The first weekend of play at Bundaberg Golf Club’s premier annual event The Burnett Cup was long and hard as 76 teams took to the green to battle it out.
In 52 years of the match play competition Bundaberg Golf Club Captain David Obst said it was fantastic to see the same players return for each event, along with some new faces.
Bundaberg Golf Club Patron David Gordon along with teammate Trevor McLeod, teed offed just after lunch in the first round on Saturday, but luck wasn’t on their side as they progressed to the Peter Hitchcock Memorial Plate on Sunday.
David, 75, has never missed a tee off in the more than half a century that the Burnett Cup competition has been running.
As Captain David Obst said it was a wonderful accomplishment for one of the longest serving members to achieve, no matter the end result.
David said the opening round of the Burnett Cup kept some of the players on their toes, as they played a “hole-by-hole proposition” with some going into a sudden death round.
“We had one match that had to play four extra holes, one match played two extra, and another team played one extra,” David said.
“Playing 22 holes is a lot of hard work! The competition was good.”
Defending champions Shaun Allen and Jeremy Zahl are determined to take home the trophy, winning their first round with six, and five holes to go.
“They are a tough team to beat,” David said.
“They got really pushed a couple of times last year, everybody is beatable.”
David said the ground was in prime condition for play after the early summer rain in the region.
“It was a very long and slow day, but a good day of competition,” David said.
“We have great grounds considering the rain we had – they are actually in mint condition.
“We had about 200 players through on the course the day, which included the 152 Burnett Cup players.”
David said the Burnett Cup attracted golfers from around the region to take part in the competition.
“It was a very good turnout – 76 teams we are happy with that,” he said.
“We had players from Bargara Golf Club, Coral Cove, Hervey Bay, Isis, nine from Gayndah and also one from 1770 Golf Club, with the rest of the teams from Bundaberg.”
Of the 76 teams, 38 made it through to the next round this weekend, while the other half battled it out on Sunday in the first round of the Peter Hitchcock Memorial Plate.
The Ladies and Mens finals for the Burnett Cup will be held on Saturday 26 February.
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