CORBEN WINS SA SENIOR AMATEUR TITLE - Report from Golf SA
Veratile sportsman Greg Corben of NSW was delighted with his performance in the 2010
SA Senior Amateur Championship at the Grange Golf Club this week.
Corben, 57, of the Twin Creeks Golf Club in Sydney, finished with rounds of 75, 75 and 76 for a
total of 226. He won the title from Rick Oliver of Young on 228 and defending champion Denis
Dale of NSW, also on 228. South Australia's Dean Harris of Glenelg Golf Club started the final
day level with Corben after two rounds of 75. But he had a 79 in the last round to finish on 229
to be the best performed local golfer.
After his victory, Corben described Grange as a difficult course and the type of course that
eastern state golfers did not get to play on very often. "It has a hard surface but it is a
wonderful course and it was a great test,'' he said. "The top players need to have a vast array
of shots to be able to play well on this course.'' Corben said he was lucky that Australia's
leading senior golfer Stefan Albinski of Mona Vale Golf Club was not at its best for the
tournament. "He has just had a hernia operation and he will improve for future events.''
Albinski had rounds of 76, 79 and 77 for a total of 232.
Corben, who is a former State hockey player and a Sydney grade cricketer, also has won the
Queensland Senior championship for the past two years. Corben, who took up golf when he
was 33, has a busy schedule ahead of him. "My next event will be the Australian Match Play at
Thirteenth Beach in Geelong in three weeks. I also will be going to the Hong Kong Seniors in
the first week of December.''
The State Championship at Grange was a Golf Australia Senior Men's ranking event. It
attracted 69 entrants from 50 clubs with 40 players travelling from interstate for the
tournament. In last year's event, Dale prevailed in blustery conditions. Strong winds on both
days of the amateur championship did not allow for low scoring but Dale showed all his class
and experience to beat John Beaumont of Mount Gambier Golf Club by two strokes. In this
week's event, Beaumont had rounds of 78, 77 and 83 for a total of 238.
ROUND THREE REPORT
NSW senior Greg Corben continued his recent consistent form with a two stroke victory in the 2010 South Australian Senior Amateur Championship played at the Grange West Course.
Having shared the lead at the 18 and 36 hole stages with rounds of 75-75 Corben produced some great golf in the final round. He was under par playing the fifteenth and although dropping shots on the closing holes his score of 76 and a total of 226 was enough for a comfortable victory.
After an opening birdie Corben played steadily turning in a one over par 37. Birdies on 11 and 12 saw him one under par until a three putt bogey on 15 returned him to equal par. The closing holes at Grange West are very challenging with greens well protected and championship pins hard to attack. Corben dropped five shots and had slightly opened the door for the challengers.
NSW player Denis Dale birdied 13 and 14 to be par figures playing 15 and it looked like finishing with four pars might give him a chance. However, he too three putted the 15th then found the greenside bunker on 16 to drop another shot. Attacking the "sucker pin" on 18 trying for a birdie meant another bogey and Dale had to be content with second.
Meanwhile Rick Oliver was playing outstanding golf on the other nine and with three holes to go was one under par. With an easier finish he had a great chance of catching Corben but then found the fairway bunker on the wonderful short par 4 7th. A double bogey there and another bogey on the final hole and Oliver also had to settle for second place.
In sharing second place Rick Oliver (77-77-74) and Denis Dale (77-76-75) continued their ongoing battle they have enjoyed since sharing the title at the 2007 Australian Senior Championship at Commonwealth Golf Club. Once again they could not be separated and their ongoing battle comtinues!
In finishing first and second Greg Corben and Denis Dale provided a rare club quinella in a major championship. Both players are members of the Twin Creeks Golf Club in Sydney. A new course designed by Graham Marsh it is a great test if you do get an opportunity to play there.
South Australian newcomer Deane Harris was alone in fourth place after rounds of 75-75-79 = 229. A former state champion Harris would be a threat in any senior event and hopefully we can see more of this very talented player. Sharing fifth place on a 54 hole total of 232 were current Australian Senior Champion Stefan Albinski, (76-77-79), West Australian Graham Bowen (76-79-77) and senior circuit veteran Brian Sams (76-76-80).
Last week's winner John Beaumont found out how the golfing fortunes can be fickle starting his third round with a quadruple bogey nine followed by a trio of bogies. He fought back with three birdies in the first four holes of the back nine but then also struggled over the tough closing holes with four bogies and a round of 83. His 12th place was enough for him to climb further up the ranking ladder and he now sits in second place behind Stefan Albinski who did not have one of his better events but still managed a share of fifth place.
Beaumont's playing partner provided this description of his round: "I played with JB and it was sad to see what the golfing god did to him particularly on the front nine. There were at least 5 lip outs with well struck short putts but that was nothing compared to what happened on the first! A really good drive set John up with a very solid second which finished about 35 metres from the pin in the perfect position chipping up the green from the left front with the front bunker out of play.
His running pitch looked great off the club and in fact caught the left side of the hole going up which unfortunately for JB created a 'sling shot' effect and the ball given that extra momentum trickled into the back bunker. May be a centimeter difference would have give him an eagle and the chip was good. It is history now that he came out of the back bunker too strong and then left two in the front bunker before then returning to the back bunker. JB then hit the shot he wanted a few minutes earlier which enabled an up and down from that back bunker but the score was 9 not 5. In typical JB fashion you would never know how much he was hurting. "
NSW senior Bob Angus took out the handicap honours with rounds of 79-78-79 off his handicap of 6. After his fine performance in the Australian senior team that defeated the Defence Forces team recently, Angus has had a good few weeks of golf - look out for him in the Victorian Seniors and then the Australian Match Play.
In winning the handicap section Angus finished two over his handicap with four over being the next best. It says a lot about how hard the course played and perhaps a little about the new handicapping system. Obviously there are going to be teething pains in the transition period but many of those who played both events will not be happy with Golflink when they get home!
The Grange course was presented in excellent condition and all players certainly enjoyed the challenge of this excellent course, the hospitality of the club and the smooth organisation of the event by SA Golf.
Final Top 10 Scores:
1 226 CORBEN Greg NSW 75 - 75 - 76
2 228 DALE Denis NSW 77 - 76 - 75
2 228 OLIVER Rick NSW 77 - 77 - 74
4 229 HARRIS Deane SA 75 - 75 - 79
5 232 ALBINSKI Stefan NSW 76 - 77 - 79
5 232 BOWEN Graham WA 76 - 79 - 77
5 232 SAMS Brian NSW 76 - 76 - 80
8 235 BOCKMAN Ross NSW 77 - 80 - 78
9 236 ANGUS Bob NSW 79 - 78 - 79
9 236 GOVER Tony ACT 78 - 81 - 77
ROUND TWO REPORT
Round two of the South Australian Senior Amateur Championship at the Grange West Course is nearing completion and it looks like there will certainly be a close battle for this championship. The round one leaders NSW senior Greg Corben and SA newcomer Dean Harris repeated their good opening rounds of three over par 75 and lead the way on scores of 150.
Two strokes behind and currently in third place is long time senior star Brian Sams with a pair of 76's and a total of 152. He has a one stroke lead over the current Australian Senior Champion Stefan Albinski (76-77) and the defending champion in this event Denis Dale (77-76).
A further stroke away are Tasmanian Bill "Whippy" Wellington (77-77) and NSW senior Rick Oliver (77-77). At this stage it does look like the winner will come from the names above.
The Grange course has been very well presented and all players are enjoying the challenge of this excellent course.
Leading 36 hole Scores:
150 CORBEN Greg 75 - 75 NSW , HARRIS Dean 75 - 75 SA
152 SAMS Brian 76 - 76 NSW
153 ALBINSKI Stefan 76 - 77 NSW, DALE Denis 77 - 76 NSW
154 OLIVER Rick 77 - 77 NSW , WELLINGTON Bill 77 - 77TAS
155 BEAUMONT John 78 - 77 SA, BOWEN Graham 76 - 79 WA
157 BOCKMAN Ross 77 - 80 NSW, ANGUS Bob 78 - 79 NSW
ROUND ONE REPORT
The opening round of the South Australian Senior Amateur Championship at the Grange West Course began in cool conditions on a course that was well gfroomed and the usual firm and fast greens. At the completion of play there is a group of top clas splayers within a few shots of each other.
Leading the way is NSW senior Greg Corben and SA newcomer Deane Harris. Both players recorded good scores of three over par 75. is nearing completion and it looks like there will certainly be a close battle for this championship.
Just a stroke away on 76 are tournament favourite Stefan Albinski, WA traveller Graham Bowen, prolific winner Brian Sams and NSW player David Edwards who recorded his best round for some time in a Senior Ranking event.
Another group of top class senior players are grouped together on 77 - Denis Dale, Bill "Whippy" Wellington, Ross Bockman and Rick Oliver. All except Tasmanian champion senior Wellington are NSW players.
Leading 18 hole Scores:
75 CORBEN Greg NSW, HARRIS Deane SA
76 ALBINSKI Stefan NSW, BOWEN Graham WA, EDWARDS David NSW, SAMS Brian NSW
77 BOCKMAN Ross NSW, DALE Denis NSW, OLIVER Rick NSW, WELLINGTON Bill TAS
78 BEAUMONT John SA, BULLAS Alan VIC
The Grange Golf CLub
