Round 6 and Season Pennant Wrap – Sunday, 21 August
Round 6 saw Brisbane Golf Club take on Keperra at their track, which is notoriously hard to win at. We were looking at going through the season undefeated, only having been done the once prior…by BGC in 2018. To achieve this feat we were going to have to be on our games, but unfortunately Keperra got the win 12/9. Having said that, the BGC lads gave it a red hot crack and there were a number of matches that could have gone either way.
Before we get into a full season wrap, let’s celebrate Round 6 winners.
Opens 3.5/7.5:
This was not the way the Opens would have wanted to finish their season but they can hold their heads high as 7 of these matches went to the 17th. Craig Mahon showed the fighting spirit to come from 3 down and halve his match. Dylan Barraclough showed great poise, especially after a Hillary on the first hole, to post a 2&1 win. Ilija Soldan also was 3 down, only to stage a great comeback for a half…we won’t talk about that last putt mate😉. Sam Howes fought all the way for a gripping half point. John Smoljko had another day out with a 5&3 win which meant John was undefeated for the 5 games that he played. Truly a great effort and definitely deserving of the Ron Chopper award.
Juniors 3.5/1.5:
The Juniors, unbeknownst to them prior to play, needed to win in order to secure their Division 1 title. These boys did what they have done all season, played like a team of winners. Justin McCormack finished the season as he started, with a strong 5&4 win. Chase Oberle put last week’s disappointment behind him to win a close one 1up. Campbell Kerr again was in a hurry to be somewhere, dispatching his opponent 6&5. Campbell, like John in the Opens, was undefeated for the 5 games that he played…a tremendous achievement Campbell! Demos Drakos showed the fighting spirit we have come to expect with a half a point from his match.
Masters 2/3:
The Broken Old Blokes were looking to gain maximum points against the team that would end up winning the Masters flag for 2022. Unfortunately it was not to be and walked off disappointed but proud of the way they handled themselves throughout the season. Eugene Estella finished the season with a hard fought 1 up win. Ian Burgess, who from all reports is a great accountant, didn’t do so well on the second last hole when he miscounted the score. It didn’t affect him though as he holed a spectacular chip shot, reminiscent of a particular Pacific chip, to score a well deserved 2up win.
Regardless of the result at Keperra, it was going to be a day of celebrations as Brisbane Golf Club had mathematically won the Division 1 Pennant the week prior, but after Sunday’s result it was official…BGC had won the 2022 Division 1 Pennant…the Flag is Returning! An outstanding achievement from the whole team and a well deserved win!
Not only did Brisbane Golf Club win the overall Division 1 Pennant, but both Opens and Junior teams won their respective Flags for Division 1 this year! This is an unbelievable achievement for both teams. On an historical note, we are pretty sure that the last time Brisbane Golf Club won an Open Team Division 1 flag was in 1940…that’s a lot of players between drinks. I’m sure Lloyd Cotterill is looking through his books now and if you find something different Lloyd please let us know.
The Opens saw 16 players used throughout the season and every player gave their all to win as many points on the day as possible. This group of individuals truly came together as a team with every one of them, who didn’t have prior commitments, turning up to the match even if they weren’t selected on the day. That is a team spirit right there.
The Juniors, what can we say about this group of young men…they are outstanding humans! Not only did they engage with all teammates, they conducted themselves honourably, played hard and with the right spirit, but the comradery that these boys showed to each other was fantastic to watch. They grew as players, they grew as teammates…and I swear Campbell grew another inch in these last 6 weeks…now their reputation has grown for winning their Division 1 flag. BGC can be proud of these players, I know the whole team is proud of them and their achievements. One standout that should be mentioned here is Kal Spanner, who turned up every week with clubs ready in case he got the call up. He didn’t end up playing a game this year, but we look forward to seeing Kal again in years to come.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the Masters because, let’s face it, they really are the backbone of the side…maybe slightly hunched, but they are the leaders of the team and something to aspire to…ok, maybe a bit too far, but you know what I mean. It was a privilege to play with these gents and we all did what we could to help everyone. There is always next year for our flag.
Season Wrap:
At the start of the season we did not know what to expect given we had not played a full season of Pennants since 2019. Thoughts to Al Grieve who missed his chance during his Captaincy…thank you RONA! But I digress…Throw in Mother Nature, a change in Club Championships dates, and all courses having some sort of issues, it was a season that meant we had to prepare for anything. A lot goes into pulling together a minimum of 21 players each week, but with COVID still ever present, it was decided that we needed extra to cover last minute withdrawals. Believe it or not, we needed this almost every week, with a first reserve playing 4 out of the 6 rounds. In the end we had 29 different players earn their caps in 2022…and it wasn’t because everyone gets a game, this isn’t under 10’s Auskick.
Pennants golf is unique in that you get 21 individuals, in this case 29, and try to create a team culture of support and being there for everyone. The old saying goes “there is no I in team”…but there is a me in Sturmer 😊. Anyway, this team of individuals came together better than we could have hoped and they ended up with a well deserved flag. The standout moment for mine was a comment made by Dave Raman, that not 30 minutes after he sends out the team notification email, he has phone calls asking who needs a caddy from those that missed out on selection. That is what teams do, not individuals.
There are so many people that deserve a massive thank you as they are so much a part of this team and its achievements.
To start with, a panel of 3 made the sometimes difficult decisions each week. Dave Raman, Greg Mitchell, and Joe Janison made sure we had the best teams possible each week…and as it turned out, we did. Greg Mitchell is now affectionately known as the Professional Cat Herder as he took on the Manager role and manage he did, with everything running smoothly from a player/match perspective. Dave Raman was not far behind as the Player Whisperer as he was the main point of contact for players throughout the season…bet he won’t be next year.
Parents, not just of the Juniors but of the Opens who still live at home…we know who you are, should be very proud of your sons and more so for how they conducted themselves. There was not a bad word to say about these boys throughout the season, on or off the course. We are truly honoured to have your sons play for BGC and you should be very proud of their achievements this year…we certainly are. This year would not have been possible without the support you have given. THANK YOU!
It is always nice to see familiar faces at away games, and there were supporters who would make the journey every week to watch, score, caddy, or just smile and wave. The two Mikes, Murphy and Orfanellis, as well as our own Superintendent Dave Mason and wife Tash, attended every away game so thank you for taking the time out of your lives to support the team. To all the other spectators who watched from the course, and those that watched virtually via Facebook and Instagram, thank you for the support.
And finally, to The Brisbane Golf Club and its Members thank you! For the words of encouragement, allowing us 3 Sunday mornings to play, putting up with a bit of celebratory noise after each round…and especially last Sunday. We hope the team has done you proud this year and we look forward to the title defence in 2023.
