Bathurst Top Gun Rory Elphick 2022
Top Gun Final Results
Last Sunday the 2022 Top Gun Final was played with a foggy start to proceedings and a beautiful spring like finish. The top 10 players to qualify after 8 weekends of submitting scores with there 4 best Stableford rounds added together resulting in a total of 143 Stableford points to make it in the Final.
For those interested that’s almost 36 points on average for 4 rounds. Some say you need a great score to qualify but all you need is to play to your handicap for 4 rounds to have a chance, maybe your chance next year?
The Qualifiers for 2022
- Order of Merit Winner – Darryn Bruce 154 Points
- Warren Matthews – 153 points
- Matt Bennett – 148 Points
- Jason Cooke – 145 Points
- David Mansfield – 145 Points
- Matt Phillips – 144 Points
- John Kajar – 144 Points
- Rhys Manners- Nunan (unavailable to play) -144 points
- Justin Adams – 143 points
- Justin Hadley – 143 points
- Rory Elphick – 143 points
The final is played as an elimination style play off over 9 holes with the worst nett result on each hole eliminated leaving 2 players on the 9th tee to decide the winner on that hole in a sudden death style finish. With the event of a tie on any hole for worst score a chip off is required and the furthest from the pin is eliminated.
The proceedings.
- Matt Phillips was the unfortunate 1st person eliminated on the 1st hole in a 4 way chip off with all tied on a Nett score of 5.
- Justin Hadley encountered tree trouble on the 2nd and was eliminated with a Nett 7.
- John Kajar got caught near the green on the 3rd with his chip shot and was eliminated with a Nett 6.
- Jason Cooke didn’t hit his putt hard enough from off the green on the 4th with wet conditions and was eliminated with a Nett 6.
- Matt Bennett was looking solid until some bunker trouble on the 5th and was eliminated with only a Nett 4, the golf play was heating up.
- David Mansfield was unfortunate on the 6th to be eliminated in a chip off and was only 30cm further than his chip off against Justin Adams. He was eliminated with a Nett 5.
- Justin Adams 3 putted the 7th to lose in a tied chip off with Darryn Bruce, both hit excellent chips but Justin was eliminated with a Nett 5. Then there were 3 players remaining. 2 holes to play.
- Rory Elphick hit in the bunker on the 8th and Darryn Bruce and Warren Matthews hit solid shots onto the green both 20 feet away from the pin. Rory played the shot of his life in holing his bunker shot to turn the pressure back on his opponents. Darryn Bruce putted up to a foot, only to see Warren Matthew hole his 20 foot birdie putt. It was as a great hole to see unfold and Darryn Bruce was beaten by great golf to be eliminated with a Nett 3.
- Final Hole Sudden Death – The challengers
Rory was too solid down the 9th hole and hit 3 perfect shots onto the green for regulation with Warren Matthew pushing his 3rd shot into the greenside bunker. Warren finished with a Nett 6 for Rory to go ahead and 2 putt for the win with a Nett 5 sealing his big victory.
All golf was played with great spirit and was a fantastic day. Congratulations to Rory Elphick at just 13 years of age a great result for a good young Junior golfer.