Pair make it through

BRAD Crowley and Ben Taylor won their way through to this weekend’s 36-hole final of the Brian Balcombe Matchplay championship after winning their semis at Cardinia Beaconhills on Saturday.
In B Grade, good friends Peter Frederickson and Peter Lockman will go head to head, while Ralph Lowden and Wayne Johnson will have an interesting tussle in C grade. More than 100 players competed in Saturday’s stableford, which saw Wayne Ball (nine) come out on top in A Grade, after scoring 43 points, including a hole in one on the 15th.
Ball won on a countback from Nick Jones. Bob Priestley (12) won B Grade with 43 points and Paul Carroll (21) won C Grade with 40 points. Sunday’s stroke competition was won by Matt Cornthwaite (12), with a nett score of 65.
Meanwhile, Matt Coates (10) won the Labour Day stableford with 42 points. Tuesday’s stableford winner was Ian McLean (14) with 44 points, while runner-up Daryl Ottoway (eight) had 42 points.
The Phoenix Plate was established as an event after Ash Wednesday in 1983. It was donated ‘in gratitude and friendship’ by a group of lady members who had lost their homes in the fires.
In the 2011 contest on Wednesday, Cora Shovelton (33) won with 38 points. Jenny Chandler was most excited in having her first hole in one on the 11th and she also took out the A Grade pro pin. What a double.
A Grade player Ross Edwards (15) won Thursday’s stableford with 42 points. Dieter Voigt (22) won the B Grade with 41 points.
There was a great turnout for the club auction, which is the major fundraising event of the year, on Saturday night.
Thanks to all who donated or purchased items, and volunteered their time to contribute.