Congratulations to our B Grade Pennant team for winning the SCGZ Pennant final on Sunday. Our team are now back-to-back Champions following on from last year’s success. This is certainly an outstanding achievement!
Back in February/March, a competitive pennant fixture season saw our boys top the table and win their semi-final against a strong Headland GC side. Then the Covid-19 restrictions halted the season with just the final left to play. The team knuckled down to sharpen their skills when the date for the final was eventually announced.
It was a superb day for golf with Caloundra Golf Club dialing in the greens to be super slick and all the sucker pins in play for the contest between the Silver Tails of Noosa and the battlers of Mount Coolum. Team Manager, Scott Mayes, won the toss for Mount Coolum and the team was led out with the vibrant Paddy Gassner teeing off first.
After the front nine, all matches were close with Mount Coolum up in two, down in three and all square in the remaining matches. Our Mount Coolum boys would have to continue to battle the nerves and their opponents to win the flag.
First home was the invincible Mick Mraz who beat a solid opponent 4&3, quickly followed by rookie Jim Rice with a cracking 5&4 debut finals win. Two in the bag and all matches either even or one apart. Paddy Gassner went up 18 needing to win the hole to take it to extra holes but couldn’t quite convert. Then Team Captain, Jamie Franklin, who was in an evenly balanced battle finally got the upper hand on the 16th going 1 UP and held on to that lead to finish on the 18th.
With the scores now 3-1 there were still three matches out on the course. Brendan Cassidy fought doggedly from being 3 down at one stage to get back to all square with his opponent after 15 holes. However, his opponent was having a great day out and finished strongly to win on the 17th. Scores are now 3-2 and the team just needed one more win to take the title.
With two matches still in progress, our most experienced player and number 1, Nathan Collins, was having a great contest and was all square after 16. Just ahead of Collins was the young rising star, rookie Juilian Stavrou who secured an outstanding 3 & 1 victory to get that crucial point to seal the team’s triumph! With a final score of 4½ to 2½, Mt Coolum had achieved back-to-back victories which is a first in the B Grade competition.
Team Captain, Jamie Franklin said “I’m just blown away at how well this team of blokes rise to the big occasion. They handle the pressure with ease and deliver when it matters. It takes a whole team to win a pennant season and this was an exceptional team effort throughout. Kurt, Brendan, and Jim were undefeated all season. It’s that kind of success which builds momentum and confidence”.
“Whilst there were seven playing the final, not to be forgotten in this team’s success are Kurt ‘The Lock’ Tehliwec, Phill ‘Winx’ Joyce, Wilson ‘The Little Master’ Foster, and Scotty Mayes as well as the caddies. The team wanted to say a big thanks to our Club Captain, Doug Shand for coming down to support the boys as well as Graeme Finn and Scotty Mayes for their contributions to the running of the SCGZ Pennant competition”.
“This win is a whole of Mount Coolum Pennant success. We are also grateful to the Masters team for giving the B Grade boys a warm up match prior to the final. This really helped give them some focus and the edge on our opponents”.
Noosa are a strong club and always threaten and had three teams in this years pennant finals. However, our boys that denied them a clean sweep and have built a notable reputation as very tough opponents to beat. The lads celebrated the victory back at the Mount Coolum clubhouse and appreciated all the support from the Club.
This team continues the strong competitive tradition of B Grade teams at Mt Coolum with 5 Pennant Final wins out of 6 opportunities in the last ten years.
