Despite sharing today’s first prize, Wazza looked for a while a bit like Blighty last week at the round after party.
Before regrouping with a big winners smile for the photo, Wazza was looking more than a touch disappointed with his finish over the final two holes that cost him outright victory.
Indeed, if this was a tournament on the telly (and Andrew V and Wazza were in the same group – which they weren’t, Andrew V was in Group 1 and Wazza in Group 3) the leaderboard would have shown Wazza with a six-stroke lead standing on the 17th tee.
Wazza had played well all day, apart from wipes at the 6th and 9th and had clocked 38 points in his first 16 holes, including 3 x 4-pointers.
Having blown away the field to this point, both with his tee-to-green work and on the greens, Wazza’s nearest challenger, Andrew V was on 32 points after the 16th.
After banging another good tee shot down the 17th into what commentator Jack Newton used to call “the Mayor’s office”, Wazza somehow managed to take 7 for a wipe.
Meanwhile Andrew V, who confesses to doing some serious practice on his chipping and pitching lately (there is a rumour of paid professional help involved) floated a beautiful pitch to about 4 feet on the 17th and sunk the putt for a 4-point birdie. Andrew had earlier hit an even better pitch into a foot or so for a birdie on the 11th.
A four shot swing and Wazza’s lead is suddenly two on the 18th tee!
Andrew V then piled on the pressure with solid 3 for 3 par on the last. Wazza, after having a treacherous chip from the back of 18 to the bottom tier pin, managed to sneak it down to about 10 feet.
Perhaps not realising that 2 putts from there would be enough to win outright (the electronic scoreboard behind the 18th wasn’t working again today) Wazza gave the first putt a good run, just missing on the high side and then missed the one on the way back!
The end result, Andrew V and Wazza in joint first on 39 points. Congratulations gents, two great rounds. Not sure for Andrew V, but I think it might have been a PB for Wazza. Guessing it won’t be long before he beats it again.
And for Eclectic fans, as it happens, in a coincidence I bet has never happened before, or ever will in future, Andrew V and Wazza’s joint first scores propelled them to joint first in the eclectic – Wazza’s Eclectic improving from Gross 75 to 71 and Net 55.1 and Andrew V’s went from Gross 71 to 67 and Net 55.1. Gordo is not far behind on 55.5.
Targe like Andrew V also stormed home with 7 points in his last two holes to claim 2nd place on 36 points.
CJ, playing his 1,166th round for the club, had his putt for par on the 18th lip out and came off shaking his head mumbling that absolutely rare never before heard golfing epitaph, “what might have been” (or words to that effect). Earlier on the back 9 a couple of chips had lipped out and ….. we all know the story ….. left a few out there etc. etc.
He was happy enough to bank 3rd placed points in both the general Championship and the much more competitive harder to win Seniors Championship.
Gordo was on fire early with 5 x 3-pointers on the front 9, turning with 21 points. But he could only manage 12 points on the back and a share of 4th place with 33 points.
Porks matched Andrew V with two birdies on the back 9 (these were the only 4 birdies the field could manage). Porks 33 points was good enough for a share of 4th with Gordo, with the 2 Championship points enough to sneak him into his customary first place on the Championship leaderboard.
On any other day, the talk about Porks big hitting would have been his drive on the 11th that finished a few inches off the green, with his eagle putt very nearly going in. The drive actually clipped the trees on the way through, so Porks maybe over-clubbed there with a Driver.
Earlier on the 5th, Porks and his playing partners didn’t seem worried about teeing off while the group ahead, Targe, CJ, Dan, Kenny were putting out. That was until it came off the club like a rocket.
Targe remained calm over his putt as Porks ball rolled past him to about 10 feet from the back pin. There was a bit of confusion before Dan clarified that it was Porks ball from the tee. Of course he sunk the putt for the eagle 2 and the Eagles Nest.
Harry if you are off your bike yet over there at the Tour Down Under, how many bloody times has Porks won the Eagles Nest? Ditto the other regular culprits Brendon and Peps? There should be an Eagle Tax on those blokes. Maybe an eagle should be added to the list of crimes to buy a round for playing partners?
No eagles for Old Reliable Craig but he was in the points again despite his handicap being 3 strokes less than last week. His 32 points was good enough for 5th placed points in the main championship, but like Gordo, he missed out on the harder to get Seniors points.
Steve, Nalin, Ken and Dan didn’t have their best days.
Steve’s finished with one of unluckiest bounces I have ever seen on the 18th. A good tee shot hit the ground just a bit short of the green on a good line to the front pin and I thought with a good bounce this is going to be very very close.
However, there was a big metallic bang and the ball jumped high in the air and about 30 metres to the right and back down the hill. It had hit a grate that wasn’t sitting flat and the effect was like bouncing off a trampoline in the wrong direction.
One of the stragglers didn’t make it into the 20’s with his score and was a clear NAGA with 18 points. He said he had more shanks than points and CJ confirmed this saying he had never seen a worse case since a time many years ago when Stewie Clark had a bad run with the shanks.
We like to be encouraging here on the blog, rather than name and shame, and so I won’t name names. Let’s just say I hope the good doctor finds some golfing medicine this week and comes back fit and firing next week. I will bet he is in the points next time he plays.
NTPs were Jackpot for Propin money on the 4th. CJ “ball” on the 15th and Porks on 18.
Results for Saturday, 17 Jan 2026
1st Warren Capes (39) 1st Andrew Vogan (39) 2nd Targe Mifsud (36) 3rd Chris Priems (34) 4th Gordon Hill (33) 4th Ryan Porker (33) 5th Craig Cameron (32)
Seniors Results: 1st Andrew Vogan (39) 2nd Targe Mifsud (36) 3rd Chris Priems (34)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin – 4th Jackpot BallPin No 1 – 15th Chris Priems BallPin No 2 – 18th Ryan Porker
Eagle’s Nest Results: Eagle – 5th Ryan Porker