Stefan Albinski Wins Another Major Title
2011 Australian Senior Matchplay Championship
NSW senior Stefan Albinski added yet another title to his already amazing record with victory in the Australian Senior Matchplay Championship at the 13th Beach Golf Club. Albinski played exceptional golf finishing three under par when he defeated fellow NSW golfer Greg Corben 7&5.
In the play off for third place and the bronze medal New Zealand visitor Rodney Barltrop deleated Queenslander Dave Morrison 6&5. It was great to see an international flavour to the national match play championship and Barltrop would certainly be a welcome return competitor in future years. Hopefully he can encourage a few more of his Kiwi seniors golfers to consider playing in our senior ranking events.
In the inaugural Super Seniors final West Australian Alex Cleave also finished under par in defeating Victorian Denis Long 5&4. This new event was a great success and is sure to continue next year and beyond.
The 2012 Australian Senior Match Play Championship will be played at Twin Creeks Golf Club in Sydney at the end of October.
MATCHPLAY FINAL DAY RESULTS:
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
1.
Stefan Albinski
7&5
2.
Greg Corben
3.
Rodney Barltrop
6&5
4.
Dave Morrison
CONSOLATION
MATCHES
6.
Chris Coats
5.
Colin Hallam
1up
7.
Richard Greville
5&3
8.
Denis Day
9.
Vince Clark
4&3
10.
Graham Bowen
11.
Alan Bullas
4&3
12.
Ian Read
14.
Greg Stanford
13.
Ken Brown
1up
15.
John Beaumont
2&1
16.
John Wheeler
17.
Roy Vandersluis
3&2
18.
Tony Gover
20.
Denis Dale
19.
Bob Gamsby
2&1
21.
Peter King
1up
22.
Grahame MacDonald
24.
Ken Lamb
23.
Paul Harvey-Walker
3&2
25.
Ian McPherson
4&3
26.
Brendan Curtin
28.
Trevor Box
27.
Michael Peeck
3&2
29.
Ross Bockman
1up
30.
Russell Rogers
31.
Keith Thornley
3&2
32.
David Edwards
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
SUPER SENIORS FINAL
1
Alex Cleave
5&3
2
Denis Long
3&2
3
Paul Lulofs
5&3
4
Tony Mazzone
6
Pat Giles
5
Norm Way
1up
8
Noel Bond
7
Ray Adams
3&1
It was a stronger wind and cold weather but fortunately the rain stayed away for the second day of the Australian Senior Matchplay Championship at the 13th Beach Golf Club. The final will be played between two NSW golfers - Stefan Albinski and Greg Corben after both players won their semi finals today.
For the first time the championship is being played over two and a half days with two rounds on both Monday and Tuesday and the final 18 holes on Wednesday. In the inaugural Super Seniors the final will be played between Alex Cleave and Denis Long.
ROUND 4
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
1.
Stefan Albinski
3&2
32.
Dave Morrison
8.
Greg Corben
vs
16.
Rodney Barltrop
CONSOLATION
MATCHES
4.
Tony Gover
4&2
20.
Bob Gamsby
5.
Roy Vandersluis
1up
21.
Denis Dale
7.
Brendan Curtin
W/O
23.
Trevor Box
14.
John Beaumont
30.
Greg Stanford
1up
6.
Grahame MacDonald
2&1
11.
Ken Lamb
32.
Peter King
1up
17.
Paul Harvey=Walker
25.
Ken Brown
2&1
9.
john Wheeler
29.
Ross Bockman
2&1
13.
David Edwards
28.
Russell Rogers
2up
12.
Keith Thornley
2.
Ian McPherson
3&2
18.
Michael Peeck
26.
Grahame Bowen
2&1
10.
Alan Bullas
3.
Ian Read
2&1
19.
Vince Clark
27.
Richard Greville
22.
Chris Coats
20th
27.
Denis Day
22.
Colin Hallam
2&1
ROUND 3
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
1.
Stefan Albinski
2up
32.
Richard Greville
8.
Chris Coats
16.
Dave Morrison
1up
4.
Denis Day
20.
Rodney Barltrop
3&2
5.
Greg Corben
2&1
21.
Colin Hallam
20th
CONSOLATION
MATCHES
14.
Greg Stanford
30.
Ian Read
5&4
7.
John Beaumont
23.
Vince Clark
2&1
6.
Ken Brown
11.
Alan Bullas
19th
32.
Bob Gamsby
4&3
17.
Grahame McDonald
25.
David Edwards
9.
Trevor Box
4&3
29.
Ken Lamb
13.
Tony Gover
5&4
28.
Brendan Curtin
5&4
12.
Ross Bockman
2.
Denis Dale
19th
18.
Peter King
26.
Russell Rogers
10.
Michael Peeck
1up
3.
Roy Vandersluis
1up
19.
Paul Harvey-Walker
27.
Keith Thornley
22.
Ian McPherson
1up
ROUND 2
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
1.
Stefan Albinski
4&3
32.
Ian Read
8.
Richard Greville
1up
16.
Greg Stanford
4.
Chris Coats
1up
20.
Vince Clark
5.
John Beaumont
21.
Dave Morrison
20th
31.
Rodney Barltrop
4&3
15.
John Wheeler
7.
Graham Bowen
23.
Denis Day
2up
14.
Colin Hallam
3&1
30.
Ken Brown
6.
Greg Corben
19th
11.
Alan Bullas
CONSOLATION
MATCHES
32.
Bob Gamsby
W/O
17.
Trevor Box
25.
David Edwards
9.
Grahame McDobald
2&1
29.
Ken Lamb
1up
13.
Ross Bockman
28.
Brendan Curtin
12.
Tony Gover
2&1
2.
Denis Dale
3&2
18.
Michael Peeck
26.
Russell Rogers
10.
Peter King
3&1
3.
Roy Vandersluis
2&1
19.
Ian McPherson
27.
Keith Thornley
22.
Paul Harvey-Walker
5&4
ROUND 1
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
THIRTEENTH BEACH GOLF CLUB
1.
Stefan Albinski
2up
32.
Bob Gamsby
16.
Ian Read
3&1
17.
Trevor Box
8.
Richard Greville
3&2
25.
David Edwards
9.
Grahame MacDonald
24.
Greg Stanford
3&2
4.
Chris Coats
3&1
29.
Ken Lamb
13.
Ross Bockman
20.
Vince Clark
3&2
5.
John Beaumont
5&4
28.
Brendan Curtin
12.
Tony Gover
21.
Dave Morrison
2&1
2.
Denis Dale
31.
Rodney Barltrop
2&1
15.
John Wheeler
3&2
18.
Michael Peeck
7.
Graham Bowen
4&3
26.
Russell Rogers
10.
Peter King
23.
Denis Day
5&4
3.
Roy Vandersluis
30.
Ken Brown
20th
14.
Col Hallam
3&2
19.
Ian McPherson
6.
Greg Corben
4&3
27.
Keith Thornley
11.
Alan Bullas
5&4
22.
Paul Harvey-Walker
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPER SENIORS
ROUND ROBIN
MATCHES
Pat Giles
3&2
Noel Bond
Paul Lulofs
19th
Denis Long
Tony Mazzone
4&3
Norm Way
Alex Cleave
6&4
Ray Adams
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPER SENIORS
ROUND ROBIN
MATCHES
Pat Giles
1up
Paul Lulofs
Denis Long
5&3
Noel Bond
Tony Mazzone
Alex Cleave
4&3
Norm Way
6&4
Ray Adams
2011 MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPER SENIORS
ROUND ROBIN
MATCHES
Pat Giles
Denis Long
3&2
Paul Lulofs
5&4
Noel Bond
Tony Mazzone
4&3
Alex Cleave
Norm Way
6&4
Ray Adams
Richard Froebel made the trip to 13th Beach and spent the whole day watching the match between Denis Dale and the Kiwi visitor and senior golfing legend, Rodney Barltrop. After the match he hurried home to find some dry clothes but has now submitted the following report. Thanks Richard and it was great to see a gallery of one!
TOUGH START FOR DALE IN MATCH PLAY
The opening round of this year's Australian Men's Senior Amateur Match Play Championship promised many classic contests, but none more so than the match between the 2008 Champion Denis Dale and one of New Zealand's finest, Rodney Barltrop.
The weather was atrocious with a gusty wind howling off the ocean and frequent rain squalls whipping across the course. Even at the best of times, the Ocean Course at the magnificent 13th Beach Golf Links complex is a major test of one's golfing skills. Today it was a brute.
Denis drew first blood at the very first hole after Rodney failed to save his par from just short of the green. This would be the last time in the match that this would happen. Rodney in fact missed four of the next five greens but was a remarkable one under the card for those holes and had opened up a two hole lead.
Denis bounced back with a win on the short Par 3, 7th and another on the long Par 4, 9th to level the match at the turn. By this time both players and yours truly were totally drenched to the bone and rigamortis setting in appeared a distinct possibility due to the cold.
The 10th heads straight back towards the beach and Denis pulled his second into a very dark place and lost the hole. At the long uphill 11th he snap hooked his drive. That cost him the hole and he was again back to two down. A super tee shot to 8m by Denis on the next and a brilliant putt resulted in birdie and despite Rodney's excellent recovery from another missed green the margin was back to just one.
The next four holes were an almost carbon copy of the front nine with Denis hitting each green in reg and Rod missing, only to somehow conjure up a way to either chip it dead for a gimme or make a par saving putt.
The match were now running out of holes and Rodney's one up lead looked like a mountain as they reached the 17th tee. This is a long dogleg right hole of 394m with the second shot played to an uphill green. Both players drove well to give themselves reasonable second shots. Rod was first away and his 4 iron was literally perfect, finding the hole for an eagle 2 and sealing the match 2 & 1.
Match play can be a bit of a bitch at times. Denis didn't do a lot wrong when you take into account the horrid conditions and to be bundled out of the main draw in the first round, is pretty harsh. Rod simply put on a clinic around the greens with the deft touch of a surgeon. He hit only 3 of 17 greens but was incredibly only one over for his round. Unbelievable stuff and great entertainment to watch!!!
In the inaugural Super Seniors final West Australian Alex Cleave also finished under par in defeating Victorian Denis Long 5&4. This new event was a great success and is sure to continue next year and beyond.
