Major Qld golf event heads to Biloela

The Outback Queensland Masters tournament has attracted hundreds of people to the Banana Shire.

Outback Queensland Masters golf Biloela PIC: Contributed

The Outback Queensland Masters swung into Biloela over the weekend and brought with it Australia’s largest amateur prize pool for golf.

About 144 golfers attended the sold-out event on Saturday, June 19, being the first of six games in the tournament, which will continue in Charleville, Quilpie, Blackall, Hughenden and Longreach.

Spanning 1900km, it is the most remote golf tournament in the country.

And for those who have played at least two of the six events, there is the opportunity to win $1 million if they get a hole-in-one at Longreach.

Although players had the opportunity to also win $10,000 if they got a hole-in-one for the second hole, many players were there for fun and making new connections.

And at the end of the Biloela game, there was a roast pork dinner plus some live entertainment from Busby Marou, hailing from Rockhampton.

Busby Marou PIC: Contributed

Golf Australia state manager Luke Bates said the event was sold out months ago and 80 per cent of contestants would play in all six events.

“We’ve seen people travel from pretty much all around Queensland and people from Adelaide, Tasmania, Canberra as well,” he said.

“Unfortunately we’ve had a few of our players from Melbourne not able to get out here. They just got stuck in the lockdown.

“They were really upset.”

He said players could spend 42 days in the outback with different Australian entertainment for each location.

He said there were 20 kids playing in the junior clinics in the morning and there were still opportunities for them to play in other towns.

Outback Queensland Masters golf Biloela PIC: Contributed

Rockhampton-based players Robert Lindley and Glen Watt are doing the full tournament, travelling to all six towns.

Lindley is currently tied in 15th position with a score of 33 and Watt is tied on 39th position with 29.

“I’ve been playing 40 years and I’ve never had a hole-in-one,” Watt said.

He said he would “pay a few bills” if he won a million dollars.

Lindley said if he won a million dollars, he’d give up his amateur status and play with the legends for a few of years.

“It doesn’t matter who we play good or not, it’s just about having a good time, meeting people,” Lindley said.

Banana Shire Council helped support the event and mayor Nev Ferrier said the people who visited had spent a lot of money in the local communities.

“It’s just great to see so many people here, and so many are going to go around and do the six towns,” Cr Ferrier said.

“It’s just incredible.”

David Halkett at the Biloela Golf Club

David Halkett and his wife Roxanne came from Newborough in Victoria’s East Gippsland.

They have been travelling around Queensland for the past few weeks and have played golf at Emu Park, Emerald, Capricorn Resort and Roma.

Halkett said he most enjoyed the friendships he made at golf, and the game came second.

“This [course] is of good condition for out in the country,” he said.

But in his travels, he sees more than just the golf courses, but likes to learn about the towns’ histories as well.

“Like Callide here, we went around the power station, to the lookout, just drove around the lake and a couple of the back roads to the rainbow hotel,” he said.

“Just having a look around the history of these places because there’s a lot of places in Australia the history you don’t even know about.”

He said the organisation of the event and the format were great.

Fred Taylor from Hervey Bay, Colin Maddocks from the Sunshine Coast and Robert Rule from Pittsworth are currently tied for first place in the men’s tournament.

Local Biloela player Val Garrett is leading the women’s tournament, with Ann Backhouse from Murrumbidgee in New South Wales and Rosanne Plummer from Biloela in second place.

Randall Coulthurst from Biloela is leading the non-handicap players.

Biloela Golf Course

Originally published as Major Qld golf event heads to Biloela