Not only was time spent in the Geelong Football Club’s Queensland hub good for his footy, it also helped Brad Close improve his golf game.
With members of the Cats squad looking for things to do in their downtime, Close was among a group of about 10 players who tried out some of the Glitter Strip’s golf courses.
Now back in Mount Gambier having a break before pre-season training starts next month, the 22-yearold showed he had not wasted that opportunity by leading the field in Saturday’s stableford competition at the Attamurra layout.
Playing off a handicap of 23, Close notched 24 points from an excellent front nine before adding another 19 on the back to finish with 43 points, three clear of runner-up Lachlan Rees.
“I played a little bit of golf growing up here, but not much,” he said. “When we were in the hub a group of us played a couple of times a week on some different courses on the Gold Coast – mostly at Royal Pines on the Blue Course.
“Lachie Henderson was probably the best player and Tom Stewart hit them alright as well.” Close, who made a memorable debut for the Cats against Fremantle in round eight by booting a goal with his first kick in the AFL, played well enough in his eight games to win the club’s best young player award.
He will have a short block of training back in Geelong from December 7 before a three-week break over Christmas. “If things work out with the virus I’ll be able to come back and play a bit more golf then,” the former North Gambier junior said.
Reluctant to talk up his game despite Saturday’s win, he said he was surprised by how well he played. “I was having a blinder through the first 10 holes.
I hit it well off the tee and my chipping and putting was pretty good,” Close said. In fact he had 27 points after his first 10 holes, with pars on holes one, two , four, six, seven and 10 before a pick-up on the 11th.
He bounced back with another par on the 12th to move to 31 points before playing steadily to add another dozen on the final six holes. Bryan Pink scored 39 points to win A Grade from club president Trent Eitzen on 37.
Garry McCormack led the way in B Grade with 38 points, edging out Gary Button on 37.
Last Thursday’s men’s stableford competition turned into a battle between three veterans.
Peter Ewer looked to have claimed his first win since relocating to Mount Gambier from Kingston in June with a solid 41 points.
But it was another farmer in Jim Pegler who grabbed top spot after notching 43 points, his best score in three years. In third place on a count-back was the club’s oldest player Eric Roughana, who turned 94 earlier this month, but belied his age with a creditable 41 points.
The women’s weekly Wednesday round was cancelled due to inclement weather.
