women in golf
Golf’s a way of life, says Jean
David Newbery
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T
HERE is a real genuineness in Jean
Thomas’ voice when she talks about her
47-year love affair with golf.
“It started in July 1967,” the Redcliffe Golf
Club stalwart said. “I was a 23-year-old school
teacher when a staff member asked me if I
wanted to join the golf club.
“I said I’d have a crack at it and was
immediately hooked.”
It seems Jean, 70, was born to play the
game.
She broke 100 in only her third round of golf
and was given a handicap of 31. Within four
months, she was down to 15 and by year’s
end off 11.
Within a couple of years, Jean was off three
and contesting club championships but had
to wait until 1977 to claim her first of 13 titles.
She has lost count of the number of club
championship matchplay finals she had lost,
but knows it’s many more than she’s won.
“It’s been difficult to win because Redcliffe
has always had a number of quality state
team players like Simone Williams, Carmen
Savy, Louise Foran, Netta McCullough, Lyn
Garred and Kirsty Hogdkins,” Jean said.
“Young Kirsty, who I played in the final this
year, is an up-and-coming player who could
be anything,” said Jean, who reached the final
despite recovering from a broken ankle.
“I was outclassed by Kirsty, who was twounder for the first 18 holes but I don’t mind
because it’s good to see her produce such
good scores.”
Jean last won the title in 2011 and hasn’t
given up hope of winning a 14th title.
“It’s been a joy so far and there’s plenty more
to come,” she said.
Still, Jean is happy to see young players
excel and happily helps those who seek her
advice … just as former state champion
Joan Fletcher encouraged her when she was
starting out.
“When I first started playing golf, I didn’t
drive a car so Joan Fletcher used to come
from Mt Gravatt, take me to Brisbane Golf
Club for a game, drive me home and then
drive home,” Jean said.
That’s a round trip of about 170 kilometres.
“She was just trying to encourage me and
give me the experience of playing other
courses. I thought that was marvellous.”
Of course, that encouragement and
experience led to many more victories.
A good driver and top long-iron player,
Jean has won three Queensland Foursomes
titles, 15 mixed club foursomes titles and 25
women’s club foursomes titles.
“I love foursomes,” said Jean, who plays off
six and has three career holes-in-one.
But the highlight of her career is
undoubtedly the 1979 State Championship.
“I beat Judy Byrne in the final at Keperra and
made myself unavailable for the State team
due to work and having my young son to care
for,” Jean said.
However, she did represent Queensland
earlier.
In 1973, she caught the attention of state
selectors after finishing runner-up in the State
Championship.
They wanted her in the state team for the
Interstate Series at Metropolitan Golf Club in
Melbourne.
“I was granted two weeks leave without pay,”
Jean explained. “For me, golf was just getting
better and better all the time because of the
ride I was on. At the time I thought, ‘how
good is this’.”
Later, Jean served on the QLGU committee
as junior development co-ordinator for four
years and was a state selector for six years.
That was around the time Karrie Webb and
Rachel Hetherington arrived on the scene.
In fact, Jean would meet the Greyhound bus
CHAMPION: Jean Thomas has more club
championships in her sights.
carrying Karrie from Ayr in north Queensland.
golf balls’?
“I’d meet the bus, pick up Karrie and she’d
stay at my place and I’d take her to where she
had to go to play and practice.”
“I’d have three boys that would say ‘yes Miss’
and I’d stick them in the back of the car with
a couple of buckets of golf balls and head for
the course.
These days Jean assists with Redcliffe’s
thriving junior program.
“I help the kids with their swing, show
them the proper grip and make sure they are
enjoying the game.”
No one will ever know how many juniors
Jean encouraged to play the game over the
past 47 years.
“Because I was teaching I used to bring the
schoolkids to the club for sports afternoon on
a Friday,” she said.
“But when I was coming up to play in the
State Championship or preparing to go away
with the state team, I would say to the kids
just before lunch ‘who wants to come and fox
“I’d hit the balls, they would pick them up,
put them back in the buckets, back in the car
and go back to school. That was our lunch
break.
“The kids loved it, but you couldn’t do that
today.”
Throughout her long and distinguished
career, Jean has never tired of playing the
game.
“I just love golf, the camaraderie and the
challenge. With golf, every day is a different
challenge.
“To me golf is a way of life … and it’s a game
for life.” •
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August 2014 | www.insidegolf.com.au