Not that all this golfing activity made much difference to the quality of his game.
Billy, known throughout the Sunshine Coast as ‘the Sign Man’ before his retirement from the sign writing business a few years ago, is, by his own admission, a golfer of modest ability.
But in recent weeks something odd has happened. Billy Gill has found his golfing mojo.
A couple of weeks ago, playing off a handicap of 19, Billy scored 43 points to win a Saturday stableford competition at Maroochy River.
“It was just a fluke,” the modest Billy insisted. “Things went my way and I sunk a few putts.”
Barty played off a four-handicap. While her team finished out of the placings, she drilled a drive 230m over the corner of the tight eighth and sunk a putt from off the green on the 11th. In her group, she enjoyed the familiar company of Australian Amateur champion Louis Dobbelaar, a fellow member at Brookwater Golf and Country Club. The Australian tennis star enjoyed the change of pace on the Coast as she entered her 66th week atop the world women s tennis rankings to enter the top 10 of longest-serving world No.1s. Barty surpassed Simona Halep s 64-week reign. She took out the Yarra Valley Classic last month before crashing out of the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Philosophical about being run down by such an extraordinary round of golf - Martin scored four eagles in his first nine holes - Dann remained positive about his performance and took pride in delivering his best result in a PGA Tour of Australasia event. He s looking forward to returning to the Sunshine Coast and to playing at Pelican Waters, which is effectively his home course. He ll be joined by a host of Sunshine Coast golfers, including his close friend Shae Wools-Cobb, who also figured strongly in Sydney, finishing tied third after rounds of 64, 68, 70 and 67. Pelican Waters amateurs Chris Crabtree (67), Blaike Perkins (67) and Justin Morley (68) won their way into the field through pre-qualifying on Monday at Pelican Waters, while Noosa teaching pro Jimmy Douris pre-qualified at Virginia.
Wools-Cobb, 25, will be among a strong host of Coast golfers hitting the Pelican Waters course in Thursday s opening round. The young golfer from Mudjimba finished tied third last Sunday in The Players Series Sydney where he produced one of his hottest rounds as a pro. His seven-under-par 64 to open the tournament was just the reinforcement he needed to show all the work he is putting in with coach Grant Field is paying off. When the COVID-19 pandemic stopped Australian tournament golf in its tracks a year ago, Wools-Cobb hit the practice range because he was restricted to a single four-round tournament in 11 months.
Admittedly Jamie hit shots for each member of the groups â 128 players in total.
And it was the same in 2019 and again last year, when he also holed out at the par-three final hole.
In the first two years the beneficiary of Jamieâs sharp shooting was Helen Fraser, while this yearâs recipient was Yvonne Richter. Sarah Wilson, Pelican Waters Golf Club member. Picture: Patrick Woods
Sarah again takes on the men in Queensland Open
Sarah Wilson, the Pelican Waters amateur who fought her way into last yearâs Queensland Open through a stressful round of pre-qualifying, gets a walk-up start to this yearâs event.