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Aussie deaf team’s sound preparation
T
he Australian deaf golf team had the
ideal preparation before departing for
the 10th World Deaf Golf Championship
in the US later this month.
The six-strong deaf team of Jack McLeod,
Jack Besley, Luke Ellis, Mark Aird, Andrew
Honeysett and Craig Douglas took on a classy
Pymble Golf Club’s pennant team.
It was a hard-fought contest with Pymble,
courtesy of local knowledge, winning 5-1.
The result might appear lopsided, but the
matches were close and keenly contested.
In another hard-fought match, D’Arcy (PGC)
defeated Honeysett (DGA).
The fourth match between two Pymble
members, Corey Jones (PGC) and the
Australian deaf team captain Luke Ellis, was
billed as a tough one.
Jones, a young up-and-coming star for
Pymble, edged out Ellis.
The fifth match saw Streichler (PGC) and
Douglas (DGA) was close until Streichler
donned the earmuffs.
The Australian deaf team, with handicaps
ranging from plus-two to six and with 113
years of golfing experience between them,
certainly took the challenge up to the lads
from Pymble.
He said he loved the focus it gave him and
helped him deliver a win.
Current Australian and world deaf
champion Jack McLeod (+2) took on Pymble’s
club championship Guy Wall, also off +2.
McLeod said the team was “feeling really
good” heading into the World Championship.
Also representing Pymble Golf Club
were their current junior champion Harry
Waddington (+1), Corey Jones (+1), Jono
Streichler (1.5), Joe D’Arcy (scratch) and Scott
Mattheson (4).
The Pymble players had the challenge of
wearing earmuffs on the back nine so they
could appreciate the difficulty of playing golf
with a hearing impairment.
In the number one match, McLeod (DGA)
birdied the 18th hole to edge out Wall (PGC)
one-up.
There was some outstanding golf played in
the second match between Waddington (PGC)
and Besley (DGA) with Waddington taking the
match after holing a bunker shot on 16.
The final match was between Matheson
(PGC) and Aird (DGA) resulted in a win to
Matheson.
“They (team) they have been practising
hard and are well-prepared,” he said. “It’s a
great bunch of guys and should be a lot of
fun.”
Meanwhile, Pymble club champion Guy
Wall said it was interesting playing golf with
earmuffs.
“It was easier to focus without sound but it
was very, very difficult not hearing the shot
and having to ‘feel’ it,” he said. “The feeling of
isolation and loneliness was unexpected and
contributed to the degree of difficulty.”
Australian deaf team captain Luke Ellis said
the