Sick and tired of spending hours on end toiling away on the range and chipping green, Kirsten Rudgeley is heading to Katanning this week to play in the GolfWA Provincial.
With interstate and international tournament schedules out of the picture due to COVID-19, Rudgeley is looking for every opportunity to scratch that competitive itch.
Speaking before the event Rudgeley said, “I’m really looking forward to going to the Provincial tournament in Katanning. I’m taking any opportunity to get away and compete at the moment I am trying to make the most of the situation we are in.”
More at home plying her trade on the manicured fairways of Mount Lawley Golf Club and the championship courses that host Australia’s leading amateur tournaments, the Provincial will be Rudgeley’s first foray into the wonderful world of sand green golf.
“I’m a bit nervous, to be honest, would you believe I have never played [on] sand greens! Hopefully, the ladies will offer me a few scraping tips. I don’t really know what to expect!”
With the worsening situation in Victoria and other states over east, Rudgeley understands just how fortunate she is to have the opportunity to play competitive golf in the current environment.
We are very lucky in WA to be able to keep up these traditions this year. I am just focussing on this time getting as much golf in as I can and working hard on my training.
Fellow young guns Brooke Price and Eve Cohen will join Rudgeley in Katanning this week for their first Provincial experience. If these three young ladies can adapt to sand green golf, then expect to see their names near the pointy end of the leaderboard.
Saturday night will see the return of the much-loved themed dinner with this year’s theme being ‘country bumpkins.’ Donna Crouch’s famous fundraising initiative, ‘Donna’s Frock’, will again be up for grabs and will see valuable funds donated to the Royal Flying Doctor.
Amongst the competition of the weekend are several perpetual trophies up for grabs:
- Provincial Cup (inaugurated at the event’s inception in 1984) – awarded to the player with the best gross score across the two rounds of stroke play and the main trophy for the event. Previous winners include Jessica Speechley, Whitney Harvey and Anna Parsons.
- Adele Ludeman Trophy (Donated by Ms Ludeman who was president of Bolgart GC) – awarded to the best sand greens player across the 36 holes of stroke play.
- Eileen Dawson Shield (Ms Dawson received an MBE for her contribution to golf) – awarded to the winners of the team’s event (the two best scores from a club on Saturday).
- Provincial Picture (donated by Margret Shenton of Quairading) – City v Country team event (the best five scores from Country and City players on Saturday).
