MATTHEW Staines could go down in history as Griffith’s best golfer ever after winning his tenth club championship in 11 years at the weekend.
Back at the 19th with John Bortolazzo
MATTHEW Staines is fast becoming the most talented and dominant golfer ever on the local scene after taking out his 10th club championship in eleven years.
He cruised to an easy win in the final two rounds of the Dom's Motors sponsored event and took the title by twelve shots over Jason Magoci.
Staines is well on track to overtake club legend Ron Crowe who won countless titles, including one in every decade spanning 50 years.
There are not enough superlatives to describe Staines' ability, results speak for themselves as he has won every other scratch event at the club at least once and has also featured in NSW Open events.
The championship appears to be his for the taking for as long as he desires. His scratch total was 293, with rounds of 73-73-71-76, firing the only par round 71 on the Saturday.
Runner-up Jason Magoci found the form that eluded him the previous week, shooting one-over par 72 to put him equal second with Josh Stapleton who crashed when shooting a nine-over 80. Both had 230, but were still an unassailable 13 strokes in arrears.
Staines shot five-over-par 76 in the final round, with Magoci only making up one stroke, firing 75. Stapleton matched Staines' 76 to finish third.
Daniel Johns, editor of The Area News, became the news, taking out the A reserve championship with a four-round total of 325, six shots ahead of Gerry Cox on 331.
Going into the final round, Johns (162) held a slender one-shot lead over Gerry Cox and Neil Mahaffey (163).
Mahaffey fired 83, Johns 85 and Cox fell behind, crashing to 93. Mahaffey was on 246 going into Sunday's final round, one ahead of Johns on 247.
But Johns showed he had what it took to be a winner, holding his nerve to shoot seven-over par 78 in the final round, including a one-over-par 37 out. Mahaffey crashed out of contention, shooting 90 while Cox fired the best A reserve round of 75, but was too far back and finished second on 331.
Chris Scobie claimed the B Grade Championship, with a four-round total of 347, four ahead of joint runners-up Allan Andreazza and John Gale (351).
Going into the third round, Scobie with 256 led Gale (259) by three and Andreazza was well back on 265. Andreazza was best in the final round, shooting 86 and while Scobie shot 91, he had enough up his sleeve for the win, Gale fired 92.
Graham Kilby, with a four-round total of 373, won the C grade title by four strokes over Rod Farlow and diminutive junior Jake Harrison (377). Kilby (282) went into the final round two shots behind Damien Bell (280), but five ahead of Harrison and seven ahead of Farlow. Kilby held his nerve to shoot 91 in the final round. Farlow made up some ground shooting 88, while Bell had a dirty day, shooting 101. Harrison, who was also the leading junior, shot a solid 90, breaking 100 for each round.
Jason Magoci, 285 nett, won A grade handicap, coming from behind to push Jacob Curry into runner-up, 290 nett.
Daniel Johns, 289 nett, made it a double, also coming from behind to take out A reserve handicap over Tony Catanzariti, 290 nett.
Chris Scobie on 283 nett also won the B grade handicap, over John Gale who was runner-up on 287 nett. The two best nett scores in C grade were Luke Lasscock on 276 nett, just tipping out Jake Harrison, 277 nett.
This year's championships had the best support in over a number of years, with 350 players over the four rounds. Thanks to Dom's Motors for their sponsorship.
The event for members last Saturday was a single stroke with 97 players.
Jason Magoci fired one-over-par 72 to win A grade. He went out in par 36 and home in one-over par 36, canning birdies on the third, ninth and 15th to card 67 nett. Jason Bartlett 68 nett was runner-up, draining birdies on fifth, eighth and 16th, firing 79 .
Greg Bennett (65 nett) was B grade best, going around in 81 strokes, carding nine pars. Unlucky runner-up Alf Franchi, 66 nett, fired 80 off-the-stick, out in 39 with birdies on the sixth and ninth, but a double bogie on the 18th cost him, shooting 41 home.
Wayne Campbell (66 nett) was C grade's best, shooting 94 with four pars. Ryan Harrison (69 nett) was runner-up on a countback from Luke Lasscock, shooting 46 on each nine and draining a birdie on the ninth.
Matthew Staines (71) won the A grade scratch, Franchi (80) won B grade and John Bortolazzo (91) won C grade.
Pro Pins: eighth Dom Piromalli, 15th Matthew Staines, par three's to fourth Tony McBride, seventh Jason Brain, 11th Chris Scobie, 16th Dave Gandy. Vouchers to 71 nett.
Sunday's event was again a single stroke with 69 players.
Gerry Cox took out A grade with 66 nett, firing 75 off-the-stick, out in 40 then blitzed the back nine, shooting 35, draining a birdie on the 10th. Runner-up Laurie Corner went around in 80 strokes to card 69 nett.
Jim Dickie, 66 nett, was B grade's best, firing 83 off-the-stick with eight pars. Runner-up Wayne Tyndall, 68 nett, recovered from shooting 43 out to come home in 40, canning a birdie on the 18th.
The ever-improving Jake Harrison, 66 nett, was C grade's best, out in 46, in with 44 with five pars. Rod Farlow on 68 nett was runner-up, shooting 46 out and 42 in with three pars.
Cox won A grade scratch, Tyndall B grade, Farlow C grade.
Vouchers went to 71 nett.
The veterans' competition was washed out last Thursday and will resume tomorrow in its usual format.
There will be a working bee this coming Friday, October 19 commencing at 9.30am in the clubhouse to put together material for tournament players.
A reminder also that there will be the usual function commencing at 5pm on Sunday, October 21 for vets to get together and get all the week's tournament information.
Last Wednesday's pro comp was a 4BBB stableford with 43 players.
Wayne Henderson and Dino Battocchio combined to take the win with 51 points. They shot the lights out on the front nine, carding 30 points. Henderson was the hot player, canning a birdie on the ninth to go with four pointers on the second and sixth. Battocchio played better in their 21-point back nine. In a day of hot scores, runners-up Frank Hams and James Browne combined to card 48 points. Browne was hot to trot, canning birdies on the seventh and ninth in their 25-point front, nine out and 23 in.
In third place was Jim Dickie and Skeet Milne on 46 points. Each were equal contributors in their 23 points on each nine. Milne grabbed a four-pointer on the fourth, not scoring on the ninth did not help their cause.
Vouchers to 43 points. Today's event is a single stableford and also Think Pink Day for cancer. Tomorrow's event a single stableford, Saturday a versus par, Sunday a single stableford.
One of the year's major events, the Veterans Week of Golf, commences on Monday, October 22 with single events on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and a medley 4BBB stableford on Friday. Veterans are invited to play in the pro comp on Wednesday.
A reminder also of the Summer Sevens, due to commence shortly, enter by contacting the Pro Shop. An early reminder of the PHL Melbourne Cup Ambrose on November 6. All details from the club or Pro Shop.