Inside Golf, Australia. August 2014 | Page 60

seniors NATIONAL Australian Senior Ranking leaders position he has now held for a current total of 241 weeks. Denis Dale [email protected] T he Australian Senior Ranking Competition run by Golf Australia has certainly been one of the success stories of Australian amateur golf in the last decade. The competition began in 2006 when it was called the Australian Senior Order of Merit. In the inaugural year it included the Australian Senior Amateur Championship, State Senior Championships plus a few additional events. Now renamed the Australian Senior Ranking System, the competition continues to grow and this year will include 16 major golf tournaments covering every state and territory. Since joining the Over 55 ranks in 2008 NSW senior Stefan Albinski has been the dominant player and is again the current leader on the ranking table. He has lost the top spot along the way but continues to win more tournaments and return to the premier Senior Ranking Leader Stefan Albinski Denis Dale Brian Sams Rick Oliver Bill Banks Chris Coats Graham Blizard Peter King Paul Maslen Since its inception nine different senior golfers have held the position of number one ranked senior golfer in Australia. The 2014 season heats up in September with three events to be held. The 36-hole Grange Seniors in Adelaide will be played on the new Greg Norman designed East Course starting on September 4. Beginning two days after The Grange event visitors will enjoy a very pleasant drive to Fleurieu Golf Club for the 54-hole South Australian Senior Amateur Championship. Described as being “modelled on the links style courses of Scotland” this will be the first senior event for Fleurieu. With the surrounding Victor Harbour area often called “Adelaide’s playground” the 2014 championship should attract a large field.  At the end of the month the 2014 Australian Senior Amateur Championship will be played on the Mandurah course south of Perth. This  Total Number State Weeks of Career on Top Wins NSW NSW NSW NSW ACT QLD NSW QLD NSW 241+ 113 27 26 14 11 9 8 5 25 12 10 3 16 2 4 6 1 2014 Australian Senior Rankings Stefan Albinski – current leader of the Australian Senior Ranking Competition. More information: www.ausoom.com State Events Ave. 1 Stefan Albinski NSW 9 102.16 2 Paul Maslen NSW 7 97.67 3 Denis Dale NSW 8 95.65 4 Roy Vandersluis NSW 7 88.02 5 Peter King is the most prestigious event for the year and as usual most of Australia’s top level senior amateur golfers are expected to make the trip to the west for the tournament. Player QLD 7 85.99 VICTORIA Busy month in Victorian Senior Order of Merit M ay-June was a busy period for Victoria’s best senior golfers with 5 events played as part of the 2014 Doug Bachli (scratch) and Paul Lulofs (handicap) Senior Order of Merit competitions. title. Runner-up was multiple Doug Bachli Trophy winner Ross Percy (Cobram-Barooga) with rounds of 74 -79. Brian Spalding (Kooringal) claimed top honours in the handicap section with a scintillating closing round of 67 net to follow his opening 78 net. Warragul: The final weekend of May saw the playing of the inaugural Gippsland Senior Amateur over 36 holes at Warragul Golf Club. In relatively cool conditions punctuated by the odd shower of light rain the field of