BALLARAT pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory to win consecutive shields in the Golf Victoria Country Week championship on Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Just one hole proved the difference in the final day of play at Long Island Country Club, with Sean Klein (Ballarat) halving the last hole to square his match and subsequently steer Ballarat to a one-point victory over Corangamite.
However, a victory was not guaranteed to be enough and Ballarat could only celebrate once it learned that rival West Gippsland had tied with Peninsula.
Ballarat won four out of five matches at the end of the week, with West Gippsland winning three-and-a-half to finish second.
In fact, had Klein lost the last hole, Ballarat would have finished runner-up.
The back-to-back victory was even more remarkable given Ballarat lost 1-8 to West Gippsland in the opening round on Wednesday.
Never before had a side that been defeated so heavily in its opening match come back to lift the shield.
Ballarat team manager Brett Kerry said the win was a testament not just to the skill of the Ballarat District Golf Association players, but also their mental toughness.
"We were completely headless after the first round, we didn't know what had happened," Kerry said.
"It was an amazing comeback to turn it around like that. It showed true grit from everybody."
Buninyong's Travis Tatt was undoubtedly the best performer for Ballarat, winning his first four matches to be awarded BDGA's most valuable player.
Also of note was the performance of 16-year-old Corey Haase (Midlands).
Haase was originally given a spot on the team solely for experience, but was thrust into the side after the disappointing opening round from his teammates.
He went on to win all four matches he played, including a thumping five-hole win with four holes to play on the final day.
The victory means Ballarat has now won three out of the last four country week championships and has gone back-to-back for the first time in more than 20 years.
"Four or five years ago we realised team golf was exactly that, about playing as a team," Kerry said.
"It's not necessarily all the best nine golfers in Ballarat, it is the best team of golfers that we can get together."
