Caption: TEARING UP THE TURF . . . with his brother-in-law Mick Johnson watching on, Geoff Black rifles his approach shot to the 18th green in Sunday’s McGrath Foundation Charity Golf Day. More than 130

players took part in the day, raising in excess of $12,000 for breast

cancer research.

TWO eagles, one early in their round, and one with two holes to play, were the catalyst for victory in Sunday’s McGrath Foundation Charity Golf Day held at the Cootamundra Country Club.

An exceptional field of 138 players, some regular golfers, others novices who were there simply to support the cause, teed off in the three-person ambrose event and, after all the cards had been collected and checked, it was the trio of Justyn Smith, Jeff Davies and Dot Martin that stood victorious.

Firing a seven-under 64 off the stick, it was the team’s combined handicap of 56, which equated to 9 1/3 that proved the difference as they finished with a nett score of 54 2/3 to win by more than a shot.

Two other groups, the trios of Daryl O’Keefe, Phil Hockey and Patricia Kelleher, and Wayne Loiterton, Geoff Manwaring and Janette Harris went one better off the blade, but had

marginally less handicap to see Smith and Co collect the major prizes on a day in which more than $12,000 was raised for breast cancer research.

As would be expected with two power hitters in their team, the ultimate winners monstered the par fives,

playing the four longest holes on the course in five under.

Starting their day on the par-five sixth, the trio opened with a regulation birdie after Davies smoked his drive off the tee, Smith hit three-iron through the green before chipping up to just more than a foot, with Martin making no mistake with the putter.

Their round received an early kick start when Smith holes his second, a wedge from 60m out for eagle on the eighth, the two followed by a string of four pars.

The 488m 13th was also at their mercy, Smith cracking his drive giving him a five-iron to the green that

finished just short of the dancefloor.

Again the threesome had to settle for par on the next three holes, but again the next of the par-five posed no problem as birdie on 17 was a formality.

The trio thought their hopes of

victory may have evaporated when they missed birdie putts on the 18th, first, second and third, however Smith ensured a barnstorming finish when he capitalised on another monster drive from Davies to leave his three-wood into four just six feet from the hole.

A par on the short fifth signalled the end of their round and it was a case of wait and see as the other cards came in.

Playing with Smith and Co, O’Keefe and his team were left to rue their only blemish for the day, a bogey on the par three 16th.

While they weren’t able to produce any eagles, O’Keefe, Hockey and Kelleher finished with nine birdies, including six in total on the front nine, four of which came over the stretch of the fourth to the seventh while they added another on nine.

Separating these two groups and

finishing second overall on 55 5/6 nett was the team of Doug Caldwell, James Dunk and Janice Frecklington who threw in bogeys on the eighth, 10th and 12th to go with birdies on one, four, six, seven, 13 and 17 for a two under total of 69.

Team Cheshire, Graeme, Lesley and Tayce, finished fourth on 56 2/3 nett, followed by Bruce Carberry, Hamish Nott and Penny Davies on 56 5/6, while Loiterton, Manwaring and Harris claimed the sixth-placed prizes.