The 2025 Pennant Season is underway, and we’ll be bringing you all the latest results from our Royal Adelaide Golf Club teams right here. Each week, we’ll recap the matches, highlight standout performances, and celebrate the efforts of our players as they compete across all divisions. Stay tuned for updates as our teams strive for success on the course!
Simpson Cup Semi Final
Royal Adelaide 2.5 defeated by Glenelg 4.5 at The Vines
Report courtesy of Rod Philips.
RAGC’s Simpson Cup team qualified for the finals with 5 wins from its 7 minor round matches. Our only 2 losses were tight 4/3 defeats so we approached our match against Glenelg with some confidence having defeated them 5/2 earlier in the minor round.
Our tinkering with the order yielded the matchups we were seeking and having had a strong win at the Vines in Round 1 we were optimistic about our chances of a win.
Unfortunately, the early signs were not great with 4 of our 7 losing the first hole. Only our newly elevated #4 Alex Pacifico won the first hole. Alex went on to dominate his opponent with brilliant strokeplay and establish a 5 up lead after 6 holes. His seasoned veteran opponent fought back hard to get the match back to 1 up after 11 but Alex was not to be deterred and reasserted his position enroute to a convincing 3&2 win.
After being down early, our #7 Nathan Kent fought back against a player who he had formerly taught in his professional days and was 2up after 10. Nathan’s consistent iron play and solid putting kept him in the match, however the match was back to square after 14 holes. Nathan’s excellent drive and pinpoint wedge were enough to win the 15th and after securing 3 halves on his last 3 holes Nathan had won a very hard-fought point.
Michael Richardson at #6 played consistently early but had fallen behind after 6 holes. However a sensational bunker shot on 8 had Michael 1 up on the 9th tee. Unfortunately Michael could not maintain his front 9 consistency as he slipped to 3 down after 13 holes. Michael fought doggedly but could not wrest the lead back eventually going down 2&1
Matt Lawson at #5 was up against a very streaky player. Unfortunately his opponent had a day on and with Matt’s putter going a little cold, Matt found himself 4 down after 7 holes. Matt’s sublime short game skills were to the fore as he attempted to fight back, but he lost on the 17th hole.
At #3 Billy Cawthorne was involved in a titanic struggle with neither player able to establish a lead of greater than 1 hole.
Having won at 4 & 7, it became apparent that we needed 2 points from our top 3 matches if we were to get to the magic 4 points. The top 2 players for Glenelg had just been selected in SA men’s amateur team and were playing accordingly.
At number 1 Josh Grundel despite hitting the par five first hole in 2 and chipping in for birdie on the second found himself 1 down on the 3rd tee. His opponent continued to apply the pressure by not missing with the putter until the 6th green. Josh won the 8th hole but then lost the 9th to enter the back 3 down. Although he got back to 1 down after a couple of birdies, Josh also lost on the 17th.
So we needed both points at 2 and 3! Will Arnold at #2 was playing very well and using his power to great effect. However his opponent’s short game saw him win key holes. After 9 holes Will was 3 down and despite fighting hard on the back 9, Will found himself dormie 3 down on the 16th tee. A win on 16 saw his match go down 17 but that is where it ended as the ensuing half meant Will recorded a 2&1 loss.
At this point the #3 match was called off as a half meaning the final result was a disappointing 4.5/2.5 loss.
It was sad end to a day and season that promised so much.
The Simpson Cup team acknowledge the time and support shown by our caddies, RAGC supporters and family members.
The team made significant progress this season and are determined to keep working at the techniques and processes we instigated the season in the knowledge that our objective is within reach.
Sanderson Cup Semi Final
Royal Adelaide 1.5 defeated by Glenelg 3.5 at The Grange
Report to Courtesy of Vicki Jordan.
A courageous Sanderson Cup team led by our fearless Captain Sophie Hilditch fought hard for RAGC on Sunday.
Our team finished 2nd on the ladder after the minor rounds and hence took on Glenelg, who finished 3rd, at Grange on Sunday in perfect golfing conditions.
The team was facing an uphill battle, that we very nearly “pulled off”, playing without our number 1 and 2 players.
Stepping up to the mark for the first time at Sanderson Cup level was Kat De Silva who took her opponent to the 17th loosing 3 and 1.
Fiona Morrison, usually playing 1 for our Pike team, also fought with determination and passion going down 4 and 3.
Next to complete her match was Sophie playing 1 completed her match in convincing style with multiple birdies and winning 5 and 4.
The remaining 2 match went down to the wire.
Laura Birchmore playing in second position lost 2 and 1 playing outstanding golf as was her opponent.
Eliza Bartlett, in her highly competitive nature fought hard all day and managed to square her match.
The end result was a 3 1/2 to 1 1/2 loss and no ticket to the GF.
All RAGC members can be very proud of this team. Backs against the wall they never dropped their heads.
Anne Arnfield and I as managers of this team could not speak more highly of the teams efforts both at training and on the day.
Pike Cup Semi Final
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Kooyonga 4 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Ali White.
It was an excited group who met early on Sunday morning to play our semi-final against Kooyonga on their home turf.
Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort by all our players, we did not win to progress to the final, suffering a 1-4 loss.
Rachel Sweeney playing at number 1, fought hard but unfortunately lost her match.
Thank you to Pauline Morrison who stepped up from the A3’s to play number 2 for Pike this week. Despite a solid fight, she went down in her match.
Lily Harris played with her usual quiet determination, but lost her match on the 18th.
Adele Wang came up against a strong opponent and also went down.
Kate Cao played very good golf to be our only winning player on the day with a 4/2 victory.
Thank you to those who caddied for the players.
We’ve had a good season and although there will be disappointment at not playing in the final, all the players should be proud of their efforts and progress throughout the season.
Bonnar Cup Semi Final
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated by Glenelg 4 at Kooyonga
Report to courtesy of Randall Faull.
The Bonnar team semi-final against Glenelg at Kooyonga was a close and tense affair that was eventually decided in the last match on the 20th hole. We had gone into the match fairly confident as we had comfortably beaten Glenelg at the own course in the first round of the season.
We were led out by Hudson “Huddo” Haynes, who was 1 down early but squared his match on the 7th hole (actually the 8th at Kooyonga as the 3rd hole was out of play). He then put his foot down and moved steadily away to win 4/2. He has had a good season, and has played well against strong opposition (including teams’ usual 1 or 2 player on two occasions). After his match he raced off to the airport to represent South Australia in the Australian Junior championship. Congratulations and good luck!
Next out was Josh Barrett, fresh off captaining a premiership last week for East Torrens district cricket club. He fell behind early, and could not ever bridge the gap to eventually lose 2/1.
Cam Cordon played at 5, and was comfortably up early against an experienced player. His opponent then clawed his way back to be 1 up after 16. Cam then squared the match on 17, but unfortunately lost the 18th to lose 1 down. Cam has had a great season, winning 6 matches in the minor round, and consistently displayed great calmness and shot making under pressure.
Playing at 4 was Henry Perks, and he played with great consistency. He was not ever headed all day, although his opponent got back to square on more than one occasion. Coming down 17 Henry was 1 up, but his drive finished under a bush while his opponent was 20 metres ahead and on the fairway. Henry chipped out sideways, then left his 3rd just short of the green. His opponent then hit a flyer to finish 20+ metres past the flag and high up the hill behind the 17th green. His first shot remained on the hill, and he then hit a remarkable chip to about 4 feet. Henry got down in 2 (second putt about 5 feet) for a bogey, and then watched his opponent miss the 4 foot putt to win the match 2/1. Henry has had a very consistent season, but has been a bit frustrated to have 4 halved matches.
Louis Fuller played at 2, and met an opponent in great form. He watched 4 birdies in the first 7 holes, with a series of long putts, and was never able to really get into the match. He eventually lost 4/3.
Anthony Olsen at 1 was 2 down after 8, but then steadied to be 1 up after 14. He then birdied 18 to win his match 2 up. Anthony has had a great season, playing at 1 or 2 and being unbeaten in all 7 matches he played. Remarkable in part because he had to work this around extensive business travel.
The deciding match was Jonathan Cherry at number 3. He maintained a slim lead until 14 when his opponent squared the match, and it stayed that way at the end of 18 holes after both Jono and his opponent missed their respective putts to win the overall match on the 18th green. On the 19th, the long par 5 first hole, his opponent hit driver driver to be just short of the green. Jono was 60 metres short in 2, but hit it just too far to be in a hollow just off the green in 3. With his opponent almost certain to get a birdie 4, he then proceeded to hole a remarkable putt to take the match to the 20th . Both players were in the greenside bunkers in 3 on the par 5 second hole, but Jono’s ball was plugged in the face. He was unable to get the ball to the green, and sadly lost the hole to lose his first match for the season. He has had a great season, and was a real “rock” playing at 2 or 3.
Sadly then the team lost a very tight match 4/3, and so our season finishes. It is clear that the top 4 teams (Grange, Glenelg, Kooyonga and RAGC) were clearly ahead of the rest, and very closely matched. Any one of the 4 teams could easily have won the overall competition. Our team has been a great, tightly knit group who should be proud of their performances. Looking forward to next year already!
Junior Sharp Cup Semi Final
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Country District 2 at The Grange
Report courtesy of Peter Maddern.
As a club in the Sharp semifinals, we had been here before but, with the Big Dawg, Lewis Antell, out with a sore paw, today, none of our brave boys had. A month ago, when we took on Country we were humbled; today again we sent out the Three Amigos at the top of the order against a yet improved opposition lineup.
In the pivot, Angus Norcock chipped in for birdies on two of first three holes setting up his eventual win on the 16th. After starting off the campaign in mercurial form, today he ground out 16 solid holes and was dormie four holes out.
Either side of him in the order, things weren’t going quite so well. Below, Jordan Cranwell had a day he would wish to quickly forget. Above, Seth Tymko, looked back in his contest halving his deficit by holing a 15-metre sliding birdie putt across the 12th green but that was as close as he could get on the second circuit.
That left the bookends to decide our fate; at #1 the Kamikaze Kid, Billy White, and at #5 the somewhat unpredictable JiSung Park.
JiSung earned a one-hole lead early and, give or take, sustained it through 16. With Billy in front a few holes back, at that point the day, all those Sundays, the four-year Sharp campaign, the eight-year Junior program (you get the drift) all seemed to fall on his shoulders. Like Trump’s tariffs, for a favourable outcome, it felt like optimism needed to triumph over history.
A growing audience closed in, pacing around. Even the gums fell silent and watched on. Unfazed, on the 17th tee, JiSung clobbered, as is his wont, a wayward drive but followed it, after a hiccup, with a superb 150m seven iron off rubbish, over bunkers to three metres; holed halved. On the 18th, it was a long bunker shot that scooted beyond the pin and above towards the rim of the green. Friend, foe and foliage all held their breaths. It stopped obediently there. His opponent’s putt to send it down the first lipped out. JiSung, now our JiStar!
Then word filtered through that, having three putted the 17th, Billy was no longer in the lead and must take to the par 5 18th square. Though standing barely 5’ 5”, now the season, the bought drinks, the squabbles with opposition managers, being given the cold shoulder by hosting club captains, writing up these damn reports (it’s not about you – Ed) rested on his clavicles alone.
Everyone it seems likes Billy. Beyond the Amigos, his team mates and friends in the club, opponent players and managers often come up to chat, even opposition caddies have been known to push his bag to his next tee. In many ways he’s very much our Ferris Bueller. As Grace noted in that film to Ed Rooney, “all the geeks, the jocks, the dweebies, the wastoids, the dickheads, they all adore him. They think he’s a righteous dude.”
After two hits, Ferris, I mean Billy, is 80 metres out, his opponent is pin high but off the green and with a difficult slope to navigate. Billy then puts a spinning wedge to the heart of the green. His opponent’s first effort isn’t great and his birdie putt from five metres comes to a rest on the edge of the hole. For the win of the match and this final, Billy’s putt must accurately traverse two metres and, and….in it goes.
With it the Sanderson team on the Grange clubhouse balcony join in the raucous celebration around the green. “Billy White, you’re our hero!” Remember Ferris dancing on that float with the Frauleins during the St Patrick’s Day Parade? Well, to someone my age with a quaint obsession about that film, it all felt like that. Whatever, a great time was had by all. As a club in the semifinals of the Sharp Cup, we had been here before but now we have made our way into our first Grand Final. As Ferris himself noted, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” It’s against Grange at Glenelg – don’t you miss it.
Simpson Cup Round 7
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated Southern 2.5 at The Grange
Report to follow.
Sanderson Cup Round 5
Royal Adelaide 2.5 drew The Grange 2.5 at Blackwood
Report courtesy of Vicki Jordan.
A reminder of winter golf!
Six degrees Celsius and 40knot winds greeted us at 7:30am at Blackwood Sunday.
Despite the conditions, the team soldiered on, managing to halve the fixture with wins to Raegan and Eliza, a squared match to Laura, Sophie and Alice taking their matches to the 18.
Onto the Semi-final at Grange next Sunday where the team will be battling it out against Glenelg for a spot in the GF. Start time is 11:15am off the 10th and we would love lots of RAGC support please!
Pike Cup Round 5
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated Southern .5 at Sandy Creek
Report courtesy of Jill McEwin.
It was a long drive to Sandy Creek for our last minor-round match. The course was in pristine condition with fast greens and lush fairways, helped along by the installation of a new bore and wonderful volunteers.
The girls were ready and it was one we wanted to win.
Kate Cao was first away and was 3 down at the turn, but clawed her way back to garner a win 2 up.
Lily Harris fresh back from her Victorian adventure blasted out of the tee blocks birdied the first hole and hit middle green all day securing our first win 8/6. It was wonderful to watch.
Rachel Sweeney’s driver was hot, managing to go middle long and throwing her partner completely off her game. Rachel hit wonderful irons to secure her win 7/5.
Kat de Silva had a serious battle with the match up and down all the way, but Kat with grit and determination finished it off in style 2/1.
Fiona Morrison was 1 down at the turn battled with her partner and the odd tree. Although she swung well all day, it was all square at 18 .
It was a mighty win by the team and an amazing season by my new group of young women. The club is very proud of you all.
We head to Kooyonga for our semifinal on Sunday at 730am.
Bonnar Cup Round 7
Royal Adelaide 5.5 defeated The Vines 1.5 at Westward Ho
Report courtesy of Randall Faull.
A strong Bonnar Cup team played against The Vines on Sunday at a windy Westward Ho. The Vines were desperate for a win, to give them an outside chance of making the finals. The result was unlikely to make a difference to our semi-final opponent, but going into the finals after a win was still an important aim.
Hudson Haynes led us off, but had a slow start and was 4 down early. He then stabilised the situation, but could not make an impact and lost 4/3. For the second time in a month he had the misfortune to play an opponent who normally plays 1 or 2, but had to leave early that day.
Alexis Junin, returning from a brief trip to Philadelphia and Toronto, started well, played well, steadily moved ahead, and won 5/4.
Cameron Cordon continued his excellent season in a close match. He holed a good putt to halve 17 and go to 18th tee 1 up. His opponent then hit two drives into lost ball world, and so being 5 off the tee conceded the hole to give Cam a 2 up win.
Henry Perks at 4 had a very close battle all day, with little separating him from his opponent. He went to the 18th 1 up, but his opponent holed a long putt to birdie the last and halve the match. This was Henry’s 4th halved match for the season, so he has been regularly playing his full 18 holes.
Jonathan Cherry has also had an excellent season, and kept his nose ahead of his opponent all day despite some woes on the greens. 1 up on the 18th tee, he made a great up and down from a path to close out the win.
Louis Fuller, playing at 2, inspired by his entourage, also managed to keep his opponent at bay to be 1 up on the 18th tee. A more routine par enabled him to win his match.
Anthony Olsen, after a busy week travelling through much of China, continued his unbeaten season at 1 or 2 by leading most of the day and winning 3/2.
The final score was 5.5 to 1.5, but with 4 matches going to 18 the actual match was closer than the final score suggests.
The team has won 5 and halved 1 match out of 7, and so goes into the finals with confidence and track record. We play Glenelg at Kooyonga on Sunday morning. Supporters welcomed!
Women’s A3 Round 7
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Glenelg 2 at West lakes
Report courtesy of Janice Fletcher.
It was a cold start to the day up the road at West lakes, where the intrepid A3 team took on second-placed Glenelg. Some caddies (Malcolm Brebner I’m looking at you) were caught unprepared for the change in season.
Claire Sweeney got off to a good start, but steady play by her opponent saw her back to square by the sixth hole and down by the 9th, ultimately going down 3 and 1.
The Brebner team started slowly until Ros took the lead towards the turn, coming down the 10th 2 up. She was 3 up by the 12th but had to fight off a resurgent Fiona Ebden to emerge triumphant with a strong finish to end 1 up.
Anne Arnfield came up against an opponent who had a lovely day out, missing only one fairway. Anne had some good holes and some bad ones, losing 3 and 4.
The ever-reliable Pauline Morrison saw a see-sawing battle over the front 9, but drew ahead on the 8th and was never challenged from then on, sealing the deal with a great up and down on the 15th, to win 4 and 3.
In fact, 4 and 3 was a very popular score. Mirrie Waters played beautiful golf from the outset, quickly going 2 up after 2 holes. Her opponent rallied but to no avail: Mirrie was still 2 up after 9 holes, also sealing the deal on the 15th to emerge victorious 4/3.
We were very disappointed that this year’s rules did not permit a semi-final for the A3s. We finished the season in 4th (equal 3rd) place overall. Thanks once again to the caddies (Anne Sykes, Didy McLaurin, Sharon Honner, Malcolm Brebner, Jim Sweeney), assistant Manager Di Faull who caddied for Jenny Menz in the Cleek semifinal and all the spectators for their support. Di and I would also like to thank the rest of the A3 team –Anne Ellis, Anne Sykes, Jill McEwin, Juliet Hugo, Louisa Zerella, Sarah Chia and Sharon Honner, as well as Tony and Patric for their coaching.
Women’s Cleek Semi Final
Playing Monday 31 March
Report courtesy of Carolyn Astley.
It was a chilly Monday morning that we turned up at West lakes ‘raring to go’ for the Cleek 1 semifinal. Special mention goes to Di Moore and Jenny Menz who each had to give 10 shots but still saw their way through to wins.
Ali clawed her way back to 1 down in true Ali-fighting-back-mode but couldn’t quite nail the lead and a win. Sophie’s match was close all the way going back and forth, 1 up or 1 down until going down the 18th she was 1 down and had to win the hole to proceed to extra holes.
Soph really challenged her opponent and put up a fight but unfortunately could only manage to square the 18th so Thaxted got the overall win.
I am so proud of the team as we nearly got there and we can be satisfied with a great season and look forward to 2026.
Scores were:
Ali Coventry lost 3/1
Sophie Gosse lost 1 down
Toffee Perkins lost 6/5
Di Moore won 3/1
Jenny Menz won 5/3
A special thankyou to caddies; Pam Hamilton, Di Tallis, Carolyn Pigot and Jenny Clark who came out each week and provided such great support and camaraderie for the team,….. we couldn’t have done so well without you all!
Junior Sharp Cup Round 7
Royal Adelaide 5 defeated The Vines 0 at Tea Tree Gully
Report courtesy of Michael Jay.
In the absence of Peter Maddern who was on a golf trip in Victoria, I was tasked with the managerial duties for this round against bottom of the ladder Vines team. It was barely light in the northeastern foothills of Tea Tree Gully when the first groups hit off.
A late withdrawal of our number 1 player Lewis Antell meant that Jisung Park was able to get a run again. He grasped the opportunity with both hands and was never headed, demolishing his opponent 8/6, only 3 over the card after the 12 holes. “Ji – on song Park” to replace his previous weeks moniker by the manager which does not bear mentioning.
Jordan Cranwell, having recovered from a finger injury several weeks ago, was 5 up after 12 holes, promptly lost the next 2 but won the 15th for a comfortable victory.
The Three Amigos then followed with Angus Norcock leading the way. He was 1 down after 6, 1 up at 9 but then won the next 4 holes with the match concluding at the 14th for a strong win.
Billy White at number 1 had a good battle but always had his nose in front before pulling away to finish a 4/3 winner.
Which left the team and following entourage to witness the drama unfolding with our number 2 Seth Tymko. He was 4 up, holing out for a birdie with a chip from off the green on the par 5 ninth. He then proceeded to lose the next 4 holes. The situation was looking dire on the 17th when Seth was required to bunt his hooked drive onto the fairway only 20 metres in front of his opponent’s drive. The Vines player put his second shot left of the green on a path and short sided. He chipped delicately onto the green close to the pin. Seth was confronted with a 25-metre putt from just off the green which he put to within 4 feet and stood by as his hapless opponent proceeded to 3 putt. He then holed out for a 2/1 win – all scary stuff for the assembled family members and teammates.
This win placed us top with a 23 to 7 win loss ratio, well ahead of the following pack but with a difficult match against 4th placed Country to whom we lost in the minor round.
Nothing but the very best of performances will get us over the line against a team of older, stronger and well credentialled players.
Junior Division 2 Round 7
Royal Adelaide 2 defeated by The Vines 3 at Tea Tree Gully
Report courtesy of Di Faull.
It was a very cold morning at Tea Tree Gully Golf Course for the 7th round of Division 2 Junior Pennant on Sunday 30th March when the team of Sam Tinson, Josh Antell, Mason Holden, George Longbottom and Finn Higgins took on the team from The Vines in a do or die race to a place in the semi-finals.
Playing in 4s and with a 30 minute delay due to poor light the first players off were Finn and George with Finn giving 14 shots and George 13 to their opponents. Finn started well but the match went between the two players with neither able to get an advantage and they were square after 9 holes. At this point Finn went into winning mode and won holes 10 and 11, they squared 12 and he won 13 and 14 to be 4 up 4 to play. He lost 15 but won 16 and the match 4/2.
George had a tough match and had not been able to get in front so was 1 down after 9 holes. In his usual fashion he just kept up the pressure and got a breakthrough with a lovely par on the par 3 13th which he consolidated with another win on the 14th. His opponent didn’t give in and brought the match back to square after the 16th. Undaunted George simply kept the pressure on with regulation play on 17 and 18 and won 2 up.
The next players were Mason and Josh, giving 14 and 12 shots respectively. Josh was up early but his opponent played amazing golf and just squaring a hole was almost impossible. Both players had 39 off the stick after 9 holes but having to give 6 shots made a win impossible for Josh, he battled on but needed a miracle to match his opponent who was playing well under his handicap and went down 6/4.
The last match was Sam and he also was giving 11 shots to an opponent who played amazing golf on the day being 5 over par on the front 9, Sam was 6 over par for the same holes but had to give his opponent 6 shots so again needed a miracle and one wasn’t coming. The match finished on the 12th 7/6 down.
With Sam and Josh’s matches finishing early Finn, George and Mason were still out on the course. Finn finished his match first on the 16th with George and Mason battling on. George went up the 18th 1 up and Mason, giving 14 shots, had been fighting to stay in his match against a very steady player who just kept out of trouble. He was 1 up after 9 then 3 up after 11 but there was no easy victory, a loss on 12, squares on 13 and 14 were followed by losses on 15 and 16 so the match was back to square. They squared 17 and with the whole team watching came up 18 tied. It could have gone either way but they both had 5s on the 18 and Mason had to give a shot so final result a loss 1 down.
Unfortunately for the team a 2/3 loss kept us out of the finals and as so often in matchplay it had all come down to 1 putt.
I would like to congratulate the team on the behaviour and excellent sportsmanship in difficult circumstances. The RAGC members can be proud of how well all the young players in our Division 2 teams have played and behaved over the entire season and be confident that we are building a strong cohort who will be the future of our Sanderson, Simpson, Bonnar and Pike teams. As always thanks to the caddies and parents who support the players and I look forward to a better season next year.
Simpson Cup Round 6
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated by Kooyonga 4 at Kooyonga
Report to follow.
Sanderson Cup Round 4
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Kooyonga 4 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Vicki Jordan.
Sunday was perfect golf weather and the team fought hard all day with the greens were hard and fast.
We got off to a promising start but couldn’t maintain our momentum with the team disappointed in the result going down 4 and 1.
Alice Cho had a fabulous win 6 and 4.
The final minor round this Sunday at Blackwood against Grange 8:30am.
Pike Cup Round 4
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Kooyonga 2 at The Grange
It was an early start at Grange East for my excellent team of young players playing against Kooyonga.
Kate Cao playing at number 5 blasted out of the blocks playing straight drives and superb irons. Her birdie on the par 3 3rd hole was one of many great moments. She sealed our first match at hole 14 winning 6/4. This is Kate’s first win in the Pike squad.
Adele Wang played number 4. She played very neat golf all day but was outgunned by Lane Trenorden.
Mirrie Waters at number 3 was 1 down at the turn 2 down at 11 but managed to claw back to square at 15 and seized a sensational win on 17 with a birdie.
Rachel Sweeney playing at number 2 played well all day never losing her lead and finally seizing her match on 16 3/2.
Kat de Silva had a hard fought match finishing at 17 but loosing 2/1.
It was an unexpected victory and the girls were overjoyed with their performance. We have now climbed to second on the ladder.
We head to Sandy Creek GC next Sunday to play Southern and hope to keep our position or move up to number one.
Bonnar Cup Round 6
Royal Adelaide 3.5 drew Kooyonga 3.5 at The Grange
Report courtesy of Ian Rice and Randall Faull.
Round 6 saw us venture to Grange to take on Kooyonga, with a win guaranteeing us a spot in the finals.
After 4 holes we were up in 1 match, square in 3 and down in 3 matches and locked in a tight battle.
Lewis Antell at 7, was holding on but couldn’t get his putter working and by the 8th was 2 down. Things didn’t get any better for him from there and after 12 he found himself 4 down. He rallied to win the 14th but two subsequent halves saw him lose his match 3/2.
Josh Barrett, at 6, recovered from 2 down after 4 to be square after 6 but then lost his way and found himself 2 down after 8. He got this back to one down after 12 but from there just couldn’t make any inroads and his unbeaten record came to an end losing 4/2.
Hudson Haynes found himself 2 down after 5 but like Josh soon had the match back to square. His opponent rallied though and Huddo was again 2 down after 12. From there though Huddo flipped the switch and won 5 holes in a row to close out his match with a solid 3/1 victory.
Cam Cordon at 4 was locked in a see-saw battle all day with never more than a hole separating the two players. Cam was 1up after 5 and square after 8 which is where the score remained right through to the 14th. Cam though from there won 15 and 16 to head down 17 dormie two up. A good second shot from Cam to the heart of the 17th green effectively ended the match and when his opponent couldn’t get up and down Cam had won 3/1.
The overall match was now 2 -2 and things were looking good with Anthony Olsen at 1, Louis Fuller at 2 and Henry Perks at 3 all seemingly in control of their matches.
Henry was square after 8 but surged ahead to be 3 up after 12. From there though, his opponent took inspiration from Huddo and went on his own winning streak and suddenly Henry found himself 1 down paying the 17th. When Henry failed to get up and down from the greenside trap, a tap in par from his opponent saw Henry lose 2/1. The match was now 2-3 in Kooyonga’s favour.
Louis, like Cam, was having a tight battle with opponent with neither player ever getting more than 1 hole in front. Louis was 1 up after 14 but two losses saw him head down 17, 1 down and when his approach shot plugged in the face of the greenside bunker with his opponent on the front edge for two, the match looked over. But a great bunker shot followed by an equally great putt sliding downhill left to right saw Louis win the hole and level the match. Down 18 they went and both hit their 3rd shots on to the par 5 last. Louis’ opponent came up short and Louis went past the hole with their respective birdie putts. When it was discovered that both balls were the identical distance from the hole, both putts were conceded and the match halved. A fitting result for a great battle.
Olso meanwhile was doing his usual things at No 1 – playing solid golf and leading. He was 2up after 4 and 1 up after 8. From there his opponent rallied and got the match back to square but could never get in front and after 14 Olso was again 1up. A slight hiccup on 16 was rectified with a win on 17, meaning Olso headed down 18 1up. Once again “fairways and greens” by Olso forced his opponent’s hand, leading to his demise and a 2up victory to Olso thus halving the overall team match 3½ – 3½.
Whilst we lost top spot to Grange, the halved match means we have secured a semi final berth with a round to go. Thanks to Steve Copley and Jack Sullivan for their caddying assistance. The final minor round match is at Westward Ho against The Vines.
Women’s A3 Round 6
Royal Adelaide 1.5 defeated by The Vines 3.5 at The Grange
Report courtesy of Janice Fletcher.
This report is delayed due to Manager concussion.
It was always going to be a big ask playing the undefeated top team The Vines. A win would see the possibility of finals, but The Vines had revenge in mind for their unexpected semifinal defeat last year.
With Juliet Hugo still on the sick list, Pauline Morrison stepped into the Number 1 position with aplomb, quietly tackling the big hitting Cathy Hayward to gain a modest early lead. After a great tussle, Pauline came down the 18th 1 up, but great play by her opponent saw the match squared.
Anne Ellis managed to achieve an early lead, but evergreen Mary O’Hagan fought back strongly to win 3/2.
Anne Arnfield came down the 18th all square after a keen tussle with her opponent, but a bunker encounter saw her opponent take the match on the final hole.
Sharon Honner got off to a slow start, turning the corner at 5 down, but angered her opponent by brilliant play, getting back to 1 down before finishing on the 17th with a 2/1 loss.
Ros Brebner got off to a great start and continued that way. Malcolm was hoping for an early finish, but had to settle for a victory on the 15th hole, with Ros emerging victorious 4/3.
Thanks again for the support of caddies and spectators, including our Head of Women’s golf, Ali White.
Women’s Cleek Round 7 (Final Round)
Royal Adelaide 2.5 drew Mount Osmond 2.5 at Westward Ho
Report courtesy of Carolyn Astley.
It was another lovely warm autumn day as we battled it out against Mt Osmond.
After the 9th hole all matches were down but the fightbacks began to get two wins and a draw to keep our 4th place on the ladder and reach the semifinals!
Scores were:
Ali Coventry lost 5/4
Lou Jacka lost 1 down
Sophie Gosse won 2/1
Jenny Menz draw
Di Moore won 1 up
A special thankyou to caddies; Pam Hamilton, Di Tallis, Carolyn Pigot and Ali White.
The semi final is at West Lakes against Thaxted Park, the number 1 team on the ladder. Tee off is from 9:30am and all are welcome to support our Cleek 1 girls.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 6
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated The Grange .5 at Willunga
Report courtesy of Peter Maddern.
After last week’s debacle, concerns aplenty going into this clash against our fiercest Sharp Cup rivals, Grange, or The Grange as they insist we defer to.
The Three Amigos were once more placed at the top of the order and early signs were not encouraging. However, a series of rulings seemed to rattle (The) Grange player and parent alike and the door opened.
At #1, The Kamikaze Kid, Billy White, fresh from his WebX underage win Saturday went from two down to win impressively by that margin. Seth Tymko (runner up to Billy) fought the closest game of the afternoon and finished it off with a thumping drive and sublime wedge to two metres on the 18th. Playing a guy decked out in expensive wheels, Angus Norcock, in his most consistent outing of the season, won by three the hole before. Who says you can tell the quality of a man by his shoes.
The Three Amigos hang out together, win or lose together and today added to their camaraderie by all getting sunburnt together.
If DOGE is tasked with removing waste, they could comfortably spend a week doing their stuff on JiSung Park’s game. Still, on the second circuit, with a burst of economy, JiSung could wave away Elon and Big Balls as he chipped in on the 10th, then again two holes later before securing birdies on the trot three strokes later.
However, no sooner had Musk’s Tesla left the car park than JiSung morphed into JiShank and, come the club house, and his three-hole lead of an hour before had, sadly, fully fizzled.
Speaking of Teslas, the goody goodies may not currently know whether they should still hug their Model T or fit out its interior with a Molotov cocktail but your Sharp Cup team couldn’t have been happier to welcome back today our gas guzzling Holden, Mason, for his first game of the campaign in the number 5 slot. He may not get to 100mph in 2.8 seconds but his engine goes just fine, today building continually on a lead to eventually win by 6. Lots of highlights including an alley oop and clutch putt on the tricky 9th green complex.
Climate catastrophists may be aghast but as far as we are concerned what’s under his bonnet can fire and smoke all it likes and for as long as it likes. We have our Holden and we’re sticking to him. If necessary, they will just have to teach the good citizens of Kiribati how to swim. And so, come 4pm, finals had been secured and, with a 4 1/2 – 1/2 scoreline, well and truly had our opponents been despatched – lock, stock and their definite article.
Junior Division 2 Round 6
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated The Grange 2 at Willunga
Report to follow.
Simpson Cup Round 5
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated by The Grange 4 at Glenelg
Report to follow.
Pike Cup Round 3
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated The Grange 2 at Glenelg
Report courtesy of Jill McEwin.
Our match against the formidable Grange team was the last of the day, and the girls were feeling confident. The hold up at hole 3 was a restart for everyone as we gathered on the sandy dune, and the south-westerly wind gained momentum.
Adele Wang started strongly, 2 up at the turn. It was a long day for Adele, but she fought hard, playing a magnificent drive down 18 followed by an equally brilliant third shot into the green. However, she needed to drop her putt to halve her match and, despite her efforts, lost 1 down at 6:10 pm.
Lily Harris battled bravely against the fierce wind but ultimately went down 7/6.
Fiona Morrison, playing at number one, secured our first win. Fiona played magnificent golf in a true Scottish wind, finishing with a commanding 6/5 victory.
Kat de Silva claimed our second win, playing steady golf all day. She was 2 up at the 9th, slipped back to 1 up at the 14th, but a magnificent shot into 15 pushed her back to 2 up. She approached the 16th carefully, hitting to the front of the green while her opponent attempted to save par, sealing a well-earned 3/2 victory.
Rachel Sweeney also played consistent golf throughout the day but found herself 3 down at the 11th. She responded by winning the 13th with a perfect shot to the front of the green, then placing her 7-iron next to the pin on the 14th—I knew she was on fire. With Sophie Hilditch on the bag, Rachel’s momentum continued. She won the 15th with a stunning drive and a precise pitch onto the green. A crowd had gathered as the next two holes were halved, setting up a tense finish.
Rachel drove her tee shot middle-left on 18, while her opponent took an unplayable after driving into the right sandy waste. But Lucy did not give in easily, recovering to sit next to the pin for four, forcing Rachel to hold her nerve and deliver two steady putts for the win. Rachel was undoubtedly our star of the day.
It had been a very long afternoon, but we finished just as the sun was setting, with the hard-fought victory we needed to secure our position on the ladder.
Bonnar Cup Round 5
Royal Adelaide 2.5 defeated by The Grange 4.5 at Tea Tree Gully
Report courtesy of Ian Rice.
Round 5 saw the rematch of last year’s Bonnar Cup final with us playing Grange.
We knew something strange was afoot when we could see the moon burning bright above TTG golf course as we were about to tee off (see photo below) and this was confirmed when the No 6 and 7 players for Grange arrived at the tee – Grange had flipped its usual order and their normal top players were going out first.
After 5 holes, we were down in 3 matches, square in two and up in 2 – the battle was well and truly on.
Unfortunately for Lewis Antell, playing his first match in Bonnar for the season, his opponent was firing on all cylinders and was 2 under after 5 holes and 4 up in 4 match. Lewis, who was playing reasonably well, just couldn’t go with the higher ranked opponent and try as he may, found himself 6 down at the turn and eventually lost 8/6.
Hudson Haynes at 6, was likewise up against an opponent who usually plays at 1 or 2 and Huddo found himself 3 down after 5. Huddo was playing well but a couple of little mistakes cost him dearly, and whilst he held on for a while, his opponent’s experience and solid play was too much with Huddo going down 7/5.
Alexis Junin was locked in a close battle with his higher ranked opponent and was square after 5. Unfortunately he lost the next two holes but then recovered to win the 9th and was 1 down at the turn. Alexis couldn’t make any headway after the turn and was 2 down after 13 but then some uncharacteristic errors from Alexis, saw him lose two holes in a row and lose his match 4/3.
Cam Cordon at 4 was having a bit of an off day and found himself down early. Unfortunately, his opponent was playing very solidly and Cam couldn’t make up any ground and was 3 down at the turn. Things didn’t get any better for Cam on the back nine and when his opponent put his second shot to 3 foot on the 14th, and was dormie 5 up, the match was over with Cam losing 6/4.
Henry Perks at 3, was playing solid golf and was square with his opponent after 5. From there his opponent scooted ahead and Henry found himself 2 down at the turn. Another lost hole saw Henry 3 down playing the 12th but a great tee shot on the long par 3 appeared to give Henry the edge. A great up and down from his opponent though kept the margin at 3 which is where it remained after 13. Henry then rallied and won the 14th and 15th holes to be only one down. A half on 16 followed by a win to Henry on 17, sent the match down 18 all square. Henry’s putt on the last came up agonisingly short and when his opponent missed his putt as well the match ended up all square. A great comeback from Henry and so close to a win.
Anthony Olsen, at 1, continued his great form and was 2 up after 4. A see-saw battle ensued through the rest of the front nine, with Olso tuning 1up. This lead was soon extended by Olso and after 12 he was now 3 up. Despite a slight hiccup on 15, Olso bounced back and won 16 to win his match 3/2, thus continuing his undefeated season.
Jono Cherry, showing no ill effects of being caught up in Cyclone Alfred, jumped out to be 2 up after 5 and then 3 up after 7. He turned 2 up but then won the 11 to go back to 3 up. A loss on 12 saw his margin reduced to 2 which is where it stayed with him going down 17 dormie 2 up. Unfortunately a 3 putt from Jono on 17 meant the match continued down 18. A great approach shot from Jono appeared to seal the match but the ensuing missed putt left the door open for his opponent to win the hole. Fortunately for Jono his opponent missed as well, handing Jono a 1up win.
So in the end we suffered our first loss for the season going down 4½ – 2½ to Grange. Having now completed the “hills course rotation” next round we head to Grange to take on Kooyonga. A win would see us lock in a spot in the semis with a round to go.
Women’s Cleek Round 6
Royal Adelaide 2.5 drew Tea Tree Gully 2.5 at Tea Tree Gully
Report courtesy of Carolyn Astley.
What a beautiful sunny but fresh morning with the TTG course looking beautiful. A great effort by the team this week to draw with TTG who enjoyed a home advantage.
Special mention to Ali Coventry who did a blind chip over the bunker and slam dunked in the hole on the first, what a great start!
Scores were:
Ali Coventry won 2/1
Toffee Perkins lost 5/4
Sophie Gosse won 3/2
Jenny Menz square
Di Moore lost 2/1
A special thankyou to caddies; Jenny Clark, Pam Hamilton, Di Tallis and Carolyn Pigot.
Next week’s fixture is against Mt Osmond at Westward Ho.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 5
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Country Districts 4 at Blackwood
Report courtesy of Peter Maddern.
You can’t say much for Naracoorte; from there they make you traverse an unsealed road to connect to the wealthy Wimmera and it sure ain’t the Coonawarra. But if a course can make you feel like it seems you are playing at home sweet home, for Angus Norcock, Blackwood could be it; pines here and there, narrow fairways, trucks rumbling in the distance.
And so it proved, at least for the first circuit, after which Norcock of Naracoorte was two under the card with three birdies and a five hole lead. The Country contingent were crying foul suggesting he should be playing for them. Something about even filing a claim for Native title was being bandied about. Fortunately, our Supremo was on hand to deal with all this squabbling and, in his customary style, quickly settled things down – with an upper cut.
Not so fortunately, once the dark clouds and mist so common in the south-east thereafter lifted, Norcock of Naracoorte’s golf got somewhat untidy and six holes later it was as messy as the floor of his local TAB at 5pm on Derby Day (not, of course at 12 years of age, he would know what that looks like.) It grieves one too much to reveal the final score line except to say that the High Court isn’t now going to be asked whether young Angus is the next Eddie Mabo.
At the top of the order, the Kamikaze Kid, Billy White, met a formidable opponent and the match was close throughout. That adversary’s first putt on the 17th that went like his hair – too long – was all that saved Billy’s bacon. Seth Tymko started off in great form; an early highlight a wedge from 80m to two feet set up a win on the par 3 3rd but, as his contest progressed beyond that, the air increasingly went out of his tyres.
Indeed, so it proved for all our quintet; that third produced four wins, the 17th pretty much the mirror image.
JiSung Park took on their #4 in the clash of the big boys and for four hours it was like bulls going hard at each other; shots a-swinging and a-straying to all parts pretty much in unison, keeping the resident kangaroos a-hopping and the ducks a-pooping. With just four holes won, it was no surprise his match finished square, both combatants bruised and exhausted.
Josh Antell rounded out this week’s lineup but proved unable to maintain his unbeaten Sharp Cup record. It seems there is a provision in the Club’s constitution that requires an Antell to play in our Sharp Cup team, so with the Big Dawg promoted, Josh was required to make us legal. Given his age, and unless something is done at an AGM, this may be a requirement that outlives team management.
Speaking of which, we, of course, take losing, especially shock losses like this, very well. Oh, don’t you worry about that. Popping Prozac like tic tacs has certainly helped your correspondent and I can report our Junior Supremo is off suicide watch and has now been released – surety finally posted. Thankfully, the kids themselves deal much better than we do with these sorts of results and they are already looking next week to venture yet further south, to Willunga, to avenge what proved to be a black day at Blackwood.
Junior Division 2 Round 5
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Country Districts 2 at Westward Ho
Report courtesy of Diana Faull.
Round 5 of the Junior Division 2 Pennant was held at Westward Ho Golf Club on Sunday 16th March, with RAGC represented by Sam Tinson, Mason Holden, George Longbottom, Alston Ma, Finn Higgins and reserve Poppy Warren playing against Country in winds of 40kph gusting to 60kph!
Despite the tough conditions the team brought home a fantastic 3/2 win.
Poppy and Finn’s matches were first off as 2 matches were played at the same time. Poppy had to give 28 shots to her opponent who was very erratic but had some great shots. Undaunted by the massive number she played her own game and was only 2 down after 9. Unfortunately she had to give him 2 shots on 10 holes which included 3 of the 4 Par 3s and he managed to play them well. Her match finished after the 16th with a 3/2 loss. (This match between the reserves does not count)
Finn had to give 17 shots and both players were reasonably evenly matched. Finn started well and was never down on the first 7 holes but losses on 8 and 9 had him 1 down heading to the 10th.
He won the 10th, lost the 11th then won 12th to be square but wasn’t able to bring the match back and lost 3/2 on the 16th Alston and George were the second pair off. Alston played a strong opponent and the wind did not help him. He was 2 down after 4 holes and despite a valiant effort he remained 2 down after 9 holes. He fought really hard but also could not make up the deficit and lost 3/2.
George was fairly evenly matched on handicap only having to give 2 shots and he came out strongly getting to 2 up after 3 holes. The match went 1 up, 2 up, 1 up etc over the next 5 holes and he was 3 up after 11 holes. A slight 3 quarter slump saw him back to square after the 16th. He won 17 and took full advantage of a mistake by his opponent to win the 18th and the match 2 up.
At this point we had won 1 match and lost 2 with 2 players still on the course, Sam and Mason.
Sam played a steady game off a handicap of 5 at Westward Ho and he was 3 up after 11 holes with both boys playing great golf in the gusting winds. Again a 3rd quarter slump saw him back to 1 up after 14, he then won 15 but lost 16 so was 1 up with 2 to play. He brought the match to a close with a great win on the 17th, 2 up.
This left Mason still on the course with a match that had gone the same way as George’s with the match being square after 14 holes. He kept his game together and squared 15, won 16 then squared 17 to be 1 up coming down the 18th. As the whole team watched he played the 18th perfectly to win his match 2 up and give RAGC the win 3/2.
Great spirit and exemplary behaviour and good sportsmanship shown by all the players in difficult conditions.
As always thanks to the parents/caddies for all their assistance.
Simpson Cup Round 4
Royal Adelaide 5 defeated Glenelg 2 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Rod Phillips and Paul Reader.
Although this year’s Heat Policy threatened to cancel the event, the forecast temp landed 1 degree below the cutoff, and we started with ideal weather at 7:00am.
After 9 holes we were strong in two matches, and slightly ahead in another three. We were square in one, and behind in only one match.
Nathan Kent #7 decided, this week he would play the course (rather than the man), which produced a great result. He was square with the card after 13 holes and won 6 and 5.
Michael Richardson #6 found his form early and was 6 up after nine holes. He let one slip on the 11th with his only approach shot missing the green. Otherwise, he carried this through and won the 14th to finish with a 6 and 4 win.
Alex Pacifico (with caddie Quinn Spencer) #5 woke up with a crick neck, made some adjustments to his game, employed a ‘can do’ attitude to get the best result possible. Although he was playing steady and one up after nine, he slipped to two down after 13. After a word from Coach Christie (from the sidelines) Alex produced the required two birdies on the 14th and 15th to get things back to square, and carried that through to halve his match.
Matt Lawson (with caddie Henry Lawson) #4 produced another day of superb ball striking and three birdies on the front nine put him ahead, and although he dropped a shot on the 10th, he continued the campaign and a fourth birdie on the 15th hole delivered him a 4 and 2 win.
Billy Cawthorne (with caddie Tyron Davies) #3 needed his A game and three birdies to stay slightly ahead of his seasoned campaigner opponent. He slipped to 1 down on the 17th which put him in a precarious position. Billy won the 18th, proved he himself as a seasoned campaigner and halved his match.
Will Arnold (with caddie James Dodd) #2 was square with the card, and with his opponent after 9 holes, but par golf wasn’t enough on the back nine and he lost 3 and 2.
Josh Grundel (with caddie Terry Thornton) #1 played steady on the front nine, collected a Powerade drink and he flew home from there, with four consecutive birdies from 10 through 13 and a fifth birdie on 16 ensured he won 3 and 2.
We remain one of 2 unbeaten teams after 4 rounds. Our next contest is against The Grange at Glenelg at 10:00am Sunday 16th. Spectators welcome.
Sanderson Cup Round 2
Royal Adelaide 4 defeated Blackwood 1 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Anne Arnfield.
The Sanderson Cup girls enjoyed a strong 4/1 win over Blackwood last Sunday. The RAGC team used their local knowledge to get off to a good start with the majority leading well after 9 holes. Our young team and their caddies showed their true grit and fitness in extremely hot conditions. Fiona Morrison and Alice Cho demonstrated that ”a quick game is a good game”, winning 6/5,whilst Eliza Bartlett and Sophie Hilditch showed their competitive drive by sticking to their routines and trusting their swings with 3 up wins. Laura Birchmore started strongly and then had some bad luck against a very strong in-form opponent.
This week’s bye will give our team some time for ongoing training before playing last year’s division winners Kooyonga at Kooyonga on Sunday 23 March. We’d love RAGC members to come out and support both the Simpson and Sanderson teams at Kooyonga on the day.
Pike Cup Round 2
Royal Adelaide 2 defeated by Glenelg 3 at Aston Hills
Report courtesy of Jill McEwin.
Today we travelled to Aston Hills GC on the other side of Mt Barker.
It was an early journey for us all with our first tee off at 7.40am.
Adele Wang was added to our team this week replacing Fiona Morrison who was elevated to the Sanderson Cup team.
Adele hit off in style powering a drive mid-centre. It was her first game in the senior team and Adele was 3 down after 3 holes. By the 9th hole she had clawed back to 1 down and never looked back. She finished on the 17th clutching the hole to win the match 2/1.
Kate Cao at number 4 struggled with her drives today bouncing through trees into non favourable lies, eventually losing 6/4.
Lily Harris at number 3 just strode along doing her thing playing very neat golf all day. She was eventually outgunned by her opponent and lost on the 1st hole.
Rachel Sweeney powered out of the blocks playing superb golf and 2 up at the 9th hole. Her opponent then put the pedal down and swallowed up Rachel’s lead. She lost on 17th 2/1.
Kat De Silva managed to find the odd tree on the way out but was back to square by the 4th hole. Kat then put the pedal down and was 2 up by the 11th, then powered home finally winning 3/2.
Next week we are at Glenelg GC for a 1340 game playing Grange.
Bonnar Cup Round 4
Royal Adelaide 5 defeated Westward Ho 2 at The Vines
Report courtesy of Ian Rice
After an 11th hour drop in the forecast temperature, Rd 4 saw us venture to The Vines to take on newly promoted Westward Ho.
After 4 holes, things seemed to be going to script, with us up in 4 matches, square in 2 and down in one. From there though, our opponents decided to buck the system and after 9 we were only up in two matches (Anthony Olsen at 1 and Henry Perks at 2), with Josh Barrett at 6 and Hudson Haynes at 5 both square and Ed Bell (7), Alexis Junin (5) and Cam Cordon (4) all down in their matches.
Slight panic followed when all bar Olsen lost the 10th hole (Huddo and Cam halved it) and we now found ourselves behind in the overall match.
Ed Bell just couldn’t get back into his match (and a wayward driver certainly didn’t help) and lost 5/4.
Josh Barrett only fell to one down but by 12 had that back to square. From here a mix of good play and local knowledge helped Josh to be dormie two up after 16 and he then closed his match out on 17 to win 2/1 and maintain his perfect pennant record for RA.
Huddo, after having an early lead found himself 1 down after 12 but harnessing his comeback vibes from last week, he then promptly won 4 holes in a row to win his match 3/2 (with Billy White attributing this to his fine caddying skills). A great effort by Huddo.
Anthonly Olsen at 1, continued on with his good form this season and jumped out to an early lead (2up after 4) and was never threatened or troubled from there going on to record a resounding 4/3 victory over his opponent.
Alexis Junin slipped to 3 down after 11 and by his own admission was not playing well. But from here he turned it around and by 14 was all square. 15 was halved in birdies and the close contest continued all the way down 18 where Alexis finally holed a 5 footer for par to halve his match.
Cam Cordon had a great battle all day with his opponent and by the turn was 1 down. Try as he may, Cam couldn’t bridge the gap and was still 1 down standing on 16 tee. Things weren’t looking good for Cam when his tee shot missed the fairway but some considerable distance with his opponent sitting pretty on the fairway, 60m from the pin. Cam though manufactured a great shot, using the contours of the hole to end up on the left edge of the green some 15ft from the pin. His opponent never looked comfortable with the shot he had and found the right side bunker and could only then manage to leave himself with a 15ft putt for par after his bunker shot. Cam then rolled in his birdie putt despite having to stand in the bunker to play it and headed to 17 tee 1up, which remained then heading to 18. A great up and down from Cam on the last saw him win 1 up and secure the overall match for us.
Henry Perks enjoyed an early lead and was still 2up at the turn. The back nine saw the match see-saw with his opponent getting back to square. Henry won 15 only to lose 16 and just when it looked like his opponent’s tee shot was lost on 17, the ball was found and the hole subsequently halved. A great up and down from Henry on the last saw the match end all square.
So after a scare, normal service was returned and we ended up winning 5/2 although as can be seen from the above, the end scoreline didn’t really reflect with how close the match was. What was particularly pleasing was the fightback from the boys when we found ourselves down. Thanks to Steve Copley and Billy White for caddying. Next week we head to TTG to take on Grange who sit 2nd behind us on the table. It’s sure to be a hard fought contest.
Women’s A3
Bye due to Long Weekend.
Women’s Cleek
Bye due to Long Weekend.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 4
Cancelled due to heat.
Junior Division 2 Round 4
Cancelled due to heat.
Simpson Cup Round 3
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated The Vines 2.5 at Thaxted Park
Report to follow.
Sanderson Cup Round 1
Royal Adelaide 4 defeated Glenelg 1 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Vicki Jordan.
Perfect golfing conditions welcomed us for the opening round of the season against Glenelg.
Naturally, there were some nerves as we stepped onto the course, unsure of how we would measure up this year. A slow but steady start quickly turned into a strong performance.
Raegan was in control from the outset, playing beautiful golf despite battling a cold. She secured a 2/1 victory over Jill Hodge.
Alice Cho had a challenging start, finding herself 3 down, but in true Alice fashion, she fought back to claim a 2/1 win over Zoe Manton. Last season, Alice played at number 5 – this year, she has stepped up to number 2.
Captain Sophie Hilditch was square through the front nine before stepping on the gas to defeat Sarah Crocker 5/3.
Laura Birchmore harnessed her recognised nerves and battled to the final hole, edging out Maya Kakupec on the 18th. Her incredible short game was a highlight – credit to Tony Christie’s Wednesday pennant clinic!
Eliza Bartlett played a steady game but ultimately fell to Bec Hardy 4/2.
A convincing 4–1 victory over Glenelg gives us a great confidence boost for the season ahead!
Next week, we take on Blackwood at home (11:10 AM tee time). We’d love to see some supporters out there cheering us on!
Pike Cup Round 1
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Mid North 2 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Jill McEwin.
It was a perfect morning at Kooyonga to launch the 2025 pennant season. Kooyonga had prepared a fast course . The fairways were perfect and the greens hard and fast just as they should be to find the best players.
My team of five were keen and ready to tackle the Mid North team.
Our team had two new young players Lily Harris and Kate Cao. We are delighted to have them on board.
Our first win at number 4 was Lily Harris who had a sound win defeating her opponent 7/5.
Rachel Sweeney playing at number 3 hit her straps on the turn and won 6/4.
It was then tooth and nail for Kat and Fiona who both fought hard to secure our next win. Kat won on the 17th (8th) to give us our victory.
Fiona played superb golf but was defeated 2 down.
Kate Cao had her first match in the big league and played some superb golf but was defeated 4/3.
It was a thrilling morning of golf and a pleasure to watch the girls win on a hard testing parkland course.
Bonnar Cup Round 3
Royal Adelaide 7 defeated Tea Tree Gully 0 at Thaxted Park
Report to follow.
Women’s A3 Round 4
Royal Adelaide 5 defeated Highercombe 0 at Glenelg
Report courtesy of Janice Fletcher.
With renewed bunker-playing confidence after last week’s focussed training with Patric and Tony, the RAGC team started strong at the remodelled 17 hole Glenelg course.
Local knowledge, combined with good form saw Jill McEwin have a very early finish, winning 8/7 and denying her caddy Stephen Copley a visit to the newly created back 9.
Anne Arnfield’s putter ran hot and, combined with very tidy play, resulted in a resounding 6/5 victory.
Pauline Morrison and Anne Sykes both weathered a few early challenges to pull back to square and finish strongly on the 15th (or was it the 16th?) hole, winning 3/2 and 4/2 respectively.
Juliet Hugo had a number of chances to miss the finishing holes, but a couple of lipped out putts saw her going down 18, where she hit 3 great shots, drawing a concession from her opponent, who found the sandy waste off the tee, to finish 2 up. The score of 5:0 puts us in third place, but we have played 4 matches and some teams have only played 3. Thanks again to caddies Di Faull, Didy McLaurin, Stephen Copley and Louisa Zerella.
Women’s Cleek Round 5
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Westward Ho 2 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Louise Walters.
Beautiful conditions were to be had at Kooyonga this morning for our match against the recently promoted Westward Ho.
Di Moore was first off playing at number 5 and had a very even results over the first nine holes to be 2 down at the turn, with unfortunately finishing losing 5/4 on the 14th hole.
Jenny Menz playing at number 4 was up, from the 4th hole onwards, going down the 16th hole, it was dormie, with Jenny winning that hole for a 4/2 finish.
Toffee Perkins had the most satisfying win on the 13th hole with a 7/5 result, whilst Lou Jacka was negative dormie going down the 16th to unfortunately lose 4/2.
The 16th hole was also the site of our Number one player Ali Coventry winning the match 4/2 for an overall result of 3 wins to 2.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 3
Image caption: Alpha males on the left. The Three Amigos on the right.
Royal Adelaide 5 defeated Blackwood 0 at Kooyonga
Report to courtesy of Peter Maddern.
Your Sharp Cup team has divided into two camps; at its bookends, the alpha males, the Big Dawg, Lewis Antell and Jordan the Giant Cranwell with the Three Amigos – Billy White, Seth Tymko and Angus Norcock – scheming and bitching – between them.
At Kooyonga, against the debutant Blackwood boys, things began more slowly than the handicap differential may have suggested. Seth Tymco’s touch is a treat and well worth the price of admission. Examples; out of the bunker on 3 to 3 feet and a 20 metre chip to a foot on the 6th but these were doing little more than keeping him square. Lagging in his contest, Jordan the Giant took til the 7th to hit his stride. There, he plonked an eight iron to a couple of metres and he was back.
Angus Norcock was more assured. He hit a little right off the tee on the 4th, the one that parallels Kooyonga’s back fence, turning his wood into a short iron to the green. In contrast, his opponent’s drive left turned his ball into an insurance claim.
Lewis and Billy were doing their things in third gear, accumulating leads as they went. But, by the time we reached the turn, all were in front.
The end of the ninth is a busy place at the best of times with three tee blocks spread around that juncture and the crowd exacerbated Sunday with groups banked up for as much as half an hour as we were. Strange indeed then that it proved so hard to get food and drink from the kiosk there; one can only assume the KGC committee has outsourced its operations to the Burke and Wills Catering Company.
Fortunately, the only things we looked like losing at that juncture were the Freddies – younger brothers White and Norcock. As starter, friendly John Frogley, sent the players south, the Freddies, with mischievous intent, had disappeared west. During the long interregnum after nine the search began. One report had them frolicking in the mud of a water hazard. Another was certain they were seen stranded up a tree. As we resumed, commencing the 10th from under the canopy of the dig tree, their whereabouts still remained a mystery.
Well, matches pretty much advanced as one may have expected from there as the teams headed up and back, up and back towards the air traffic control tower. Thus, those within it were given the thrill of witnessing right beneath the concluding stages of all of the Three Amigos’ contests. As for the Chinese war ships, also visible to them as they wandered up the gulf, well, the best live action not to be missed was to the north and, once again, Albo would have to wait.
Antell’s up and down from beyond the 11th green and Norcock’s birdie on the notorious 10th just two of the highlights for the boys directing the table tennis bats on the tarmac. At the end it was a 5-0 win, the Giant by four, the Big Dawg and Billy by five, Seth by six and Angus by eight. As for the Freddies, they were finally located having a wow of a time in a big bin of practice balls behind the clubhouse. Once retrieved, separated and then manacled, the RA entourage drove away pleased and already contemplating next week’s big clash against TTG at the Vines.
Junior Division 2 Round 3
Royal Adelaide 4 defeated Westward Ho 1 at Kooyonga
Report courtesy of Michael Jay.
Kooyonga played hosts the Junior pennant tournaments on a mild but blustery day with both Sharp and Div. 2 hitting off around midday.
After losses in the first 2 matches and coming up against the top side Westward Ho we were hoping for a change of fortune with an influx of new team members.
The task was daunting with only Finn Higgins, a single shot and reserve Poppy Warren 3 in the positive, the others having to confront handicap differentials of 3, 17, 28 and 42.
Leading us off on the 10th Poppy was 2 up after 3 holes, square after 9 and despite a slam dunk birdie on the 11th played hole, ended up losing 3 and 2.
Lucas had to give his opponent 42 shots but was steady all day and never lost his composure finishing his match on the 17th 2 up.
George Longbottom conceded 28 shots to his playing partner but was never headed being 5 up after 7. Losses on 8 and 9 fired him into action again proceeding to a birdie, birdie, par, par finish with the doffing of caps and handshakes on the 13th green for a 7 and 5 win.
Sam Tinson at number one had a great battle against his very capable and steady opponent Eli. He was never able to get some rhythm going and was 3 down at the turn but was able to briefly reduce the deficit to one but eventually lost on the 16th.
Alston gave a shot to his opponent on every hole bar one, was not headed but never more than 2 up so a very close contest. He lost the 17th and with the result of the overall contest still in the balance needed to square or win the 18th which he did.
Finn had a wonderfully close game being 2 down at the 11th but then won 4 on the trot before losing the next 2 to be square on the 18th tee. He was on in regulation and despite some putting woes throughout the round managed to sink a monster for a birdie to win 1 up for an overall 4 to 1 win for Royal Adelaide.
Westward Ho have recently commenced putting some impetus into their junior program and have only just been promoted to Division 2 so it’s good to see them making progress. Once again, many thanks to the parents pulling the buggies and having to live through the highs and lows of their offspring`s competitive golf experiences.
Simpson Cup Round 2
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated Tea Tree Gully 2.5 at The Vines
Report courtesy of Rod Phillips and Paul Reader.
On Sunday, RAGC’s Simpson Cup headed to The Vines eager to avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of Tea tree Gully last season.
Nathan Kent #7 never really got going in his match and fell behind early. Although battling hard, Nathan could not recover and eventually lost 6 and 5.
Michael Richardson #6 fought hard to shake his opponent and although not having his best ball striking day, Michael’s elite putting was displayed in a tight 2 up win.
Alex Pacifico (with caddie Dan Madigan) #5 played a complete game. Alex’s ball striking was far too good for his opponent as he only lost one hole in a dominant 5 and 4 win.
Matt Lawson (with caddie Robert Lawson) #4 continued his great form with long straight drives and crisp iron play. Matt was never headed as he worked his way to a dormie 3 up position before bringing some excitement to the crowd before winning 2 up on the last.
Billy Cawthorne (with caddie Tyron Davies) #3 played exemplary golf on the front 9, establishing up a 4 up lead after 6 holes. Billy displayed his course knowledge as he powered into the back 9. He seemed keen to play a full round as he eased the pressure on his ex-professional opponent before running out a 1 up winner.
Will Arnold (with caddie Steve Misopapas) #2 had a very tight match with another former pro. Although never in front, Will battled extremely hard getting back to square on several occasions. However, on the 16th tee, Will was 2 down and staring a loss “in the face”. Showing great resolve, Will won both 16 and 17 to again draw square which is how the match finished.
Josh Grundel (with caddie Terry Thornton) #1 got off to a slow start, being 3 down after 4 holes. Although Josh clawed his way back he could never get to the lead. Although winning 17, Josh could only halve the 18th and fell 1 hole short.
We are currently one of two unbeaten teams after 2 rounds.
Our next contest is against The Vines at Thaxted Park at 7 AM Sunday 2 March. Spectators welcome.
Bonnar Cup Round 2
Royal Adelaide 5.5 defeated Thaxted Park 1.5 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Ian Rice and Randall.
Round 2 of the season saw us pitted against Thaxted Park and playing at home gave us a good chance to build on our good start to the season and notch a second win. With 3 forced changes, we welcomed Ed Bell in for his first pennant match for RA and Josh Barrett and Jack Sullivan back to Bonnar Cup golf.
After 4 holes, we were up in 5 matches, square in one and down in the other.
Ed Bell led us out at number 7 and playing speed golf, he quickly moved out to 3 up after 6 holes, leaving his opponent and the rest of the field in his wake. He maintained this lead through 11 and then won 12 to move to 4 up before finally closing it out to win 5/3. A great start to his RAGC pennant career.
As good as Ed was playing, Josh Barrett at 6, was matching this and jumped out to be 4 up after 4. By the time Josh reached 11 he was 5 up, which quickly became 6 up after draining a long birdie putt on 12 from the edge of the green before halving 13 to win his match 6/5. A welcome return to the Bonnar team by Josh.
So as not to be outdone by Josh or Ed, Cam Cordon at 4, followed on from his good round 1 form and was 4 up after 6 holes and once again playing solid golf. As he strolled onto the 12th tee, I asked him how he was going, to which he replied “7up”. After a double take by me, Cam then proceeded to halve the 12th (holing a putt from the back edge of the green) to wrap up his match 7/6.
James Norcock at 3, was up against it from the outset with his opponent birdieing the 1st, 3rd and 5th thus Norcks finding himself 3 down after 5. Every time Norcks looked like getting a hole back, his opponent would roll in a long putt and by the 11th Norcks was 5 down. Norcks won the 13th but a half on 14 saw him go down 5/4.
Meanwhile Jack Sullivan, playing his first game in a couple of years, was locked in a seesaw match. Jack was 3 up after 7 but by the 12th his opponent had eroded that lead and the match was square. His opponent won 13 and Jack held on by holing a good putt on 14 to halve the hole. Unfortunately a missed birdie putt on 15, saw Jack remain one down but this was soon corrected when Jack birdied the 16th to tie the match up once again. A solid 4 on 17 saw Jack head down 18, 1up and then a great bunker shot to a foot on the last, saw his opponent concede the hole and Jack win 2up and us lead 4/1 overall.
Jono Cherry, at one, was also caught up in a tight battle with nothing much separating him and his opponent. Jono’s 1 up lead after 7 was extended to 2up standing on the 12th tee. A couple of halves and then a win saw Jono go down 15, 3up before winning the 15th to win his match 4/3.
Henry Perks, at 2, found himself square after 4 holes and wondering what he needed to do to win a hole after his opponent hit the 4th green with his 2nd shot after playing from the clubhouse side of the 3rd tee block! Although Henry got to 2up after 6, his opponent fought back and after the 11 the match was all square again. After trading holes Henry won 16 to go one up and after halving 17, he headed down 18 1up. A good second shot from Henry’s opponent from out right and a missed 6 footer by Henry saw the match halved. So a good second up 5½ – 1½ win was a pleasing result and sees us sit equal top on the table after two rounds. Next week we head to Thaxted Park to play Tea Tree Gully.
Women’s A3 Round 3
Royal Adelaide 3.5 defeated West Lakes 1.5 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Janice Fletcher.
Week 3 of the 2025 A3 Pennant season saw us back down on the plains and, even better, at our favourite course (home). The floodlights were on and the greenkeepers were busy mowing when we arrived.
Much to our relief, the weather was kind, with cloudy skies, modest temperatures and only a breath of wind for the first 9 holes.
We got off to a cracking start, with Juliet, Pauline and Mirrie all up early in their matches. Mirrie started with a birdie and was untroubled for most of the day despite a revenge birdie from her opponent on 7, winning her match 6/5.
Pauline was 3 up after the 4th hole and was never troubled by her opponent, playing with typical determination and skill, she finished on the 14th hole 5/4.
Juliet’s opponent eventually figured out she was in trouble, sank some monster putts and pegged Juliet back to eventually go 1 up after 13. However Ju was having none of that and birdied 15 to square the match. A ding dong battle with some great JH bunker play saw the match finished square.
Sharon started slowly but there was little between her and her opponent with the score level after 11 holes. Sharon then put her foot on the accelerator to rattle off 4 winning holes in a row and take out the match 4/3.
Ros putted really well to match West Lakes’ powerful young new recruit until the 6th hole but was 2 down after 14. However, she fought back to win 16 and 17 to come down the 18th all square, where her opponent set up victory with second shot that landed pin high. It was a great match. Thanks to the caddies: Anne Sykes, Didy Mclaurin, Malcolm Brebner and Stephen Copley, assistant manager Di Faull and the players and spectators who came out in support. Thanks also to Patric and Tony for their course-targeted coaching.
Women’s Cleek Round 4
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated West Lakes 2 at Thaxted Park
Report courtesy of Carolyn Astley
So proud of the Cleek 1 team this week with special mention to Alex Maddern who was even going up the 18th and won the day with a 3ft clutch putt.
Scores were:
Jenny Menz won 4/3
Sophie Gosse won 2/1
Alex Maddern won 1 up
Pam Hamilton lost 2/1
Di Tallis lost 6/5
A special thankyou to caddies; Di Moore, Ali Coventry and Jenny Clark.
Next week’s fixture is against Westward Ho at Kooyonga.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 2
Our Sharp soldiers and their tanks cross no man’s land on the way to the starter’s hut.
Royal Adelaide 4.5 defeated Kooyonga .5 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Peter Maddern.
Against the old foe and after last year’s shenanigans, all walked on egg shells around the starter’s hut. President and Junior Supremo, Michael Jay handed out the peace offering; RA show bags consisting of a Mars Bar, a club ball marker, course guide and signed portrait of the club captain. Thus, hostilities today were limited to the contests.
On a glorious day, the first thing to note was that the Big Dawg, Lewis Antell, was back! Birdies on the first two holes and another likely on the fourth but for his opponent conceding, lost in the rubbish off the tee, and he was four up after just that many. Birdies on 11 and 13 meant the Dawg could retire to his kennel right there and then. All helped, it must be said, by an opponent’s caddie, her father, who offered his charge advice that was as useful and as well received as that by JD Vance to the Europeans.
The Kamikaze Kid, Billy White, had an equally irrepressible start and then kept going. His routine on the greens should be legislated at the PGA level. Mark your ball, stride up patting down as you go to 10 ft beyond the pin, cross arms, look and assess, stride back, hit the ball, go collect; 20 seconds the lot.
Not that his opponent was doing much wrong but Billy was doing everything White. Even a call to the Child Protection Agency’s Help line wasn’t going to prevent this kid getting beaten up. Birdies on the trot at eight through 10 will win you most matches but not necessarily right there; at 9/8, Billy now owns the biggest win in our Sharp Cup history.
Seth Tymko and Jordan Cranwell both ended their matches on the 14th. Seth had got off to an even start in his match before getting into his stride from the 5th and finishing it off with a brilliant birdie; his last two drives of the day were monsters. Jordan’s scorecard at the turn looked like a graveyard, it being littered with crosses, but he slowed up a little from there; he lost a couple more holes than he did round 1 in winning by a slightly bigger margin.
So, four done but when attention turned to the remaining fixture, we found Angas Norcock four down. Not having this, the Kamikaze Kid took up duties on his bag and all that striding around seemed to inspire Angas. Clutch putts all holed from four to 14 feet on each of the last four holes and Norcock memorably secured a squared match; all watching on Kayo agreed this was great television. While Billy left the 18th claiming all the credit, Angas retreated back to the clubhouse sporting another of those smiles, this as big as that on a Kitchener bun from the old Naracoorte bakery. Despite the peace offering, beating up the old foe (collectively 25 up!) won’t have ingratiated ourselves to them as we head to just north of the airport for our next round. How frosty can it get teeing off at midday in the last week of summer? We are about to find out.
Junior Division 2 Round 2
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Kooyonga 4 at Royal Adelaide
Report courtesy of Jane Flentje.
The second round of Division 2 Junior Pennant was played on a beautiful sunny afternoon at Royal Adelaide Sunday 23rd February against Kooyonga. Our team was Jisung Park, Mason Holden, Sam Tinson, Josh Antell, Adele Wang and reserve Finn Higgins.
First pair off was Finn and Adele. Finn had a very strong front 9 and was 3 up at the turn but then lost the next 5. He rallied to take the game to the 18th, but finished 1 down.
Adele was playing some terrific golf and was even after 2 but then had a string of losses on holes where she had to give shots and her opponent was playing accurate golf. She regained some confidence with wins on 9,10 and 12 and halved 13 but a loss on 14 sealed the win for her opponent 5/4.
The next pair of Sam and Josh had strong games. Josh and his opponent played steady golf and had a very tight match to the finish, giving up 14 shots Josh was down 2 after 8 holes but fought back to be square after 12 with a terrific par. Josh had a good par and win on 15 and squared 17 but went down 2/1.
Sam was never down, he was playing very steady golf with a terrific short game. Sam’s opponent fought back with wins on 7 and 8, but Sam was still 1 up after 9 and had a very strong finish to win 12,13 and 14 to win overall 4/3.
The final pair was Mason and Jisung. Mason struggled at times with direction off the tee. Credit to his opponent who was playing very steady golf. They had the same score on many holes but Mason had to give 12 shots. He finished 7/5 down.
Jisung had a strong start and was even after 4. It was quite windy and Jisung struggled to judge direction and distance into the wind, he was through the 6th green for 2 but finished with a 7. He was 2 down after 9. He began the back 9 steadily with a bogie, par, bogie but his opponent was also playing very well, he finished down 6/4.
We were hoping for a home ground advantage but Kooyonga had other ideas, a disappointing finish of 4/1 down.
Thanks to parents and caddies, it was a very enjoyable afternoon.
Women’s A3 Round 2
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Mt Osmond 4 at Mt Osmond
Report courtesy of Di Faull.
The second round of A3 pennant saw Royal Adelaide play Mt Osmond at Mt Osmond. This was always going to be difficult against the top players from Mt Osmond and so it turned out to be with our team going down 1/4.
Sharon hit off first and sped to an early lead, going to 5 up then coming back to 3 up before winning 4/3.
Anne Arnfield did not have a good day and was never in front in her match going down 6/5, closely followed by Anne Ellis losing 7/6 to a player who didn’t miss a putt! This meant our 2 final players needed wins but both matches were tight with both Pauline and Juliet pitted against the very experienced top players from Mt Osmond.
Pauline played some brilliant golf and took the match to the 17th but a half on that hole saw the match finish with a 2/1 loss. Juliet couldn’t get in front with wins on holes just out of reach. This was especially cruel when dormy 3 her winning put just lipped out and the match was over 3/2.
Although disappointing the team played in the best spirit and a home game next Monday should see us back on the victory dais.
Women’s Cleek Round 3
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Kooyonga 4 at Mt Osmond
Report courtesy of Carolyn Astley.
Well, the team turned out at Mt Osmond in lovely sunshine this morning on the back of an inspirational LIV event over the weekend.
The aim was to try and make amends for last week but to no avail.
While congratulations go to the highlight win by Toffee Perkins 5/4, the rest of the team went down including;
Ali Coventry 4/3
Lu Jacka 6/5
Di Moore 4/2
Pam Hamilton 2 down
Thank you to the team for your valiant efforts and a special thankyou to caddies; Sophie Gosse, Carolyn Pigot, Di Tallis, Jenny Clark and Alex Maddern.
Next week’s fixture is against West lakes at Thaxted Park.
Simpson Cup Round 1
Royal Adelaide 6 defeated Thaxted Park 1 at Tea Tree Gully
Report courtesy of Rod Phillips and Paul Reader.
RAGC’s Simpson Cup team started its 2025 campaign with a match against Thaxted Park at Tea Tree Gully. The switch to summer brought some different challenges for Pennant golf and we were confronted with very strong winds and bright sunshine for our 7 am tee time.
These conditions caused some grief for our number 7 player who was unable to find his drive into the glare on 5, despite it being just left of the fairway. Nathan recovered to establish a 2 up lead after 9 holes and after giving his opponent a quick lesson on the correct procedure for marking his ball went on to record a comfortable 4/3 win.
Michael Richardson #6 used his unique putting style with great aplomb to set up an early lead. Although his opponent fought back, Michael was never headed before winning 3 and 2.
Alex Pacifico (with caddie Dan Madigan) #5 was consistently 20-30 metres ahead of his opponent off the tee and eventually overpowered him with a 3 and 2 win.
Matt Lawson (with caddie Robert Lawson) #4 was glistening in the new uniform. His golf was similarly shiny as he ran out a 3 and 2 winner.
Billy Cawthorne (with caddie Tyron Davies) #3 had a few stumbles early and after falling behind after 4 holes, Billy called on his exemplary short game to not lose another hole before winning 4 and 3.
Will Arnold (with caddie Steve Misopapas) played at #2. Thaxted opted to sacrifice the number 1 match and put their best player at #2. Will was up early but his opponent holed several monster putts en route to a 4 and 2 victory.
Josh Grundel (with caddie Terry Thornton) #1 had a softer matchup and after jumping to a 3 up lead after 5, went missing for a period to find himself 1 down at the turn. Josh’s superior driving and solid iron play was too much for his opponent on the back 9 as ran out a comfortable 3 and 2 winner.
It was a good start to the season and we look forward to stepping up against some stronger teams in the weeks ahead. We have a week off for LIV and our next match is against Tea Tree Gully at The Vines at 8:40 AM Sunday 23 February.
Bonnar Cup Round 1
Royal Adelaide 5 1/2 defeated Glenelg 1 1/2 at Glenelg GC
Report courtesy of Ian Rice and Randall Faull
Our Bonnar Cup title defence started with a tough first up match – Glenelg at Glenelg. We all agreed that being in shorts at 6.35am in early February was much more preferable than last year’s June encounter at the same time.
After four holes, not much separated the two teams with us up in three matches, down in two and square in the other two.
Cam Cordon in the No. 7 match, started to gain the ascendancy from there and by the turn (after 8 holes given the 17 hole course) held a two hole lead. Cam pressed on from there and with his short game running hot he powered away to record a 5/4 win, giving us our first point for the year.
Hudson Haynes, at 6, in his Bonnar Cup debut found himself 3 down after 7 but rallied after that and found himself only 1 down after 11. A see saw match continued from there with Huddo never quite being able to get back on level playing terms and he ultimately lost the 17th and the match 2/1.
Alexis Junin, at 5, was weaving his usual short game mastery and never found himself down in the match. An incredible up and down on the par 3 11th, saw him retain his 1 up lead which he held until the 16th. He rallied again to win 17 and then holding a 1 up lead, played smart golf down the last to half the hole in pars and thus win his match 1up.
Meanwhile Anthony Olsen, playing at 1 at his old stomping ground, found himself down early but a magnificent birdie out of a divot off the fairway on the 8th hole kickstarted a run of 6 straight winning holes that saw him wrap his match up 6/4. A dominant performance at No. 1.
So with 3 points already in the bag, things were looking good. James Norcock, at 4, didn’t have a great start and although he steadied he was still two down at the turn. He slowly started to claw his way back and an amazing up and down out of a bunker from 195m on the 13th, saw his opponent flounder and by the 14th, Norcks was 1up. He held the lead until 17 when his opponent won that sending the match down 18 all square. A pair of pars saw the match halved.
Henry Perks, at 3, was locked in a battle early on, halving holes with birdies but by turn he held a two hole lead. His opponent got that back to square by the 14th, but solid golf by Henry down the stretch saw him regain his one hole lead and maintain that down the 18th, and he won 1up giving us the win overall.
Jono Cherry was back to his old tricks and showing that SIM golf is just as effective as the real thing he found himself 3 up after 4 and 4 up at the turn. HIs opponent then reeled off a couple of birdies and Jono found himself only 1 up after 13. He had a chance to close out the match on 17 but probably the less said about that the better, so down 18 he headed holding a one shot advantage. Halving the hole in par saw him win his match 1 up and give us a first up 5½ – 1½ win. Such a good result to start with was just what the doctor ordered and hopefully showed that last year’s triumph was the beginning of a good run by RAGC in Bonnar Cup. A week off for LIV and then we play Thaxted Park at home.
Women’s A3 Round 1
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by The Grange 4 at Highercombe
Report courtesy of Janice Fletcher
A downgraded weather forecast saw the Women’s A3 team and their support crews somewhat surprisingly make their way up to Highercombe for the first match of the season. Unfortunately, the fairways have not been watered over summer as their course has run out of water. This led to particularly challenging conditions where bounces were unpredictable and good play was generally not rewarded. Despite being in the foothills the weather was still warm, reaching 34 degrees.
Although the final score was 1 match to 4, the individual matches were closely contested.
Sharon Honnor playing at 5, with the very experienced Stephen Copley on her bag got off to a flying start, weathered a strong comeback from her opponent to close out the match 2/1. Our top player Pauline Morrison with caddy Didy McLaurin fought back after being 6 down after 8 holes to lose 4/3. Anne Ellis, ably caddied by Malcolm Morrison, played well but lost 2/1 after a particularly unrewarding day on the course. The tenacious Ros Brebner had the assistance of novice caddy Malcolm Brebner but lost a very close tussle with her opponent, losing 1 down. The same fate befell Anne Anfield with her caddy Louisa Zerella (who was very glad that she was not called on as reserve ). I was really proud of the way our girls faced the conditions and a large contingent of the Grange Pike team with spirit and determination.
Women’s Cleek Round 2
(Round 1 cancelled due to heat)
Royal Adelaide 1 defeated by Thaxted Park 4 at Blackwood
After the cancellation of the first round of Cleek hopes were high heading into round 2 with the match against Thaxted Park at Blackwood.
Unfortunately the match didn’t go Royal Adelaide’s with the team suffering a 4-1 loss.
Congratulations to Di Moore who won her match 1up. The team looks forward to the round 3 match against Kooyonga at Mt Osmond.
Junior Sharp Cup Round 1
Royal Adelaide 3 defeated Glenelg 2 at Glenelg GC
Report courtesy of Peter Maddern
A lot new about the 2025 Sharp Cup pennant season that kicked off this weekend. For starters, the comp has been brought forward to a month where heat (rather than flood) warnings must be observed and (with Blackwood and The Vines contesting for the first time) it has been extended by two rounds. Not so new was playing at the novelty Glenelg circuit; this time a 17-hole layout and having players banked up around the course.
Also not new was seeing some of our best players back at the top of the order. The Big Dawg, Lewis Antell, now acquiring an almost imperious gait, returned from last winter’s wrist injury to toss the coin. After recovering from self-inflicted and separate breaks of his arm and toe, the Kamikaze Kid, Billy White, also had his name once more gracing the team sheet.
They were joined by three new talents, Jordan Cranwell (ex. Thaxted Park) who would get us away, Seth Tymko (ex. Grange) and Angus Norcock, the son of a club champion.
Things got off to a bright start with Lewis placing his wedge to four feet on the 1st, Angus to three feet off the tee on 4 and Jordan similarly to four feet on 3. Momentum was on our side only to find, when we got to the kiosk, groups were banked up. Fortunately, some came prepared for just such an eventuality with two of our juniors breaking open their homework, the others took to completing jigsaws. Given the wait, they also then had time to swap.
There were two holes where the afternoon turned. On the par 3, 11th, Cranwell watched and waited on the green while his opponent ground his way in for a four before he holed out for a birdie from eight metres. Jordan was probably least perturbed by the intermission, leading by four then and, with inflicting this body blow, heading off to win by four an hour later.
Seth Tymko may have been beaten badly a few times across the afternoon but kept fighting back. Wickedly out of position, 20 metres shy right of this green and on a dusty lie, after clearing away leaves and sticks but leaving a pine cone to keep up the degree of difficulty on his back lift, Tymko flicked a wedge to two feet. Miraculous! Until Angus Norcock turned up eight minutes later.
In the right trap where many players camped off the tee, Norcock mucked up his first exit attempt and barely survived his second before draining a 12 metre putt from just off the carpet. His opponent, hitherto expecting to have two putts from 12 feet for the win, three putted and Angas walked off with a smile as wide as a Naracoorte cave.
Then the real fun came on the 17th. Seth had clattered his putt from the swale into the flag forcing his opponent to two putt to win from 15 metres. Having failed that same contract just the hole before, hope for a halved match continued to spring eternal, but it was not to be.
With father and former club captain, James, now on the bag – and the tie still in the balance – Angus Norcock clapped his second, an all or nothing 3 wood, to five feet on this most taxing hole. He had been up most of the day but now confronted the 17th square. This monstrous blow was enough to break his opponent, indeed into nearly as many pieces as one of the aforementioned jigsaws, and Angus went to the clubhouse soon after a 2 up winner.
Club members will know the perils of straying off into the wrong part of a golf course. Just ask Terry ‘Quick’ Zander about his encounter with the black hole now formed on the 9th. Accordingly, with the Kamikaze Kid paired against a guy named Danger, watching this contest from a big distance appeared like the only safe thing to do. Early on, drone vision suggested Billy’s approach was to deal with Danger by quickly leaving him behind; he zeroed in and was 5 up when he was forced to turn to his homework.
But come the 17th and things had tightened considerably. I didn’t record White’s opponent’s first name but, at this juncture, Clear and Present would have been appropriate. It wasn’t pretty but Billy’s clutch chip and putt for a bogey now on the second last was sufficient to see off Danger; the Kamikaze Kid had won 2-1 and, best of all, nobody had got hurt. As the RA team drove out of the gates facing the airport, a Qantas flight took off to the left no doubt with baggage missing but we turned right and with equal lack of doubt about the two points secured. After the LIV nonsense, the real contest resumes at home in a fortnight.
Junior Division 2 Round 1
Royal Adelaide 2 defeated by Glenelg 3 at Glenelg GC
Report courtesy of Di Faull
The Royal Adelaide Golf Club Div 2 team of Jisung Park, Mason Holden, Josh Antell, Sam Timson, Kate Cao, and reserve Adele Wang played the first round of the 2025 Pennant season on a modified 17-hole course at Glenelg Golf Club on Sunday 9 February. Playing the home team on a 17-hole course and starting on the 10th, was never going to be easy and so it came to be.
As we played in 4s Adele and the Glenelg reserve also got to play a match although it did not contribute to the team scores. Adele played as if this match was critical and despite being down early took it to the final hole, showing great determination in her first match for RAGC.
Kate played in this first group of 4, giving 6 shots to her opponent who took every advantage of strokes given and local knowledge to have Kate 4 down after 9 holes. Unable to recover and with her opponent finishing birdie, scrub, par, par she went down 5/4.
Sam and Josh were next out. Sam had never played Glenelg before and unfortunately this did result in some shots ending in poor positions. He was 2 down after 9 holes then, under great pressure, he squared the 1st and won the 2nd to be 1 downplaying the par 3 third. He squared this but lost the tricky 19th hole and then holes 4 and 5 to go down 4/2.
Josh started well with a par on the 10th but his lead was soon cut short and the match went between the two players with no real advantage to either. Josh was 1 up after 9 holes and 2 up after the 1st but came back to square after the 19th. He squared the 4th and 5th but lost the 6th so was 1 down going up the last hole, the 7th, a beautiful par here finished the match square.
Mason and Jisung were the last players off. Mason didn’t start well losing the first hole and was 1 down after the 13th. He then got into his rhythm and won 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 so was 4 up after 9 holes. He briefly went to 5 up and it looked like the match was all but over, however his opponent had other ideas and pushed him to the 15th before he won 3/2.
Jisung came out all guns blazing as did his opponent. The match swung between them for the first 9 holes with neither managing a decisive lead. Jisung was 1 down after 9 holes and brought the match back to square on the 3rd. They both parred the 19th but Jisung lost the 4th (despite driving through the green) as he had to give his opponent a shot on that hole. He got back to square after the 5th and that is how the match continued, all squared.
Final result RAGC lost 3/2, although we lost overall the squared matches could have gone either way and it was probably local knowledge that was a deciding factor. Thank you as always to the caddies and the parents and a big thank you to the other team members who came to support Div 2 and Sharp Cup teams.
