PHOTO
By PETER BRISTOL
Saturday saw the running of the Parkes Ford Medley Par event.
Big shout out to Daniel and the team for coming on board with their sponsorship since taking over the dealership in Parkes, the golfers appreciate the support.
The numbers were down due to the long weekend and other competing events in town but there were 42 members and visitors competing on a course that keeps improving after recent rains.
This was the 3rd round of the Frank Donelly Trophy and the par specialists were out and about trying to capture the time-honoured trophy.
In a par event you get a square for having a handicap par then either a plus if you do better or a minus if you don’t.
As usual most golfers were struggling and the best recorded score from the early golfers was a plus 1 by Peter Bristol who had a solid 8 pars in his round.
As the dew dissipated off the course there were a number of solid rounds but none better than the plus 1.
Myles Smith shot a 75 off the stick to reach his score and take over the lead on a countback.
Alan Rees, a Forbes golfer chasing the sun, also came with a solid 91 off his 20 handicap to capture the lead with his plus 1.
Blake Parker shot an even par front nine and was even until the 18th until a miss left him on the plus 1 mark as well and leading the countback and eventually claiming the runner-up trophy.
Josh Riley, a visitor from Temora, posted a square round and so it looked like plus 1 would be the high water mark for the day.
Then from nowhere the South Sydney tragic, Michael Dellaca, swooped in with a plus 4 to take the prize.
Michael had a 43/41 split which is his best round in living memory. His back nine of plus 3 would have been enough to easily win the day’s event by itself.
There was talk that ASADA was in town and there would be some sampling done.
The Nearest The Pins on Saturday were – the Idlerite Tyrepower 1st not won, the Griffins Leading Edge 4th by Rob Hey at 452cm, the Parkes Ready Mixed Concrete 9th by Blake Parker at 21cm, the Harvey Norman 11th by Phil Bishop at 157cm and the Parkes Security Storage 17th by Aaron Gaffey at 177cm.
The Money Hole was won by Aaron Gaffey at 177cm.
Ball winners were – Alan Rees, Myles Smith, Peter Bristol +1, Josh Riley 0.
This Sunday Parkes will be represented at the Lachlan Valley Pennants and Championship event in West Wyalong.
This is the showcase for the Lachlan Valley’s best players to compete and PGC has a solid No1 side with young guns Blake Parker and Jack Matthews leading the 6 person side attempting to take out the Pennant.
We have 4 pennants sides and 2 veterans and a junior side representing so will be aiming to maximise the trophy pick-up against the strong Forbes and Condobolin line-ups.
This weekend is an 18 Stableford sponsored by Parkes Real Property.
The Michael Richardson Memorial trophy is in conjunction, as well as the 2nd round of Handiskins.
The All In competition 2nd round is on for those eligible.
VETERANS GOLF
By BARRY SHINE
Rain has caused problems this week with no play in twin towns vets golf on Thursday, but all is not lost as weather predictions are good for the coming week. Thursday 18 degrees, and rain not predicted.
Despite cancellation on Thursday in Forbes there was a positive for the Parkes reps in the twin towns shield who have had problems getting the better of the scoreline recently as the result was naturally nil-all.
We, Parkes and Forbes players, can keep the challenge going by playing on Thursday with nominations from 9am for a 9.30am start over the testing Parkes course.
After Parkes, on Thursday-week the Lachlan Valley Association will be conducing their monthly competition at West Wyalong which received glowing comments after their recent Open Tournament.
There is certainly something for all veteran golfers looking for hit.
There is always friendly comment in vets golf, one of the best heard can be attributed to one of the more supportive players from Forbes.
“Now listen here,” he said. “There will be no whinging today, I will do enough for all of us. Understand.” Barry ‘Scadger’ Parker said.
We all love playing with you ‘Scadger’, any time at any venue. A champion ‘leftie’ in all company.
We have this from the Forbes’ Fearless Frank Hanns. “I’ve done something Johnno (Betland) will never do, That’s win consecutive C grade championships and it would have been three except for Covid.” Another talented ‘leftie’.