PACIFIC DUNES NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES 10-13 APRIL 2009 Congratulations To our Queensland Golfers who Participated in  this Event! Especially Mark Aird who finished 3rd. Well done!

This is the official media release from Deaf Golf Australia:

Deaf Golf Australia along with New South Wales Deaf Golf Association were the proud hosts of the 17th
Australian Deaf Golf Championships, at Pacific Dunes at Newcastle, NSW, over the Easter Weekend (10-
13 April 2009). Pacific Dunes proved to be a stern but fair test of golf with the front nine in thick forest,
and the back nine surrounded by water !
This tournament was attended by 35 golfers from 5 states, broken down with 10 golfers from Victoria, 8
from NSW, 7 from Western Australia, 6 from Tasmania and 4 from Queensland.
Jack Besley, a 16 year old from Melbourne, in his first Australian Deaf Golf Championships, belied his
youth to shoot rounds of 77,69, 76 to finish 14 shots in front of the current World Deaf Golf Champion,
Denver Magnusson also from Victoria after rounds of 77,77,82. Mark Aird of Queensland finished third
after rounds of 87,84,77.
In the hotly competed teams championships, Victoria backed up its win at the 2008
Australian Deaf Golf Championships (held at Australian Deaf Games in Gold Coast) and finished 24
shots in front of NSW with a score of 996. The Victorian team comprised of Jack Besley, Denver Mag-
nusson, Raymond Reid, Gary Kerridge, Gavin Balharrie and Thomas Beggs (Captain). NSW finished sec-
ond on 1020 and Western Australia in 1129.  
Tony Klimek of WA, won the Seniors Championship (over 50 years old) with a score of 255 from Alan
Bitters (WA) on 261.
Simon Hogan, from Deniliquin in NSW, won the Nett Championships with a score of 221 from Tony
Klimek (WA) 222 and Ray McGuiness (NSW) of 226.
 
This tournament also doubled as the selection trial for the 2010 World Deaf Golf Championships which
will be held at the 'home' of golf at St Andrews in Scotland. The Australian Team of 6 players based on
the top 6 scores were :-

• Jack Besley, Victoria
• Denver Magnusson, Victoria
• Mark Aird, Queensland
• Luke Ellis, NSW
• Ray McGuiness, NSW
• Craig Douglas, NSW

Thanks must be conveyed to Wendy Home (tournament co-ordinator), Craig Douglas / Robert Bowler
(NSW Deaf Golf Association), Jessica Erchul (Group Golf Manager - Pacific Dunes), and all the staff at
Pacific Dunes for their great work in preparation and running of the tournament.