Peter Dewsbury reigns supreme in Narrabri Golf Club’s inaugural shootout final

Watching carts driving in all different directions up the fairway on the first at the Narrabri Golf Club on Sunday morning was a sight to behold as the 2022 shootout final got underway.

A little over four-and-a-half hours later, only Peter Dewsbury and Joe Hayne were left standing after a field of 15 golfers was reduced to two, and it was Dewsbury who would claim the coveted title.

The Narrabri Golf Club’s inaugural shootout competition got underway back on Saturday, May 28, with the first qualifying round.

Eleven of the 12 qualifying rounds were played ahead of the final, which was initially scheduled to go ahead on Sunday, October 30. However, due to flooding across the course, that was rescheduled and the new date was eventually set down for Sunday, November 20.

Golfers were permitted to play in as many of the qualifying rounds as they wished, with their highest score taken into consideration to gain a place in the final.

There were 19 golfers who qualified for the final, but some were unable to attend on the new date for a variety of reasons. That saw several players from the reserves list called into action, and a field of 15 golfers eventually took part, including Maryanne McDonald, Rhys Orman, Jim Pitman, Leisa Eather, Luke McGrath, Peter Dewsbury, Will Brooks, Joe Hayne, Nick Scott, Josh Orman, Louise Penberthy, Troy and Tony Nott, Chrissy Southwell and Tony Meppem.

Several spectators went around the course with the field to watch all of the action unfold, as did two scorers – Peter Ward and Bob Taylor.

The shootout final was played under stableford rules across 14 holes. Due to the club’s 18-hole course still being flood-affected, the match was played on holes one, two, three and four, then nine, 10 and 11, a short hole on 17 off the ladies’ tee and then back down 18.

All 15 players teed off on the first hole, and one dropped out of the final on each hole. That was the golfer with the lowest stableford score, and if two or more players were tied on that score, a chip-off was contested and the golfer whose ball landed furthest from the hole was eliminated.

Brooks was the first of the field of 15 to be eliminated as he had the lowest stableford points score on hole one.

The remaining 14 players then teed off on the second hole. Hayne, Dewsbury and McDonald had the equal lowest score and they went into a chip-off, with McDonald being eliminated.

The remaining 13 players teed off on the third hole. Four players, including Southwell, Pitman, Eather and McGrath, had the equal lowest score and went into a chip-off, and it was McGrath who was then eliminated.

Rhys Orman had the lowest score on the fourth hole and was eliminated, and then on the fifth hole there was a chip-off between Penberthy, Scott and Troy Nott, with Penberthy being eliminated.

Scott then had the lowest score on the sixth hole and was eliminated.

There was another chip-off on the seventh hole as Pitman and Meppem went head-to-head to stay alive, and it was Pitman who won as Meppem was eliminated.

Tony and Troy Nott then had the lowest scores on holes eight and nine, respectively, and were eliminated.

The 10th hole saw Southwell and Hayne go into a chip-off and it was Southwell who was eliminated.

Eather and Josh Orman had a chip-off on the 11th hole and it was Eather who was eliminated as she finished fifth, but Orman’s good fortune ran out on the 12th hole when he was knocked out following a chip-off with Pitman, which saw him place fourth.

And then there were three – Hayne, Dewsbury and Pitman.

Pitman was eliminated on the 13th hole and claimed third prize, which saw Hayne and Dewbury progress to the final hole.

In a nail-biting finish on the 14th hole of the day, Hayne and Dewsbury both had five shots.

However, Dewsbury had the higher handicap of the two finalists, which meant that he earned two stableford points to Hayne’s one to claim the shootout final victory.

Narrabri Golfie Pro Shop and Mobile Golf Improvement Centre’s Graeme Trew, who was one of the organisers of the event, said that the shootout was enjoyable throughout the year and that the final was quite entertaining.

He said that the club was well aware of where it could make improvements to ensure the shootout is even better in 2023.