STC Final Matches v Indooroopilly – a 8.5/3.5 win and the 2025 premiership!

Yesterday the magnificent BGC Senior Teams Challenge oldies wrapped up their season with a 4.5/1.5 win in the return match with Indooroopilly at Brisbane for an 8.5/3.5 overall win in the final. What a great day of golf. Once again the early going indicated that the teams were evenly matched with a slight edge to BGC. Early on the back nine things really tightened up with three matches square, two one or two up and another two down. As the matches headed for the business end of the day, Brisbane, as it has done all season, rose to the occasion and closed out four matches to guarantee a win and the 2025 premiership.

This is BGC’s first STC premiership in my 11 years of being involved and one very well deserved by a group of champion players who have formed a very tight playing group this year.  The season started with the knowledge that we would be without our number one player over the last few years in Stephen Deane (who was overseas on holiday for the first two months). I felt that this would make it difficult for us to improve on last year’s result, but I didn’t count on the inclusion of two new singles players to the club in Peter Hargreaves and youngster, Mark Davis, and new team member Clint Auty.  What a trio they proved to be! As well as this, our tried and true players in Ian Burgess, Peter Lansom and Peter Martin also had some impressive singles results to ensure we only lost one match all season, and that was an unlucky one at Gailes when we went down 3.5/2.5. The 4bbb players had a good season too with a lot of wins resulting.

All matches yesterday were against the same opponents as on Tuesday at Indooroopilly.

Here are the match reports:

1. Our new marquee player, Peter Hargreaves was up against Gary McNamara and it was important for Peter to apply the pressure early to McNamara, whose game was out of sorts against him two days earlier. This Peter did in the style that he has become renowned for. Peter has been our bankable player this year and yesterday was no exception. He was square with McNamara after four holes and from there put his foot down to win four of the next six holes to be four up after ten holes. On the tricky 20th hole (the 12th hole played) he played a really solid second shot to the middle of the green (one of the very few players to hit this green all day with a host going through the back). This took him to five up and from there he held that margin until the match was over on the 14th green 5/4. Peter, you are a consummate match player

2. Mark Davis shaped up again against Mike Salisbury. The match was evenly balanced and all square after four holes. A few wayward pulls from Mark gave Salisbury the ascendancy to be two up after 11. From there Mark continued to battle his right to left flight and in the end went down 4/3. After six really good match wins in a row Mark, you were due to have a less than ideal round. A great debut season none-the-less…

3. Ian Burgess squared up against the very likeable Dean Harford. Harford, who hits a long ball like Ian, chose to hit a lot of drives with his three wood and I took this to be a sign that he wasn’t totally comfortable with his big stick. Burg was one up after four and maintained that margin through to the 8th hole.  He lost the 20th hole (12th hole played) for the match to go back to all square, so the battle was on in earnest. At this point Ian stood up and won two of the closing five holes for a 2/1 crucial win. Well done Ian, what a good match player you have become

4. Peter Lansom once again had to give his opponent, Ken Ormiston, one handicap shot (on the tricky 8th). Peter started really well to take a two up lead after four holes. Ormiston used his handicap to win the 8th to be only one down at that stage. From there Peter kicked in to overdrive to win the 9th and 10th. He played solid golf from there to close out the match on the 16th 3/2. Peter, your season has just got better and better – some great wins

5. Richard Garnham and Craig James faced off again against the very likeable pair in Ross Thompson and the long hitting Stephen Hughes, in the first 4bbb match. Craig wasn’t very happy with Rich lowering his handicap after his good Wednesday comp round so the BGC pair had to give IGC three and four handicap shots respectively. After losing on the 18th green in unfortunate circumstances to this pair two days earlier, BGC were really fired up to reverse the outcome. After four holes BGC was one up and this was extended to two up after eight. Neither Craig nor Rich were playing their usual standard of golf but combining well enough to keep their nose in front. After 15 holes the lead was back to one when Craig hit a great shot 15 feet from that pin but a slight misread meant the birdie putt just lipped out. The putts weren’t dropping for the Brisbane pair such that they lost the 16th hole to a seven (you heard that right!). All square. Both teams had their chances to win the match over the next two holes but neither could do it so  an all square result occurred on the 18th. A good battle by Craig and Richard but I imagine you would be a bit disappointed that you left a few shots out there

6. The final 4bbb match was Peter Martin (low marker) and Clint Auty (two handicap shots) against Geoff Ward (four shots) and Glen Corder (five shots). Marto and Clint were very motivated to reverse the outcome of Tuesday’s loss to this pair with the knowledge that they had to give an extra shot handicap to one of their opponents. They came out of the gate firing and took a two hole lead on the fifth tee. After ten holes they maintained that lead and, although Marto was slightly off his game (compared to his superlative recent form), Clint was playing outstanding golf highlighted by birdies on 14 and 15 and from there they hung on for a one up win on the 18th green. What a great season these two guys have had

So, the 2025 season is over and what a season it has been. We had three players go through the season undefeated: Peter Hargreaves (player of the year) seven wins and 8 points from 9 possible, Darryl Stuckey three wins from three and 3 out 3 points, and Andrew Mullis three wins and one half giving 3.5 points out of 4. Other great results were: Richard Peacock 4 points from a possible 5, Mark Davis 7 points from 9, Peter Martin 8.5 from 11, Clint Auty 7/10, Rob Brown 4.5/6, Ian Burgess 7/10, Craig James 4.5/7, Geoff Crozier 2.5/4 and Richard Garnham 5/8.

Once again thank you to the supporters who came out to cheer the players on yesterday: Rob Strutt (caddy of the year), Geoff Crozier, Geoff Moore, Richard Peacock, Peter White, Stephen Muncey, Deb Kember, Julie Brown, Darryl Stuckey, Geoff Holding, David Ramon, Greg Wright and Ian Brereton. Also, to the Yalumba Long Lunch people at the back of the 18th green and balcony, thank you. Dean Castrisos, I hope you can get the red wine out of your shirt and coat!

Thank you to Peter Castrisos and David Prince for giving me some rules interpretations on the day after my urgent phone calls to you.

To Gillian Hirst, once again you put on a fantastic after game fare. It makes us, the BGC STC team members, so proud to be a part of this wonderful golf club.

Over the year, a huge thank you to Geoff Kuhner for his outstanding support of STC golf and to Julie Brown and Geoff Crozier, thank you for your much appreciated proofreading skills.

Sayonara

Brownie

Pinkies for everrrrrrrr!!!