The Coolamatong club championships final 36-holes were affected by weather, with fog on Saturday morning and dew failing to dry on both Saturday and Sunday, leading to tough golfing conditions.

Soeron Stoettrup was crowned the male club champion, finishing with rounds of 76, 80, 76 and 77 on Sunday for a total of 309 and a comfortable nine-shot lead over Owain Jones.

Commenting on his first golf championship win, he said it feels good after losing the 2025 playoff to Nigel Bolton.

“Everyone was doing it tough in my group, so it made it a bit easier for me,” Stoettrup said, talking about the final 18 holes on Sunday, where no pressure was applied.

It was just over 18 months ago that Stoettrup was playing off a 15 handicap, which has now been reduced to three through lessons, practice and perseverance.

When asked how this handicap reduction occurred, he credited lots of practice.

“You get a night job and come and play golf seven days a week for four months, you don’t see your partner very much.”

The best round of the four days went to Owain Jones, who fired a near faultless 75 on the final Sunday to pole vault himself from the second last group into the runner-up scratch position, and win the day’s event.

After a double bogey on the first hole, Jones had 13 pars, three bogeys and finished with a birdie.

“I was pretty close yesterday and ended up blowing up, but managed to pull it together today (Sunday),” Jones said

“I think maybe the weather being quite Welsh definitely helped me, the wet weather and the slower greens played to my advantage.”

Aware he was in the mix as he stood before the final tee, Jones said there were some nerves. You couldn’t tell as he split the fairway and landed a second shot to within six feet and holed the putt for birdie.

The A-Grade scratch was won by Nigel Bolton on 321, and runner-up Charlie Filtness a further three shots back on 324.

The A-Grade nett was won by Dave Rubin, who shot 291 and played consistently over the four rounds. Adrian Duncan was runner-up in nett with 296.

The ladies crowned Carolyn Major club champion again after a second-round 85 set up a strong lead, which she never surrendered, finishing with a total of 365. Major shot 95, 85, 90 and 95.

The A-Grade ladies’ nett winner was Michelle White on 301, the B-Grade scratch Jan O’Halloran with 427, and the B-Grade nett was awarded to Megan Haigh on 318.

The B-Grade men’s competition came down to the wire, with Peter Hastings finishing on 352 to edge out Felix Bertossi on 354 and Wayne Tuckwell on 355. Hastings four rounds were 87, 90, 88, 87.

Approaching the final few holes, Hastings kept it steady with two pars to finish after a nervous mid-back nine where he nearly let it slip.

Veteran Kim Weston won the B-Grade nett with 303, three shots clear of runner-up Glen Staker.

Felix Bertossi won the junior championship with rounds of 92, 84, 95 and 83.

The C-Grade was a runaway victory for Rory McDonnell, who finished on 390, ten shots clear of Kevin Cramer, who finished on top in the C-Grade nett. McDonnell set the pace in his first two rounds, and was never headed, shooting 91, 97, 101, 101.

Sunday’s day winners were Owain Jones with 66 nett, Felix Bertossi 68 nett and Kevin Cramer 77 nett. The ladies nett winner was Michelle White with 73.

The Sunday near pins were won by Gregg Quinn on eight, Chris Brown on 15 and Charlie Filtness on 17. The ladies’ near pins were Donna Tuckwell on eight and Carolyn Major on 17.