THE 2010 Illawarra District Golf Association Pennant season will be in full swing this weekend with all Jamberoo Golf Club’s teams hoping for strong performances this year.
Encouragingly, the B, C and White Horse Cup teams all start their campaigns flush with recruits and having the luxury of internal competition for playing spots is a healthy way to start the season.
Last year’s standout team was the C Pennant side. They had an unbeaten run to win the Division 2 title but are still smarting after being knocked out of the outright C Pennant championship by Vincentia.
The actual playing result in the final was 3 all but the Jamberoo side lost the title because their seventh team member was unable to play due to circumstances.
So their fervour at facing Vincentia in a grand final replay at Jamberoo this Sunday is understandable.
Team Captain Dave Ransom was talking up the battle this week.
“We are again expecting a tough encounter against Vincentia, but this time we will have a player for each of the seven matches,” Ransom said. ”We will be hoping to reverse last season’s result and start the new season on a high.
“The selected team is Peter Francis, Chris Leckey, Steve Oppert, Tom Zimmermann, Tony McRae, Warwick Miller, Col Booth, Paul Hemmings, Warren Joannou, and captain Dave Ransom.
“I am very excited about the team with seven 14 markers {the minimum allowed handicap for C pennants) and the other three players in good form. On paper we are probably the strongest team and I am sure the team will represent Jamberoo golf club with distinction. Congratulations to Tom Zimmermann, Warwick Miller, Col Booth, Paul Hemmings and Warren Joannou who will all be making their C Pennant debut.”
The B Pennant team, under captain Ken Baker, also fancy their chances when they line up against Worrigee at Jamberoo.
The B’s, who also boast a number of new team members, will hit off at 7.30am and the C’s at 9.15am.
The Jamberoo White Horse Cup team is actually undefeated after the first round of their season, though this is probably aided by the fact that their initial encounter against Moss Vale at St Georges Basin last Sunday (February 7) was a total washout.
Still, the team members, under captain Daryl Campbell, did look very professional as they stood under a tree in the pouring rain eating sausage sandwiches and watching a lake form on the 9th green as they waited for the powers-that-be to decide if the course was playable.
When the sun starting sneaking through the clouds during the long drive home it made the morning all the more memorable.
The undefeated, now battle-hardened White Horse Cuppers will play St Georges Basin at Shellharbour Links.