Van Noord snatches Tamar honours

LAUNCESTON Golf Club’s Mitch Van Noord won the Tamar Valley Championship crown last weekend at Greens Beach. The 27-year-old defeated Ulverstone Golf Club’s Cameron Allen on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to capture the 2019 title. Van Noord returning scores of 74, 35 and 70, a two-over-par 45hole total of 179, while Allen carded rounds of 73, 37 and 69. North West Bay’s Oscar Burrell placed outright third on four-over, one stroke ahead of Prospect Vale Golf Club’s Ronan Filgate in fourth on five-over. Burrell took out the junior championship by five strokes ahead of Tasmania Golf Club’s Dylan Backhouse on nine-over-par. TOURING Professionals Simon Hawkes and Mathew Goggin were in action last week at the Emirates Australia Open in Sydney. Hawkes was the best performed of the Tasmanians at The Australian Golf Club finishing at seven-over-par. The 30-year-old former Victorian Open champion and Royal Hobart Golf Club member carded rounds of 76 and 73, a total of 149. While Goggin, who also hails from the Royal Hobart club, was a further three strokes back on 10-over 152 after carding scores of 78 and 74. Unfortunately, the pair missed the cut for the weekend rounds which was set at oneunder the card. A GROUP of 28 lucky club golfers got to play The Australian in Australian Open tournament conditions last Saturday, and two are heading to Europe as a result. Golf Australia’s Play 9 competition is in its third year, with the winning qualifiers from each state strutting their stuff after the third round of the Emirates Australian Open. Ian Armer Jr, from Finley Golf Club in NSW (17 points) and Chelsea Murkins, from Windaroo Lakes Golf Club in Queensland (24 points) were the winners. They graduate to play in the 2020 nine-hole challenge hosted by the R&A at Royal St George’s in England. In the women’s competition, Riverside Golf Club’s Kim Filear placed second with 17 points while Kingston Beach’s Elaine Jackett tied for eighth on 14 points.