Luke Flood crowned Wee Waa Golf Club Open champion again

Luke Flood is the Wee Waa Golf Club Open champion for the second time in four years after the Narrabri golfer took out Sunday’s event in a playoff against hometown golfer and local club captain David Avery.

Flood, who won the open in 2020, was one of 73 golfers in action at Wee Waa Golf Club’s nine-hole course on Sunday.

He and Avery both finished one over par after shooting 73 across 18 holes, and that saw them compete for the championship in a playoff.

Hitting towards the clubhouse, they teed off from hole 18 to get the playoff underway. Both men scored four on the par four hole and were required to go around again.

They replayed the 18th hole for the second playoff hole, during which Flood shot a five and Avery shot a six as the Narrabri man reigned supreme again.

It was the second time in three years that the Wee Waa Open was decided by a playoff after Narrabri’s Troy Nott downed Wee Waa golfer Ben Russell on the second playoff hole in 2021.

‘They too shot 73 across 18 holes that year.

Last year’s Wee Waa Golf Club Open champion and fellow club captain Ty Baker placed third at this year’s event after shooting a three-over-par 76.

His clubmate Shannon Bartz also shot a 76.

The B-grade gross winner was Melvyn Samuelsson with 79, and the C-grade gross winner was Jason Smith with 92.

Results from the 2023 event are as follows:

Open champion – Luke Flood (73, second playoff hole).

A-grade:

Gross winner – Dave Avery (73), gross runner-up – Ty Baker (76), nett winner – Mark Fielder (70), nett runner-up – Steve Jones (71).

B-grade:

Gross winner – Melvyn Samuelsson (79), gross runner-up – Angus Galagher (83), nett winner – Mick Smith (69), nett runner-up – David Russell (71).

C-grade:

Gross winner – Jason Smith (92), gross runner-up – Richard Scutt (94), nett winner – James Hartog-Smith (63), nett runner-up – Robert Downey (76).

Nearest to pins:

Ninth A-grade – David Avery, ninth B-grade – Wayne Atkins, ninth C-grade – James Hartog-Smith, fifth/14th – Adam Taylor, 15th – P Smith.

Long drives 13th:

Under-35 – David Avery.

35 to 55 – Shannon Bartz.

Over 55 – Steve Jones.

Wee Waa Golf Club thanked everyone who came out to play in the open and also thanked the dedicated group volunteers who attended a working bee on Saturday morning to ensure that the club’s course was in the best condition possible for the open.