Hi Golf Fans,

I’m the Golf Nut – here with a preview of our upcoming board event the Ray Keane 4BBB Knockout.  I am sure that Ray Keane who was a past long standing superintendent at our club would be super proud of the current condition of the course (great job Dylan, Lee and Mal), which is cherry ripe for the hosting of this prestigious event.

I’ll be providing you with a preview of each match, my prediction for the game and with the predictor winner, where I think they will finish in this event! With my nuts on the line, I’ll be making brave predictions on our great cohort of members who have qualified for this event, leaving a number of brilliant golfers in their wake!

Match 1

Team Buttigieg vs The Defending Champs

Rumour around the club is that the banter towards the Vice President commenced a while back from one J Lock.  The Buttigieg’s (Peter and Tom) will need to be up and about for this one or pack a good set of headphones a la Larkins, White and Priest when Locky returned from his Metro COVID lockdown hiatus to play for the first time.  Young Tom will need to play an important role to support the old man if they want to get a big fat W here.  The Golf Nut thinks the experience of Lock (who recently had his first ever lesson) coupled with the wildcard factor of Leigh ‘Kenny’ Coundon will be too strong here…for those of you who don’t know Kenny, he’s a wildcard as his golf is a hole by hole proposition, some holes he plays like a scratch marker and others like he’s off 27…The Defending Champs will need more of those scratch holes early to try and get out to a lead. The Graveyard of #1 seeds being early to the exit lounge will continue here for Team Buttigieg

Match Prediction – Lock’s sledging capabilities to get his team over the line in a tight one

Bracket Prediction – The Defending Champs will go deep again but won’t defend (Semi Finalists)

Match 2

Team Young Guns vs Team Smashers

Team Young Guns (Jimmy McKibbin and Conor Murphy) will be primed after their recent Youth Pennant season. With fast reducing handicaps and recent gold letters for Jimmy McKibbin can he add his name again alongside Murph?  Up against experienced golfers in Huisman and Fellows (who can both give it a rip) will Shauldon’s strength and ball speed overwhelm the kids?  The Golf Nut thinks so…with Huisman’s recent GolfVic Pennant experience and Fellows cool calm demeanour to be too much for the young guns

Match Prediction – Huisman’s ball striking will be on display in their win

Bracket Prediction – Semi Finalists

Match 3

Team Larko / Mansted vs Team Grbac and Lindsay

The most competitive golfer at the club (Larko) has paired with his great mate Mansted to have a crack at winning this great event, one of the few boards Larko isn’t on at the club. Mansted armed with his new Stealth gear will be hoping playing with Larko gets him a few Larko bounces and Larko pars tomorrow. They have put in plenty of preparation in recent weeks, with Larko getting in a cheeky tune up lesson with Matt this week and this team having a few dinners together to discuss strategy…will their preparation hold them in good stead or will the weight of the occasion overwhelm them!  Anton Grbac is a regular on the putting green, will he be putting for the dough tomorrow???  Paired with Andrew Lindsay, they will both need to put all the shots they get to full use if they want to take down the big guns and some peoples pre-event favourites.

Match Prediction – Larko / Mansted to be too strong in this one

Bracket Prediction – Quarter Final Exit

Match 4

Team Press vs Team Melton Valley

Team Press (Payne and Kourkoumelis) are up against new members to the club in Gary Diss and Michael Kauffman.  This has the potential to be a fantastic match with four single figure golfers and not many shots between them.  Can great mates in Payne (regular North West Pennant player) and Kourka (past winner of this event) use their regular gambling on course experience in the crunch to get over the line against the past Melton Valley members. With Kauffman adjusting to his new surroundings exceptionally well and Diss’ pennant, this group are the sleepers of the event. A shame they’ve drawn one another so early, this match wouldn’t look out of place as a final. However, the Golf Nut thinks this will go extra holes with the experience and vast golf course knowledge being enough for Team Press to win and leaving Payney with a win and an engagement in the same week.

Match Prediction – Team Press in extra holes

Bracket Prediction – Gold Letters for Payne and Kourka!

Match 5

Team Conroy vs Team Handke

What a great match with two father son combinations at different stages of their golfing journeys up against one another in this match.  Can the young gun in Charlie use his shots to advantage or the old stager Bernie use his to get team Handke over the line? Golf Nut thinks that the experience and recent good form of single figure Gareth coupled with Bernie bobbing up for support should get across the line against Team Conroy.  A tough one for Golf Nut to predict….it won’t surprise me if it goes the other way!

Match Prediction – Team Handke

Bracket Prediction – The father / son tussle will prove too much (Quarter Final Exit)

Match 6

Team Veterans vs Team Belch and the other guy

The veterans in Spry and Evans teamed up amazingly well last week to post a strong showing in the qualifying round – Spry has adjusted well to his new settings at Gisborne and Gem Life and partnered with past Pennant manager and senior player in Evans, should be tough combatants.  Don’t ever discount the combination of great mates Belcher and the other guy who are regular playing partners until the other guy talks too much about this helicopter ride to Cathedral.  The other guy will be hoping not to hit shanks and has been dreaming of this match constantly while looking out of his office window at the club.  The Golf Nut thinks the dreaming won’t equate to a win for the guys with Spry and Evans to get the win…

Match Prediction – Team Veterans

Bracket Prediction – watch out for these guys they will get through the bottom half of the draw to the final

Match 7

Team Opposite of the Young Guns vs Team P and M

The gents who have been called many things (Alcock and Johnstone), but never Young Guns are up against regular playing partners in Prelogar and Mullins…  Plenty of golf will be played by this group, who will need all their shots…big numbers will win holes here!  A war of attrition on who can see out the 18 as fresh as possible so a battle of the fittest…the Golf Nut is tipping the experience of Alcock to be the difference for their team to get the win!

Match Prediction – Alcock / Johnstone

Bracket Prediction – Quarter Final Exit

 Match 8

Team Matt vs Team Aitken and the Good Golfing Rowsell

Team Matt went deep last year as semi-finalists, but despite all their talk swallowed a chicken bone at the wrong time near the end of the event…Dean and Laing are still keen to get up in gold letters for the first time – will it be this year?  They’ve been much more subdued this year in their noise and enthusiasm towards the event, as they should be coming across a very tough round one combatant with the experience of Aitken and Youthful and Steady Improvement of the good golfing Rowsell in the family in Jack. With Aitken having dumped Edwards after their 21 hole exit last year, will the new partner be the difference?  In a HUUGE upset the Golf Nut thinks that Aitken and Rowsell will get across the line in Round 1 and cause some damage in this event.  Another one I’m tipping to go right to the wire and potentially extra holes.

Match Prediction – Aitken / Rowsell

Bracket Prediction – they will combine well and cause some damage to the bracket (Semi Finalists)

Have a look at the link for the the Golf Nut’s prediction – Ray_Keane_Four_Ball_Knockout_-16pr

Golf Nut

Gisborne Golf Club

 

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