Akermanis finds it tough going

JASON Akermanis struggled again yesterday as he made another attempt to force his way onto the Australian PGA Tour. Playing in the first round of the Q School qualifying

AFL great Jason Akermanis turning his sporting skills to golf. Photo: David Kapernick, Golf Queensland

JASON Akermanis struggled again yesterday as he made another attempt to force his way onto the Australian PGA Tour. Playing in the first round of the Q School qualifying tournament at Noosa Springs, the former AFL champion returned a modest 11 over-par 83 — well short of leader Jarrod Stirling’s four under-par 68.

Stirling, whose coach is Maleny pro Wayne Perske, is based at Redcliffe and ranked a lowly 2069 in AWR standings.

In second place, on 69, were Chase Duffy and Gold Coast amateur Peter Lyon.

Maroochy River’s Ryley Martin was well placed on one under-par 71, while Mt Coolum’s Lochie Coleborn was on 77 and Maroochy River’s Luke Parker on 81. The tournament finishes tomorrow.

22 under par!

IN A format where victory is often decided by a fraction of a stroke, the winners of Mt Coolum’s Volkswagen Scramble qualifier on Sunday left nothing to chance. The team of Steve Trevor (Wantima), Patricia Trevor (Murgon), Brenda Griffiths (Nudgee) and Shane Griffiths (Nudgee) scorched around the course in 16 under-par 56. After deducting their team handicap of six, they signed for a total of 50 — six shots better than their nearest opponents. The Trevor/Griffiths team now moves on to the regional finals in March.

Smart decision

SIMON Tooman, who finished tied fourth in the Maleny Legends Pro-Am on Saturday, is enjoying his reincarnation as a professional golfer. Once a regular on the Australian pro-am circuit, the Noosa-based Tooman gave it away a decade ago and regained his amateur status, winning last year’s Mt Coolum Open and this year’s Noosa club championship. Now he’s back again playing on the Legends Tour, where he won at Murrumbidgee in October and has been a consistent performer.

All in the family

HEADLAND’S Jamie and Josh Holbrook are about to join an elite group of fathers-and-sons to play A grade pennants together. Josh, 16, who has cut his handicap from 17 to 3.7 in the past six months, will join dad Jamie in the club’s A grade team next season. Although Josh has previously represented Headland in junior pennants, Jamie will be making his debut for the club, having last played pennants as a 14-year-old in C Grade for Twin Waters, alongside an 11-year-old Adam Scott.

Strong challenge

A POWERFUL squad of Pelican Waters stars will line up in the Australian Amateur Championship at Royal Queensland and Brisbane in mid-January. The Pelican Waters contingent is headed by Justin Morley, who played in last week’s Australian Open in Sydney, Chris Crabtree and Dylan Gardner, who holds a Golf Australian handicap of plus four. Rhianna Lewis and Sarah Wilson, also of Pelican Waters, will play in the women’s championship.

Take up the game

NOOSA Springs has scheduled a series of school holiday golf camps for children aged from eight and 14 — from beginners to juniors keen to improve their game. The hour-long clinics, from 8.30am to 9.30am, start next Monday and run through until January 24. The cost is $25 a day, or $110 for five days. Book by calling Hamish Robertson on 0406 003 175.

Cassie in the lead

CASSIE Porter, the Peregian champion who has had a remarkable year on the golf course, held a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Greg Norman Junior Masters on the Gold Coast this week. She had rounds of 69, 76 and 70 at Palmer Gold Coast, to be the only girl not over par after 54 holes. In the boys’ section, Pelican Waters’ Blaike Perkins was tied third at the halfway mark after rounds of 70 and 73. The event finishes today.

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