 67. While not affiliated with Lachlan Valley Cowra did have six representatives who would have taken the shield with their 108 points. Forbes will host this week’s twin-towns comp with nominations from 9.30am for a 10am shot-gun start. One for the note pad, next Lachlan Valley event is in Parkes on August 21.
