By Colin MacGillivray

Horsham Golf Club officials are pleased with the success of the club’s 117th annual tournament, with more than 100 players registering on each of its four days.

The club hosted tournament events on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with a rest day on Friday.

Club captain David Lavithis said the format worked well, attracting a bigger field of entrants compared to last year.

“We had over 100 players every day. We had 128 on Saturday, and on the other three days we had between 100 and 110,” he said.

“We had visitors from all across Victoria and interstate. Most days we probably had at least 12 other clubs from across the state represented, which was great. It’s probably an improvement on previous years. There were more consistent entries across the four days.

“There were people who came for Wednesday and Thursday, then there was a rest day on Friday, and then we had other people come for Saturday and Sunday.

“It would’ve helped pump some money into the town’s economy, because a lot of those people were staying overnight and buying food in Horsham.”

Lavithis said a highlight was a hole-in-one by Kobus Van Zyl on the second hole on Saturday during a Texas Stableford teams event, earning himself a $100 coffee voucher from Naked Espresso.

The club also hosted nearest-the-pin competitions across all four days of the tournament on the eighth and 13th holes. Horsham’s Peter Hayes was the eighth hole winner, claiming more than $800 worth of power tools from sponsor Total Tools as his prize, while Steven Briggs was awarded a $350 voucher for 10 people at this year’s Horsham and District Racing Club Santa Day Races in December as the winner of the 13th.

Tournament winners were–

Wednesday: women’s competition, winners June Ayres and Donna Weller, 11 up, runners-up Kerry Henry and Barb Hawkins, seven up; men’s competition, winners Tony Greenberger and David Lavithis, 11 up; runners-up Chris Becker and Howard Schier, 10 up.

Thursday: women’s Stableford aggregate, winners Kerri Chamberlain and Donna O’Connor, 75 points, runners-up Lorraine Mitchell and Noela Hair, 73 on a countback; men’s Stableford aggregate, winners Craig O’Connor and Stephen Wik, 72, runners-up Brayden Culhane and Tony Nield, 69.

Saturday: women’s Texas Stableford, winners Helene Turvey, Fiona Kelly, Kerry Henry and Gill Phillips, 117, runners-up Tash Palmer, Barb Hawkins, Lisa Kennedy and Noela Hair, 114; men’s Texas Stableford, winners Barry Cross, Shane Cross, Anthony Cross and Chris Walsh, 136, runners-up Brad Hair, Alan Davies, Nick Smith and Tim Officer, 131.

Sunday: mixed Pinehurst, winners Claire Orcutt and Sam Leith, 67.375, runners-up Louise and Tony Nield, 68; two-person ambrose, winners Sarah and Greg Magor, 60.5, runners-up Lee McKenzie and Nathan McConnell, 63.

Lavithis said the club was now preparing to launch a new concept – the Wimmera Aquatrail Golf League, played weekly during football season in a premiership format.

Entries close on May 16, with the first round of competition on May 23. 

People can visit horshamgolfclub.com.au/events/wagl for more information or to register.

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