2009 ACT Seniors

FOR ALL THE FINAL SCORES CLICK THE RESULTS BUTTON ABOVE

Round Three Report:
Queenslander Peter King has finished with a barrage of birides to win the 2009 ACT Seniors Championship. King defeated Denis Dale and the overnight leader Roy Vandersluis by 3 shots with a final round 72. The last round of most senior tournaments is filled with drama and this was no exception.

Hitting off with a two stroke lead Roy Vandersluis immediately hit form with a birdie at the par five first. With Bill Banks making an uncharacteristic double bogey Vandersluis had opened his lead to five. In the second last group Denis Dale, Russell Rogers and Vince Clark all began well with birdies in the opening holes. After 8 holes Dale was two under and Rogers one under. In the final Peter King has played consistently and was narrowing the gap. The other member of the final group, Richard Greville (NSW), was also playing steady golf.

Vandersluis and Banks ran into trouble and a string of bogies followed that would eventually put them out of the event. Dale dropped a few shoys after hitting too long to the beautifully presented Royal Canberra greens and failing to get up and down. With six holes to go it looked like a race in four - Russell Rogers, Denis Dale, Peter King and also Richard Greville who was still quietly making his pars and catching the leaders. It was time for someone to make a charge and win the championship.

It turned out to be Queenslander Peter King - in a great display of precision golf he finished the last six holes with three birdies and three pars to return a par round of 72 and what turned out to be a comfortable victory. Dale finished level par over these final six holes for a two over 74 but he was no match for King's brilliance.

When Vandersluis birdied the last he finished with a closing 79 that was good enough to share second place with Dale. This was Vandersluis' best performance in a national senior event and he looks like a player to follow in upcoming evevnts.

A single shot away was Richard Greville who returned a well crafted 75 and outright fourth place. Watch out for Greville in the next few events - he looks ready! Banks (80) and Rogers (78) dropped a few shots late and finished in fifth and seventh place. Sharing seventh place was the West Australian Graham Bowen who was nearing the end of his long caravan tour of the southern and eastern states. Bowen played consistently with scores of 77-75-77 and was well pleased with his topten placing.

NSW senior Ross Bockman had another good tournament and his closing 74 gave him a share of fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Vince Clark (77-75-77 for equal seventh) and Noel Wood (78-76-77 for outright 10th).

On a very hot day in the national capital King's even hotter finish was too good for all his rivals and his first ever victory in an Australian Senior Ranking event was a very popular one.

The Final 10:

1    222    Peter KING    QLD    75 - 75 - 72 Windaroo
2    225    Denis DALE    NSW    75 - 76 - 74 Asquith
2    225    Roy VANDERSLUIS    NSW    70 - 76 - 79 The Lakes
4    226    Richard GREVILLE    NSW    77 - 74 - 75 Avondale
5    228    Ross BOCKMAN    NSW    78 - 76 - 74 Long Reef
5    228    Bill BANKS    ACT    76 - 72 - 80 Royal Canberra
7    229    Graham BOWEN    WA    77 - 75 - 77 Mandurah
7    229    Vincent CLARK    NSW    77 - 75 - 77 The Lakes
7    229    Russell ROGERS    NSW    75 - 76 - 78 Tura Beach
10 231    Noel WOOD    NSW    78 - 76 - 77 Antill Park

Round Two Report:
NSW player Roy Vandersluis has kept his lead after the second round of the championship. On another very warm day at Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club Vandersluis played steady golf for a score of 76 to go with his opening 70 and his 146 total gave hime a two stroke lead. Running second is the ACT's leading senior golfer, Bill Banks who had the day's best score of even par 72.

This pair will be joined in the final group by Queenslander Peter King who matched his opening 75 with another 75 and NSW player Richard Greville who improved from his round one score of 77 with a fine 74.

Also close behind the leaders and still a chance with a hot final round at Royal Canberra are Denis Dale (75-76) and Russell Rogers (75-76).

Other players to move up the leaderboard were Western Australia's Graham Bowen who improved 2 shots from his opening 77 with his good round of 75 and the NSW pair of Vince Clark (77-75) and Greg Stanford (78-74).

Rounding out the Top Ten were the NSW pair of Les Browne (79 and a very good 74) and Charlie Bevan (78 followed by 75).

Top 10:

1    146    Roy VANDERSLUIS    NSW    70 - 76
2    148    Bill BANKS    ACT    76 - 72
3    150    Peter KING    QLD    75 - 75
4    151    Richard GREVILLE    NSW    77 - 74
4    151    Denis DALE    NSW    75 - 76
4    151    Russell ROGERS    NSW    75 - 76
7    152    Graham BOWEN    WA    77 - 75
7    152    Vincent CLARK    NSW    77 - 75
7    152    Greg STANFORD    NSW    77 - 75
10 153    Les BROWNE    NSW    79 - 74
10 153    Charlie BEVAN    NSW    78 - 75

Round One Report:
NSW player Roy Vandersluis has recorded a great two under par 70 in round one of the 2009 ACT Seniors Championship being played from November 17-19, 2009 over three courses - Murrumbidgee, Gungahlin Lakes with the final round at Royal Canberra.

On a very warm day Vandersluis played great golf at the Murrumbidgee course and actually missed several short birdie putts on the closing holes that prevented an even more spectacular round. He goes into the second round at Gungahlin Lakes with a four stroke lead from Don Box (QLD) and Rick Oliver (NSW) who had first round 74's. Oliver had the shot of the day with a hole in one on the third hole.

The next group a shot away with three over par 75s include Peter King (QLD), Jack Parker (NSW), Russell Rogers (NSW) and Denis Dale (NSW).

Top 10:

1    70    Roy VANDERSLUIS    NSW    70
2    74    Donald BOX    QLD    74
2    74    Rick OLIVER    NSW    74
4    75    Denis DALE    NSW    75
4    75    Peter KING    QLD    75
4    75    Jack PARKER    NSW    75
4    75    Russell ROGERS    NSW    75
8    76    Bill BANKS    ACT    76
8    76    Robert CROKER    NSW    76
8    76    Bryan KELLY    ACT    76