Old Boys finish on top
Typical spring conditions greeted golfers — warm and windy — but with finals places up for grabs in the final round of Premier League, big scores were expected.
The winner of Old Boys and Bush Whackers would secure top spot on the ladder, and it was Old Boys who continued their excellent form to take a comfortable 142 to 124 win.
Old Boys were lead by Barry Barlow and Dan Wade with 36 points each, with Brian Dixon and Don Alexander scoring 35 each.
Bush Whackers’ best was Jill Jeffrey with 35 points, and while the remaining scoring was consistent it simply did not meet the usual high standard of Bush Whackers, with Pete Seely and Robin Hood scoring 20 and two other players returning 29 as the fourth score.
The Old Boys have quietly moved themselves into premiership favouritism over the last three rounds, while back-to-back losses for Bush Whackers will have them concerned ahead of the knockout finals in two weeks.
The winner of COVID-8 and Hit & Hope would secure a finals berth.
Hit & Hope were missing their most consistent scorer Leigh Chappell for the season, but secured the return of Jim Poka jnr to the course for the first time since round two.
Hit & Hope’s team score of 136 was competitive, lead by Thomas Bult with an outstanding 42 points, and Poka returning 35, Nick Metcalfe 30 and Lachie Campbell 29.
COVID-8 had given themselves their best chance of a good score with all eight players on course and the strategy perhaps proved the difference scoring 138 points to take a two point win.
David Grant and Albert Liebenberg each scored 37 points for their side, with Ross Taylor 35 and Adam Wettenhall 29.
The win saw COVID-8 secure third place on the ladder, while Hit & Hope waited on the result of the Eagles & Birdies versus Wedgies match.
They needed an upset win by the Wedgies, but that wasn’t to be.
Knowing a win would secure a finals berth, Eagles & Birdies never gave the Wedgies a chance scoring a competition season high 152 points defeating the Wedgies’ 137.
Mandy Phyland lead Eagles & Birdies with an outstanding 42 points, with Felicity McCalman 38, and Grace Tiri 37. The fourth score was taken from a group of three players who each scored 35 points.
Wedgies were lead by captain Vince Kelly with 40 points, with Gary Rodda and Geoff King scoring 33 each and Kathy Simpson 31.
TaylorMaids saved their best to last with a 149 to 128 win over The Crackers.
Jane Armytage scored 40 points for the winners, with great support from Shandra Simpson 38, Ali Ferguson 37 and two other players returning 34.
The Crackers’ Jane Glowrey gave her side a chance with 41 points, but scores fell away badly with 32, 29 and 26 points scored by Wendy Pekin, Anita Gorsuch and Rose Nevinson respectively. The win lifted TaylorMaids off the bottom of the ladder.
In the final match, WOTAM and Water Wizards played a draw scoring 138 points apiece.
Geoff Corboy was best for WOTAM with 37 points, with Ashley Hall 36, Kev Reeves 35 and Billy Bourke 30.
Dylan Osborne led all scorers and the Wizards side with 40 points, with Anne Bull 35, Will Bull 32 and two other players returning 31 making up the fourth score.
Incredibly this was the third draw in as many weeks in the competition, with the result relegating WOTAM to the wooden spoon — a result no-one saw coming at the season start.
Final Ladder:
1. Old Boys – 32 pts; 108%; 2. Bush
Whackers – 28 pts; 102%; 3. COVID-8 - 24 pts; 101%; 4. Eagles & Birdies – 20 pts; 104%; 5. Hit & Hope – 18 pts; 100%; 6. Water Wizards – 14 pts; 98%; 7. The Crackers – 14 pts; 96%; 8. TaylorMaids – 10 pts; 99%; 9. The Wedgies – 10 pts; 97%; 10. WOTAM – 10 pts; 95%.
The knock out finals series starts with semi finals on Saturday, November 6. Old Boys will play Eagles & Birdies; and Bush Whackers v COVID-8.
The winners progress to the grand final on Saturday, November 13.