Michael Holden established himself as one of the Humewood Golf Club’s foremost golfers when he won the A division title in the annual club championships for a record-equalling eighth time at the famed links course on Sunday.
In defeating Steven Pope 6/5 in the final, the 51-year-old Holden retained the title he won in 2024 and drew level with the late Alan Jackson on the same number of wins. They are followed by Doc de Kock with seven titles.
The left-hander won his first title in 2002 and said over the years his appetite for competing in the club championships had only grown stronger.
“I have been a member here for a long time and I really enjoy the tradition of our club championships,” he said.
“I also love playing this course and I feel honoured to have won it again.”
Before his victory in 2024, Holden’s previous title came in 2016 and he was delighted to stay on top of the podium.
Played in perfect weather on Sunday morning, Holden and Pope were evenly matched on the first seven holes before the former went one up on the eighth and then built up a telling four-hole lead in the next six holes.
Pope three-putted the 10th hole for a bogey and hit his second shot on the par-five 11th into the bush to concede another hole.
When Holden went four ahead with a birdie on the par-three 14th, the cushion he had built had become significant.
Though Pope pulled one back on the par-three third on the second 18 holes, Holden was beginning to swing with greater commitment and kept the pressure on with a consistent display.
Finally, a superbly struck eight iron approach to about 12 feet on the par-four 13th saw Pope concede the hole and the match.
It was a satisfying finish for Holden after he had battled to find his rhythm with his irons.
“I just had a bit of stutter the whole way with my irons and my caddie Brad Muller kept telling me to get through it,” he said.
“I wasn’t swinging it amazingly but mentally I just kept plodding away and if you are not hitting the greens, you just have to concentrate on making pars.
“Eventually, around the 25-hole mark, I felt I was starting to hit it better and the further I was up the more relaxed I became in terms of hitting the ball.”
In the B division, Jan Blou took the honours with a 7/6 win over Gavin Hogg, while Kyale Boatwright defeated John Black 5/4 in the C division.
The Herald