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Sport

25 April, 2024

Maryborough and Talbot Golf Clubs break significant droughts in Ballarat Pennant

It was a week to remember for local golfers around the district as they swept the Ballarat District Golf Association Pennant for 2024 at the Snake Valley Golf Club. In the Ralph Charleson Shield section, the top division of the Pennant, it was...

By Michael Thompson

The winning Maryborough Golf Club Charleson Shield team of Tony Reeves, Anthony Passalick, Stuart Argall (captain), Gary Reed and Rob Daniell. Photo: Maryborough Golf Club results Facebook page.
The winning Maryborough Golf Club Charleson Shield team of Tony Reeves, Anthony Passalick, Stuart Argall (captain), Gary Reed and Rob Daniell. Photo: Maryborough Golf Club results Facebook page.

It was a week to remember for local golfers around the district as they swept the Ballarat District Golf Association Pennant for 2024 at the Snake Valley Golf Club.

In the Ralph Charleson Shield section, the top division of the Pennant, it was Maryborough which broke a 10-year winning run from Beaufort by claiming the shield with a win in their final game against Snake Valley.

The team was led admirably by Stuart Argall, while number one golfer Anthony Passalick won all his matches and claimed the Ian Zimmer Medal as a result. Tony Reeves, Gary Reed and Rob Daniell were also in the victorious team as they claimed their first Charleson Shield win since 2013.

There was also joy for Talbot Golf Club and Maryborough in the John Hunt Shield, with Talbot taking the win, and Maryborough finishing runner-up.

Talbot, like Maryborough, were in the midst of a long drought, having not won the Shield for 14 years, but a terrific first week yielded three wins, before a win against Snake Valley in the morning on Sunday meant that they couldn’t be caught, despite losing their final game to Maryborough.

The team was led by Talbot Golf Club captain Dean Ford, with Shane Lever, Neil Roscholler, Riley Ford and John Purcell also playing some terrific golf throughout the two-week Pennant tournament.

Maryborough’s team of captain Bill Patten, Rod Milne, Mick Arrowsmith, Mario Rosini, Rob Bird and Alan McIvor also performed well as the two golf clubs were able to perform strongly throughout the two week period.

Charleson Shield winning captain Argall said it was a thrill to be able to bring it back to the Maryborough Golf Club after 11 years.

“It was good. It went down to the last hole,” he said.

“We got points for each game, and it wasn’t necessarily a final, it was who had the most points and percentage over the rounds. That’s how it was structured. The team that won a game got two points, and over the five games we got 10 points.

“No other team won all five games, and we had the percentage, which gave us the win.

“Our last two players had to win their match for the team to win. Overall, it’s very pleasing. We’ve been on the receiving end for quite a number of years, being runner-up, but this was good.”

Argall said many members from the Maryborough Golf Club passed on their congratulations throughout the week.

“Since Sunday, we’ve been getting plenty of congratulations from all the players and the members of the club that found out we won, and found the struggle we’ve had over a number of years to win it,” he said.

“People don’t normally remember the ones that finish second.”

Argall was mindful that it was a team effort, and spoke brightly of his teammates that helped get the job done.

“Tony Reeves, Anthony Passalick, Rob Daniell and Gary Reed are all good, solid players. We combined well, and it was pleasing,” he said.

“It was a team effort, not just one or two guys standing out. Anthony won all his matches, and was our number one.

“It gave us a good base to build on, and the other guys are good players, so once we beat Beaufort the week before, we thought we were in with a chance. They’d been the stumbling block for quite a number of years.”

Argall, in particular, spoke highly of Passalick, who claimed the Ian Zimmer Medal both for winning his five games, but also for his attitude and determination to help get the job done.

“The Zimmer Medal was struck when Ian Zimmer passed away in 2003. The Ballarat District Golf Association deemed fit to strike a medal in his honour, and there’s a couple of people that have won it from the club, but Anthony was the winner this year,” he said.

It certainly sat well with Passalick, who sees it as an honour after playing with the Maryborough Golf Club for many years.

“It was an actual honour to win the Ian Zimmer Medal,” he said.

“I like representing the club. It’s an honour to play for them at different championships, and Pennants as well. I’ve been doing it for about 30 years now.

“Getting to play against other sides was good, such as Lexton and Snake Valley. It was fantastic.”

Argall couldn’t stress enough how important it was for the members of the club who won the shield to be born and bred locals.

“All our golfers are local. Other teams had golfers from Ballarat, and Ararat, but we were born and bred locally, which is good,” he said.

“It was rewarding in the end.”

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