Former junior soccer coach Nick Morony has only been playing golf competitively for about 15 months.
But just like the vast majority of those who have been playing for many years, he has quickly realised three or four bad holes can quickly ruin the most promising of rounds.
The 26-year-old tasted his first Saturday success at the Mount Gambier Golf Club back in January this year, shooting a +3 in the par competition to post the low round of the day.
His handicap then was 25 and while he was down to 22 last Saturday, that did not stop him from coming in with 41 points to claim the stableford competi- tion by a single point from Grant Stephenson.
But winning for a second time was the furthest thing from his mind as he neared the final few holes.
“My goal for a fair while now has been to break 90, so I did not really care whether I won or not,” Morony said.
“I have been in a position to do that (break 90) a few times but I usually throw it away on the last three holes.” His goal did not look achiev- able on Saturday, when he shot 47 on the back nine after start- ing his round on the 10th hole.
That brought him 19 points, helped in no small part by three-pointers on the 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th.
Clearly he was going to need a better-than-average front nine.
A three-point par on the 1st hole helped, but the par-four 2nd hole would be the key to his round.
A great drive followed by a perfect 8-iron to about four feet set up a five-point birdie and when he parred the 3rd for another three points he was up to 30 with another six holes to come.
More importantly however, was his opportunity to shoot less than 90 was well within range.
Bogeys followed on the 4th and 5th, but doubts started to creep in after a double on the par-three 6th.
Another two bogeys on the 7th and 8th saw him up to 39 points and meant he could still bogey the par-four 9th to come in with 89 off the stick.
A duffed chip almost proved costly, but he managed to sal- vage a bogey five that gave him the elusive 89 and also the best score of the day.
“I did not play the 9th well at all – I really thought I’d thrown it away again,” he said.
“I guess my target now will be getting down to an 18 handicap.” Morony’s score was easily good enough to win C Grade, finishing four points ahead of Matthew Bueti.
Meanwhile Stephenson’s 40 points led him to win B Grade by one from Brad Von Duve.
In A Grade the low round of the day was turned in by five-handicapper Josh Gosling who shot 74 off the stick to notch 39 points.
While Gosling produced the round of the day, the shot of the day came from runner-up David Pick.
Playing off a 12 handicap, Pick found himself behind some trees off the right side of the fairway after two shots on the par-five 7th, but incredibly holed out for an eagle three.
Another player who might have wished he could play three holes over again in last Thursday’s competition was Tony Steen.
Playing off a 10 handicap, Steen came in with 40 points to post the best score of the day.
That was despite having a double bogey six on the 13th for just one point and wiping the 1st and 15th holes.
In his other 15 holes he was a remarkable even par off the stick, no doubt leaving him won- dering what could have been.
His 40 points was one ahead of a trio of rivals, with Dave Evans managing to edge out Bryce Whicker and Stuart Skirving on a count-back.
