Championship Match Reports
Published on 2nd December 2025 in Latest News, Public Latest NewsWith thanks to our match referees, we have received the following reports from our Club Championship finals that were held on Sunday November 30. We will be adding to these articles as they are provided.
Men’s B Grade
The final was hotly contested by two very popular members – Anthony Hughan and Murray Billing. Both players had excellent form going into the final but on the day pressure of the final was evident early.
Anthony hit a very nice drive off the first to have only 124 into the green while Murray played down the tree line and ended up just short of the green for 2. Anthony missed his approach to the green and struggled from there to finish with a 6. Murray went onto make a 5 and win the first hole.
Both players found trouble in bunkers on the 2nd but was eventually halved in 5’s with Anthony playing his 3rd shot out of another bunker then making a great putt
On the 3rd hole the siren sounded to halt play, both players marked their ball and returned to halve the hole with 4’s. Murray stays 1 up.
Anthony lands in the fairway; Murray ends up in a bunker. Anthony’s approach is short and right but after chipping and two putting, he wins the hole and squares the match.
The 5th hole is conceded by Anthony to hand the lead back to Murray.
The 6th, 7th and 8th holes were all halved with bogeys
Anthony wins the 9th with a bogey to square the match again.
The 10th and 11th were halved with double bogeys
At last, on the 12th hole, Anthony played solid golf, achieving the first par of the round and regaining a one-shot lead.
On the 13th hole, Murray plays regulation golf finding the green in 2, 2 putts and makes the 2nd par of the day to win the hole and square the match.
The bogey train arrives again on 14 and 15 and is halved.
Some good competitive golf and pressure applied on the 16th by both players, but Anthony make a great putt to win the hole with a 5 and go 1 up again as they head to the 17th.
Anthony hits a nice drive down the middle to gain a distinct advantage as Murray struggles to find the fairway. Anthony plays his 3rd shot just short of the green while Murray is lying 4 on the green. Anthony miss hits his putt to leave it 15 foot short. The advantage now sits with Murray, but he has a downhill slider to save par. He just misses the putt, Anthony gives him the next putt. Anthony makes a great putt to score the 3rd par of the day and win the match
Despite tough conditions, Anthony Hughan won B grade in a well-spirited match.
Referee, Marty Rodgers
Mens A Grade
an anticipated hard fought battle between Damian Kaehler (leading qualifier) and David Halligan (the defending A grade champion). The weather had a strong wind but looming rain.
The first hole saw both players hit good drives followed by Damian reaching the green and David being just short after two. A difficult pitch for David resulted in Damian winning the first with a four. Damian 1up.
Following the drives on the second the siren sounded and play was suspended for 45 minutes. The resumption saw both players take five and the hole was halved. Damian 1up.
On three David reached the green and Damian found the left hand bunker. A good up and down for Damian from 6 feet saw the hole halved. Damian 1 up.
The fourth saw David’s tee shot clip a tree leaving him some distance to the green. His second ended in the right hand swale while Damian had hit the fairway and reached the green. With Damian holing from 10 feet for a par 4 the hole was won. Damian 2 up.
The fifth saw Damian reach the green and David’s ball strike the flagstick and ricochet into the right hand bunker. When David failed to reach the green and then miss a four foot putt, he conceded to Damian’s three. Damian 3 up.
The sixth saw two wonderful drives down the left side of the fairway only some 70m from the pin. However both players failed to reach the green and when David holed from 5 feet, he won the hole. Damian 2 up.
The seventh saw David down the middle and Damian’s ball in long grass on the edge of the bushes. A wonderful recovery saw both players now on the green in three. An unlikely three putt from David saw Damian recover his lead. Damian 3up.
Both players hit good drives on eight and reached the green safely. However when Damian recorded the first birdie of the day, he stretched his lead to 4up.
The nineth saw Damian use his considerable power to hit a long drive into the middle of the fairway. David was also safe but on a bare lie just off the right hand side of the fairway. He then had some bunker trouble resulting in a five but with Damian making the green and recording a four the hole was won. Damian 5up.
A brief heavy shower had passed through and the wind was now getting stronger. A testament to the new greens saw no pooled water to delay play. David found the green on 10 and Damian missed into the left side bunker. When Damian failed to get up and down David won the hole. Damian 4up.
While David hit a strong drive into the middle Damian showed his power advantage by hitting a 3 wood over the left bunker well down the fairway. David now was forced to hit at the pin in order to try and reduce Damian’s lead. This unfortunately resulted in him hitting over the green on the left and when he failed to reach the green with two attempts Damian was conceded the hole after making the green. Damian 5up.
The twelfth saw Damian’s power again on show with a long drive leaving a 235m shot to the green. A five wood found the front portion of the green. David ‘s drive was in the fairway and his second leaving a short wedge. He hit a wonderful shot to 10 feet. However when Damian three putted and David missed the hole was halved. Damian 5up.
Damian was now in the groove off the tee and he powered a drive done to just short of the left greenside bunker. David was now struggling with a back injury and his drive had found the trees through the fairway. His second found the rough on the right hand side of the green. A wonderful chip to three foot. Damian’s short sand iron was played just left of hole allowing for the slope to drift it to an up hill putt. Two putts secured a par. David while needing to hole his putt to continue the match missed and Damian was declared the 2025 Men’s ‘A’ Grade Champion by the margin of 6 and 5.
The match was played in wonderful spirit but in the end a few missed putts by David and the power game off the tee from Damian was the difference.
Referee, John Scheffer
Long Markers
Marshal Newman vs James Ward
The match started in pleasant conditions with Marshal playing a little more steadily enabling him to win the first hole.
After landing in the greenside bunker on the second a great putt by Marshal resulted in a halved hole. The third hole was also halved enabling Marshal to maintain his one hole lead.
Both players found trouble on the fourth with Marshal being forced to take a penalty from an unplayable lie. An unfortunate miscalculation of the strokes reported by Marshal resulted in a loss of the hole and the match was now square.
The fifth and sixth holes were both halved and as players putted out on the sixth the rain started to fall. After tee shots on the seventh the rain became very heavy resulting in the greens becoming unplayable and the siren sounded forcing the players to leave the course for around 45 minutes while the water drained from the greens.
After the resumption James was able to strike quickly winning the hole to go 1 up after seven.
Both players hit good drives on the eighth but it was Marshal’s great approach shot to the green that set him up to win the hole. All square after eight.
Marshal again played solidly on both the ninth and tenth holes, winning both and taking a 2 hole lead over James.
James made a great long putt on the eleventh hole and the hole was halved before Marshal went to the win the twelfth and extend his lead to 3 up.
Marshal was now 3 up with 6 to play and James needed to lift if he was going to extend the match. Lift he did, winning the next 4 holes and after sixteen holes James was now 1 up.
On seventeen Marshal responded well reaching the green in regulation, setting himself to win the hole. The match was now all square.
The eighteenth was played nervously by both Marshal and James. After a trip to the greenside bunker by both players James found the putting surface first, taking one less shot to get there. James was first to putt and hit a great lag putt from long range. Marshal, needing to make the putt for a chance to halve the hole, hit a good putt but unfortunately just missed on the low side. James made his short putt and the match was his.
The match was played in great spirit by both players. In the end it was James who staged a great comeback from 3 down which enabled him to win the match 1 up and take the championship.
Referee, Peter Doran
Women’s A Grade:
The A Grade Women’s final was a contest between two first time finalists, Sue Pearson and Dot George. It was clear that both were finding it difficult to find their rhythm as the pressure and weather made it very difficult for them. It was a tight match with as each player gained the ascendancy for a few holes and then the other fought back. Both players made some great shots and some that did not work as well so in typical matchplay style the result for each hole was often in doubt until the final stroke. In the end Sue Pearson was the winner 2 and 1. Congratulations to both ladies on hard fought match played in great spirit.
Referee, Carol Angland.
Mens C Grade:
This year’s C Grade final was a much anticipated event between two Senior Pennant/John Philip teammates and business acquaintances dating back over 35yrs ago. The friends were given strict instructions from their respective families to be NICE to each other ALL DAY. Keith and John played an epic final in great spirit, sportsmanship and true SV camaraderie. This was John’s first chance at immortality, accordingly he got off to a slightly nervous start against Keith who managed his way around the course like a seasoned pro. It was John’s power game and length versus Keith’s precision and short game. An epic battle it was, Keith 2up after the 6th, holes 7/8/9 halved, John winning 10th and 11th (all square now), Keith winning 12th, John winning 13th, Keith winning 14th, John winning the 15th, Keith winning the 16th, 17th halved and John needing to win the 18th to square the match which he was unable to do. Keith victorious 2up. Congratulations to Keith on winning his 4th club championship (2xSenior titles, B grade title and now C grade title) and congratulations to John on making his first ever club championship final (look out JK will be back better for the experience). Special mention to Jo (John’s wife) who won wife of the year for following the match in the terrible weather conditions (Jo may have missed a few holes though due to the lure of our warm clubhouse).
Referee, Larry Vun.
Women’s Club Grade
The 2025 Women’s Club Championship began under testing conditions, with strong winds and rain sweeping across the course. On the opening hole, players managed only three shots before being forced back to the clubhouse as heavy showers left the greens unplayable. Once the rain eased and the course was cleared, play resumed and the match quickly settled into a tense battle between Hayley and Koya.
The front nine was a showcase of nerves, resilience, and skill. Koya claimed the first hole with a bogey, while both players struggled on the second, recording double bogeys. Hayley found her rhythm on the third, making par as Koya faltered in the bunker, and she followed up with a superb up‑and‑down on the fourth to move 1 up. Both competitors hit excellent tee shots onto the green at the fifth and halved the hole with pars. Koya then responded with a magnificent tee shot over the bunker on the sixth, leaving herself seventy metres from the pin and winning the hole with a steady par. Momentum stayed with her on the seventh, where she drained a long putt from beyond the green for birdie. The eighth and ninth holes were halved after solid play, leaving Koya narrowly ahead as they turned for the back nine.
The contest remained tight as the match progressed. On the tenth, Koya struck a precise iron shot onto the green, while Hayley was unlucky to find the left greenside bunker. With the pin tucked at the front, Hayley clipped the edge twice and conceded the hole. The eleventh saw Koya’s tee shot find the left fairway bunker, but Hayley capitalised with a fine chip close to the flag for par to win the hole. Both players halved the twelfth with bogeys, leaving Koya 1 up.
The thirteenth proved costly for Hayley, who produced an uncharacteristic tee shot that found the water, handing the hole to Koya. On the fourteenth, Koya laid up smartly with an iron, while Hayley’s solid seven‑wood left her just off the green. A firm putt rolled into the left greenside bunker, and despite battling bunker‑to‑bunker, Hayley’s five was not enough to match Koya’s steady bogey. With the match slipping away, Hayley needed to win the fifteenth to stay alive. Despite her determination, she just couldn’t clutch the win.
Koya kept her nerve throughout the closing holes, playing consistent, composed golf under pressure. Her steady shot‑making and clutch putting proved decisive, and she closed out the match 4&3 to claim victory.
Koya’s fine match play and resilience under challenging conditions earned her the title of Women’s Club Champion. It was a performance that deserves high commendation — a worthy champion indeed.
Referee, Linda Wilson
Women’s C Grade:
Congratulations to Alison and Janine on making it to the final. Alison and Janine played exceptionally well, head – to – head, but Janine’s putting was on fire, sinking every shot. After nine holes, Janine was 5 up ahead, but Alison fought back, winning on the 10th and landing a beautiful shot on the 12th. Although Alison regained two holes, Janine’s long putt on the 13th and 14th secured her victory. Well done Janine on your first Win C-grade championship
Referee, Feirn Thomson
Women’s B Grade:
The Women’s B grade championship was played between Kate Mc Guckin and Janet Hardiman.
The match started well with a square at the 1st.
For the next two holes putting was the key — Janet winning both with solid 2 putts.
After the drives on the fourth the rain came, the siren screamed and we went back to the clubhouse.
A sausage and a warm room for 30 minutes and out we went again.
Kate played well and won the fourth.
The 5th & 6th holes were halved in 5’s.
On the 7th Janet had trouble with the rough while Kate played well and won the hole bringing the match back to square.
On the 8th, Janet’s second shot was a great shot onto the green pin high 2.5 m from pin. Kate’s second went right so on for 4. 2 putts each — Janet’s hole: 1 up.
The ninth hole is one Kate needs to forget, Janet won with a bogey making her 2 up at the turn.
The second nine started with an up & down out of bunker for Janet. Going 3 up.
With a square on 11 and wins 12/13 to Janet the match was dormie 5.
On 14 Kate saved the match with a good 2nd putt. Match dormie 4.
At 15 both players made 5 giving the match to Janet 4/3.
Both players had consistent driving and 2nd shots. The match as usual was won around the greens. Janet with excellent shots into the green and solid putting took command after the 7th hole and had a deserved win.
The match was played in good spirits with the girls urging their opponent’s shots onto the green. The caddies did their job well and allowed the players to concentrate on the game.
A thoroughly enjoyable game to watch.
Well done to both girls and congratulations to Janet Hardiman.
Referee, Margaret Willcox.
