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Sport

1 November, 2024

Maryborough Golf Club ready to host 108th annual tournament classic

With just a handful of spots left up for grabs across the weekend, the 108th Maryborough Golf Tournament — which starts today — looks set to be one of its biggest editions in years.

By Michael Thompson

Men’s and women’s captains Paul Flowers and Raeleen Brooker are ready to welcome a host of golfers to the Maryborough Golf Club across the long weekend.
Men’s and women’s captains Paul Flowers and Raeleen Brooker are ready to welcome a host of golfers to the Maryborough Golf Club across the long weekend.

The club has welcomed a big entry list which will see golfers from across the state, as well as their loyal local players, make up fields of over 80 golfers on each of the three days, with strong numbers across the men’s competition and women’s competition.

The tournament is now in its third iteration after the event moved from a June classic to a November tournament, which is more closely aligned with the Melbourne Cup public holiday, allowing golfers more of a chance to take in the sights and sounds around the course.

According to new men’s captain Paul Flowers and new women’s captain Raeleen Brooker, the numbers reflect a strong turnout after the club faced setbacks in setting up the tournament in recent years after COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 and flooding in 2022.

“The June weekend was the usual time for our tournament, but it’s now become November. We had 105 tournaments in June, and this is the third one now in November. Speaking to Dan Leddin, we believe the course is in much better condition with the couch grass,” Flowers said.

Both Brooker and Flowers are happy with the numbers across the tournament.

“We’re really happy with the entries we have. We could do with a few more, but it is better than we expected, and we’re very happy with it,” Brooker said.

“It’s the strongest the field has been for years. It’s really good, and it’s great for the club,” Flowers added.

“We have a few visitors in the field this weekend and we’d love for them to also come back.”

A whole range of events throughout the weekend means golfers will be tested with multiple different formats, while Flowers said there has also been a slight change to the order of events this year, with the Andrew Maggs Memorial now held on Saturday.

“We have the four ball better ball stableford on Friday for the men, on Saturday, we will have the stroke round. It used to be on the Sunday, but we’ve changed it to Saturday, with a 27-hole scratch and handicap event and an 18-hole option,” he said.

“On the Sunday, we have a gentsomes round, which is a combination of four people and it is a fun game. We only have eight or so spots left on Sunday, and very few spots left on Saturday, so get in if you need it.”

Following Sunday’s round, the club will host a Melbourne Cup extravaganza.

Brooker says a new greenkeeper has allowed the course to be in the best condition in years, with the men’s course gaining a slope rating of 126 and the women’s a slope rating of 129.

“We’ve had a new greenkeeper recently and the course is in wonderful condition,” she said.

A packed schedule on Friday starts with the women’s competition teeing off from 9 am, with the men’s competition starting from 10 am.

Saturday’s 27-hole competition will start from 8.30 am, with the 18-hole tournament, open to men’s and women’s golfers, starting from 9 am.

Sunday’s competition will start with a 10.30 am assembly and an 11 am shotgun start, with each day’s competition also allowing for a non-competition hit-off between 3 and 5 pm.

A $30 pay-on-the-day fee will be required for golfers to compete, with a $40 fee for those wishing to enter the 27-hole tournament on Saturday.

For tournament inquiries, you can contact Flowers on 0419 882 346 or Brooker on 0417 175 980.

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