Round Three:

Another very pleasant day with just one or two light showers back on the Beach Course. It was an exciting day with many close matches before the 2010 semi finalists were decided. First to make it through was the inaugural winner (2007) Chris Coats who played solidly all day to defeat Ross Bockman 4&3. Coats now has the chance to be the first player to win two Australian Senior Match Play titles.

In the second match 2008 winner Denis Dale played fellow NSW player Roy Vandersluis. It was all Vandersluis early with some great driving and accurate iron play and he continued his hot form from round two with the putter. He was four up with four to play before he made a mistake and Dale took the opportunity and won three in a row. On the eighteenth both players found the green but a long way from the pin located in the "left valley of sin". When both three putted it was a 1 up victory to Vandersluis.

In the third match Col Hallam again went to extra holes before defeating West Australian Graham Bowen at the nineteenth. It was a great battle all day and it was no surprise to see then walking down the first again. Hallam has played well in quite a number of senior events in recent years and this is his real chance to claim a senior title.

In the final quarter final Ian Read continued his great form in the match play form of the game and defeated NSW senior Richard Greville 2&1. Read made the semi finals in 2009 and has done the same in 2010. Given his experience he must be hard to beat in the final two matches. For Greville it has been a good tournament and he can now look for better things in senior events in the coming months.

Round Two:

In another good weather day with a freshening wind on the Creek course at 13th Beach there were numerous surprise results. In the top match, Stefan Albinksi, the defending champion and the number one player in Australian senior golf had his first match (round one bye) against the 2008 Match Play champion Chris Coats. After a good battle it was Chris Coats who came out the winner 2 & 1. The early exit of Albinski was to be followed by the defeat of other top seeded players.

Number two seed John Beaumont (round one bye) had a see sawing match with Queenslander Col Hallam. The pair were close all day and finally finished all square after eighteen. They headed off in sudden death and squared hole after hole until Hallam finally claimed victory on the 24th hole. Round one giant killer Ken Lamb looked to be on course for another upset win when two up on Ross Bockman with two holes to go. Lamb stumbled on both closing holes and they too headed down the first hole again. It was Bockman who claimed the match on the 21st.

The number three seed Queenslander Peter King (round one bye) opened his championship with a game against fellow Queensland rival Ian Read. In losing to Read 3 & 2, King was the third player who had a round one bye to lose his opening match in the second round. Perhaps it is not an advantge to start the championship with a bye?

Number four seed Grahame MacDonald was expecting a tough match against NSW player Roy Vandersluis and that is exactly what he received. Vandersluis had a hot day with the putter and a run of long putts producing three birdies in four holes mid way through the match eventually gave him victory 3 & 2.

2008 Match Play champion Denis Dale was the narrow winner of a very close match against ACT senior Tony Gover who had defeated Dale during the 2009 event. In a high quality match with both players "on their game" the result came down to the final hole. Gover holed a great putt from 30 feet to stay alive but when Dale two putted from 60 feet the exciting match went his way.

WA player Graeme Bowen kept his championship hopes alive with a narrow victory over Queenslander Trevor Box. Bowen has played in this event for several years and this looks like being his best year and he could easily go further with the form he is showing. Another player having his best year in the match play is NSW senior Richard Greville. In yet another close game he eventually defeated the 2009 runner up Russell Rogers at the final hole. A classy player Greville is getting closer to a win in a major senior event.

The 2010 championship has already provided quite a few shock results with the top four seeds now eliminated from the event after two days of play. This has certainly opened up the championship with all of the eight remaining players definite chances to take out the title. Play continues tomorrow back on the Beach Course.