Curlewis News

2009 KFC/Pizza Hut Curlewis Pro Am Tournament Results - Written by Graeme Walsh (Geelong Advertiser)

New Zealand youngster Dale Clarke made the perfect start to his life as a professional golfer, sharing the spoils in the $10,000 Curlewis Pro-Am.

Clarke, who only turned pro late last week, tied with Victorian Craig Scott to share the $3,000 winner's cheque after both shooting a five under par 67.

It was the second straight year that joint winners had won the event. The inaugural Pro-Am in 2008 saw a four way tie.

The event was Clarke's first tournament as a professional and he was delighted to drive back to Melbourne, where he is based, $1500 richer.

Clarke, who comes from Whangarei, about two hours north of Auckland, took advantage of the calm morning conditions to fire seven birdies and two bogies in his round. He was five under after 12 holes, but only had two pars in his last six holes. "My putter just went a bit cold," Clarke said.

"It was good for the first 12 holes. The greens were really nice. It was a really good lay-out and I think a lot of the guys enjoyed it".

Clarke narrowly missed winning his Australasian PGA Tour card at last month's qualifying school and plans to spend the year playing events on the secondary Von Nida Tour and the Queensland Pro-Am circuits.

He will also return to his homeland in March and try and qualify for the NZ PGA Championship and the New Zealand. Scott, who finished tied for 38th at last year's Australian Open, also had seven birdies and two bogies in his round.

Teeing off in the afternoon group, Scott dropped shots on the 10th and 12th before consecutive birdies on the par five 14th and the par four 15th helped him finish in a tie with Clarke.

A shot back from that pair was Jeff Graham while former US PGA Tour member Euan Walters shot a 69. Just 14 Professionals from the field of 93 who teed it up broke par, including former Victorian Open winner Mike Clayton.

Professionals

Amateurs

NTP's

Drummonds Extravaganza Results

Nearest to Pins

Deyen Lawson wins 2008 Country Victorian Championships

Deyen Lawson from the Curlewis Golf Club has won the 2008 Victorian Country Championship following the second and final round played at the Long Island Country Club on Tuesday September 30th.

The 17-year-old Geelong District Team member fired a  closing round of one-over 73 for a two round total of three-under-par 142 to win by one stroke from current Victorian Amateur Champion Leighton Lyle (Shepparton) on 143. Lyle closed with an even-par round of 72.

Former Victorian State Team member and two-time Country Champion, Steve Symons (East Geelong) finished third, a further three-strokes behind on 146 after a final round of 72.

Under sunny skies but with a strengthening southerly wind making scoring difficult for the second successive day, Lawson made a tentative start. Beginning at the 10th, the overnight leader   dropped strokes on two of his opening five holes. However a birdie at the 378-metre 15th steadied the round and solid pars lead to an outward nine of one-over 37.

The Championship had essentially become a race in two as the players entered the final nine with Lawson leading by three strokes. Playing in the group immediately in front of Lyle, the Geelong youngster looked to have sealed the title with a birdie at the 355-metre first. A birdie by Lyle at the second to reduce the gap was returned three holes later when Lawson birdied the par-five fifth. After both players bogeyed the long sixth back into the breeze, Lyle continued to challenge with a birdie at the 7th.

A further dramatic turn then took place on the 310-metre eighth, where a bogey by Lawson followed by a birdie to Lyle saw the margin reduce to a single stroke.  With Lyle looking on from the tee, Lawson found the edge of the green at the tricky 130-metre ninth but faced a long 20 metre putt across the green.

Reflecting later, Lawson said “I was even thinking about chipping it, because I couldn’t see how I could putt it close. A play-off loomed as Lawson’s approach putt slipped three-metres past the hole. Demonstrating his reputation as an excellent putter and drawing on the confidence of needing just 25 putts at Commonwealth in the opening round, Lawson holed what turned out to be the winning putt.

When Lyle also parred the hole, Lawson became the second 17-year-old in succession after Heathcote’s Kris Mueck in 2007 and the 64th player overall to claim the Victorian Country Golf crown.

After taking up golf at the age of ten at nearby Bellarine Lakes through the encouragement of his grandfather Ian Adams, Lawson has been a junior member at Curlewis for the past four years and is largely self taught. “I play a bit with Matt Herberton, who’s a trainee at Sanctuary Lakes, but I generally figure things out for myself. I video my swing occasionally to see what it looks like, but that’s about it,” he commented after the second round.

A year 11 student at Newcombe Secondary College, Lawson brought good form into the Championship, having recently won the Lonsdale Open Amateur and the Portsea Junior Open as well as being a member of the Victorian Secondary Schools Team earlier in the year. “I’m working at two part-time jobs at the moment at Coles and B.P. so I haven’t even had a chance to practice. Still I came into the event with some expectation after playing well in the lead-up tournaments,” he said.

As with many talented juniors, Lawson has an ambition on a playing career in golf but not until his secondary studies are completed. “I’m an OK student and will finish Year 12. After that I’d like to take 12 months off and get more serious about my golf, perhaps even apply to get into the VIS Golf Program.”

Men's Championship Results

Ladies Championship Results

Veterans Championship Results

Veterans Champion - Geoff MacDonald

Curlewis Junior Open;

In fine, albeit chilly conditions, the inaugural Curlewis Junior Open was played on Friday 4th January at the Curlewis Golf Club.

The Open attracted a field size of 64 players, including both boys and girls, from 34 different Golf Clubs which included Commenwealth, Victoria, Woodlands, Cobden and as far as Rich River in Echuca.

The Open, sanctioned by the VGA as part of the Geoff Ogilvy trophy, brought a high class field consisting of Junior State Squad players William Hume, Deyen Lawson and Tyson Zeinstra.

It was however Nick Roper from Commonwealth Golf Club who upstaged his fancier rivals and clinched the Curlewis Junior Open with a countback win over two locals, James Eccles (13th Beach) and Deyen Lawson (Curlewis). Nick who played a round, that included 5 birdies, shot an even par 72.

The Curlewis Nett Champion was won by 12 year old Oliver Briggs who, playing off 18, shot a fabulous nett score of 62 and will see his handicap come rocketing down. In second place Woodlands member Rene Bothof-Whitehead outlasted a number of players to have a nett score off 65 playing off a handicap of 19.

In the Boys’ under 16 section, Jerome Maranovic (13th Beach), fired a low round of 76, to take the title over Kooringal member Jessie Taylor, on countback. In the Boys’ under 14 section, Ben Eccles went one better than his older brother and brought home victory with a score of 78.

In the Girls’ open section it was a runaway win by Rachel fisher (Northern) who with a score of 83, playing off a handicap of 12, finished twelve strokes clear of her closest rival Amanda McColl (Kooringal) who finished with a score of 95.

Results from the Curlewis Junior Open:

Special mention to Rob Braddley and his groundstaff who consistently provide outstanding playing conditions for the players, the Club heard nothing but praise in regards to the course from all the players and parents. The Club would also like to thank the Curlewis Junior Open sponsor, Drummond Golf Geelong, who provided the wonderful prises, and all the players and parents who supported the event.