17 Mar 2023 | Amateur golf |
ADF turns tables on GA team
by Contributor
A highly credentialled Australian Defence Force (ADF) golf team put the Golf Australia Victoria team to the sword at Sorrento Golf Club today 14 – 10.
It was the 33rd playing of this event which was originated by the Victorian Golf Association in 1991, with Victoria having won on 22 occasions to the ADF’s 10.
Played over two days in Ryder Cup format it consists of the top eight players from the Victorian Seniors men’s Order of Merit (over 55s) plus the No. 1 women’s senior, the current Victorian men’s and women’s champions and a captain’s pick.
The ADF team is made up of players from the combined services of the Army, Navy and Air Force, consisting of 10 men and two women.
This year the ADF presented their strongest team in years with the combined handicaps of the 10 men being a total of 0.4, whilst the two women players were strong five-handicap players.
The ADF started strongly in the morning 4BBB, leading the Vic team by four matches to two, but Victoria fought back in the afternoon foursomes matches to win them 3.5 to 2.5. giving the ADF a slim 6.5 to 5.5 lead going into the Friday singles.
The singles is played as a seeded draw by handicap which saw young ADF physical instructor from the Brookwater GC in Queensland Maddy Coster defeat well credentialled Victorian senior Guy Krall.
Midway through the morning the ADF looked to an early win leading in nine of the 12 matches.
A fightback from the Vics saw their No.1 Jamie Lavender play some solid golf to win 1 up at the last along with Simon Bracegirdle who can from three down to go three under for the last six holes and win 3 and 2.
But the ADF wave of quality performances was just too strong and even-par was just not good enough to win a match.
The Paul Lulofs Medal for the outstanding Victorian went to Helen Pascoe who was the only undefeated player.
The ADF’s best performer, the Daryl Bell Medal went to the pure-swinging Rod Smylie.
The ADF team go to Rosebud Country Club on Monday and Tuesday to play an Australian Senior team over the same Ryder Cup Style format.