With the scores tied at two matches each, Vicki Waldron from Ballarat Blue made a very good up and down to defeat Buninyong’s Helen Pascoe in the fifth match. 

It was a tight contest throughout, with four matches decided on the 18th hole.

Pascoe, who is Ballarat District Golf president, said Ballarat was “very excited” to win the club’s first division one pennant finals since 2001.

Meanwhile in division two, Skipton went for a third consecutive finals victory after winning division four in 2015 and division three in 2016, only to have the party spoilt by a strong Ballarat team that got home in another close finish.

In division three, Hepburn Springs overcame some unforeseen circumstances to field a team to compete against Ballarat.

With two regular players missing from the team of five, a determined Hepburn Springs still managed to get over the line. 

Pascoe said the competition was a good standard and held in excellent weather conditions.

“The matches were good quality golf – it is handicapped match play, you have to give shots along the way but it makes it a bit more even across the whole competition,” she said. 

“All players embraced the course with much enthusiasm at the start of the day.

“After many close individual matches, the three teams that finished on top of the ladder were victorious.”

Meanwhile, Buninyong Golf Club picked up the division one men’s pennant title after an intense play-off in the final against Ballarat.

Buninyong won four of the seven match play encounters across 36 holes to clinch the success.

In the number one battle, Ballarat young gun Bailey Holloway produced a huge fightback against Buninyong’s Travis Tatt, winning five of the last six holes to force a play-off.

But it was Tatt who eventually reigned supreme, winning the 39^th hole to secure the title for his club.

In the juniors, Mt Xavier was crowned champion after finishing on top of the ladder and then beating Midlands in the decider.