Victors: Proudly displaying their shield for winning the Ballarat District Golf Association junior pennant against the odds are the Mt Xavier team, back from left, Mitch Peterken, Paul Staples, coach, Nick Canny and Daniel Staples, and front left, David Adams and Matt Ryan, captain. PICTURE: ADAM TRAFFORD
MT Xavier has overcome a player shortage and a final-round defeat to clinch the Ballarat District Golf Association A-grade junior pennant.
The team of Matt Ryan (captain), Mitch Peterken, David Adams and Nick Canny secured victory in the decider against title holders Midlands at Buninyong on Sunday.
Midlands, which had already qualified for the play-off heading in to the morning’s final round, defeated Mt Xavier 4-1, but the result was good enough to see the X-men progress to the final on points.
And it was here that Mt Xavier reversed the result to secure the shield.
Despite fielding just four players, giving Midlands’ fifth a walkover, Mt Xavier won three of the next four matches to take the result.
Nick Canny was victorious at number four, Adams won a thriller over Mitch Canny at number three, prevailing on the third play-off hole, and then Peterken beat Shannon Dawkins. Captain Ryan was unable to defeat Kelly Lyle at number one, but it didn’t matter as Mt Xavier secured a 3-2 victory over its rivals.
RESULTS
FINAL ROUND
Bacchus Marsh 4 d Ballarat 1
T Crawford d J Anstis 5/3; M Fowlie lost to T Jordan 4/2; D Prindable d B Hollaway 4/3; J Crawford d Cory Sellers 8/7; M Dickson d Chole Sellers 2up.
Buninyong 3 d Ballan 2
D O’Donnell lost to S Dawkins 7/5; R Nagel lost to A McNaughton 5/4; L Ralston d S Kozaris 4/2; M Ralston d T Parhammer 1up; N Angel d N Binks 3/2.
Midlands 4 d Mt Xavier 1
K Lyle lost to M Ryan 4/3; C Haase d M Peterken 1up; L Hewitt d D Adams 2/1; J Partington d N Canny 5/4; M Canny walkover.
FINAL
Mt Xavier 3 d Midlands 2
K Lyle d M Ryan 6/5; S Dawkins lost to M Peterken 3/2; M Canny lost to D Adams on third play-off hole; S Kozaris lost to N Canny 4/2; J Partington walkover.
The Courier Sportz Biz Junior Sports Star of the Week receives a $50 voucher courtesy of Sportz Biz, Ballarat.