Open win magic for Trickey
GUN local golfer Simon Trickey claimed his maiden Barwon Valley Open on Saturday, holding out David Foster by four strokes.
Trickey started his tournament in a blaze of glory, registering birdies on two of his opening three holes, and managed a first round score of twounder 68 to send a warning to his competitors.
His opening round was followed by a two-over 72, giving him an even-par 140 across the two rounds.
Trickey admitted he tried to not think too much about his scorecard on Saturday and instead focused on being in the moment as he picked up his first trophy at Barwon Valley.
“The key is just trying to keep the nerves at bay and not looking at the scorecard too much or thinking about what other guys are doing,” Trickey said.
“You just try to do what you do well and try to maintain a good swing and a good tempo, and then hit your fairways and hit the greens and hopefully make your putts along the way.
“Over a 36-hole event your concentration can drain a little bit here and there so you have just got to keep yourself focused and on the job and if you know your own game as well you don’t try to take too much on.”
The open tournament was the highlight of a successful weekend for Barwon Valley, who ran several events across the weekend.
Trickey, who nearly managed a hole-in-one on his third hole of the day, paid tribute to the ground staff for having the course in the condition it was.
“I was about a foot away from holing out on the third but it was just very steady on the front nine in that first round,” he said.
“The course itself was probably in as good a condition as I have seen it over the years.
“I have been playing there since I was a junior in tournaments and it is as good as I have seen the greens play and the course itself, condition wise, is great.”
Trickey’s victory continued a strong season after winning the Inverleigh Open earlier in the year, but he said he will take a break after the Lorne Open later this month.
“For the amount of golf I have played, which has been very limited since pennant season, the form has been quite good,” he said.
“Maybe that is the trick, to not put any pressure on yourself and just get there and play. You don’t expect to shoot the lights out but if you do it is a bonus.”