There’s a new sheriff in town.

Narrabri Golf Club hosted its 2023 men’s open on Sunday and it was Karl Hatfield who reigned supreme for the first time.

The 31-year-old shot a par score of 71 to win the event by five shots from Moree golfer Scott Kirkby and join an illustrious group of Narrabri Open champions.

Hatfield is relatively new to Narrabri after he relocated with his wife Brooke and children Grace (7), Harrison (3) and Austin (1) just over two years ago.

He moved from Redland Bay up in Queensland, where he was born and raised and had been playing golf since he was five years old.

Hatfield’s best score at Narrabri Golf Club’s 18-hole course going into the 2023 men’s open was 69, which he almost matched on Sunday when he shot a 71.

He birdied the first hole, which was his third hole of the day after starting the open from the 17th, and also birdied the 13th. He had two bogeys and finished with 14 pars, and he also claimed the A-grade long drive.

The champion was pleased to win the event and said he had an enjoyable day going around with John Tully, Danny Laws and Brock Smith.

“It was a really good feeling,” he told The Courier of winning the open.

“I haven’t won much in the way of opens. I’ve won a couple of monthly medals, but nothing like that.

“I had to battle through. It was pretty tough conditions out there. But I hit them pretty well, I think, after starting off with a rough bogey.”

Hatfield said that he enjoyed playing at Narrabri Golf Club on a course that he described as ‘tough but fair’.

A list of results from the Narrabri Golf Club’s men’s open is as follows:

Open champion:
Karl Hatfield with 71.

A-grade:
Gross runner-up – Scott Kirkby with 76 (countback), nett winner – Andrew Crowder with 69, nett runner-up – Keith Flood with 70.

B-grade:
Gross winner – Stephen Jones with 82, gross runner-up – Will Brooks with 83, nett winner – Stanley Capewell with 68, nett runner-up – Bill Lang with 69.

C-grade:
Gross winner – Rhys Orman with 90, gross runner-up – Terry Joseph with 92 (countback), nett winner – Robin Findley with 72, nett runner-up – James Hartog-Smith with 75.

Nearest to pins:
Fifth – Terry Joseph, eighth – Will Coldham, 12th – Andrew Crowder, 16th – Grant Bull

Long drives:
A-grade – Karl Hatfield, B-grade – Will Coldham, C-grade – Nigel Guest.

Meanwhile, the Narrabri Golf Club’s mixed open was played on Saturday.

The gross winners were Emily and Luke Flood, while the nett winners were Nicole Cooper and Scott Lamb.

The nett runners-up were Leisa Eather and Ken Nolan, and nett third went to Peg Penberthy and Ryley Tout.

Nearest to pins were Zoe Tomlinson (fifth), Shaye Maxwell (12th) and Mick King (16th).

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