Shemeld claims WA Sand Greens Championship at Augusta Golf Club

About 200 golfers from across the State flocked to Augusta Golf Club at the weekend for the 42nd State Sand Greens Championships. Bad weather cut the 36-hole championship down to an 18-hole competition which was ultimately claimed by Rodney Shemeld playing on Sunday with greens soaked by the 25mm downpour. Sunday’s weather was perfect with clear skies and a gentle Augusta zephyr blowing from the west, with 87 different WA clubs competing. Shaun Malone from Rockingham was one under and leading after the first nine, however he along with Jarrad Tenni (Meadow Springs), Rodney Shemeld (Nyabing) and Daniel Negus (Hartfield) shared the lead on two over par after 14 holes. Shemeld was the first of the leaders to finish after he birdied the long par five 18th and finished with 73. It was a nervous wait as the following players challenged Shemeld’s score. Jarrad Tenni finished with 74 to claim second place. Shemeld won the 2018 Aglime SSGC at Jurien Bay when he was a member of Calingiri. Ben Puvanendran (Ballarat) won the net event with 70 and Geoff McPherson (Mosman Park and Augusta) had the best score of the veteran golfers. Despite the quality of the players in this prestigious event, long-standing local member Trevor Buller’s 2000 course record of 67 remained intact. On the Thursday before the championships, Elders, Alec and Viv Williams and West Cape Agencies generously sponsored the Super Scroungers Two-Person Ambrose hosted by Augusta Golf Club. The winners were Augusta member David Reid (9) and Lance Wiggers (14). The latent difficulty of the course was highlighted by the low winning score of 43 points in Friday’s 4-Ball Best Ball Stableford. Attendees praised the presentation of the course and enjoyed post-game hospitality at the clubhouse, with celebrations supported by many sponsors as well as a Shire of Augusta-Margaret River community grant confirmed this week. Augusta last hosted the prestigious event in 1992 when Stephen Leaney from Busselton was the winner.