QLD Open pre-qualifiers in sudden death play-offs

BY iseekgolf.com | Australasian PGA Tour | 2002 Queensland Open | Preview | 28 Oct 2002

Sudden death play-offs were needed at both Oxley and Pacific Golf Clubs today as 176 professionals and amateurs vied for the last 17 places in this week’s Queensland Open Golf Championship at Ipswich.

At Pacific, journeyman pro Craig Cork nailed a three-metre putt on the second hole of a play-off to beat six other contenders for the eighth qualifying spot after shooting a par 72.

At Oxley, Neil Watson, Simon Payne and Gold Coast amateur Martin Weir survived to the second hole of the play off after five players tied on 1 (73).

Gold Coast driving range owner Peter Harrington finished with a near faultless, -4 (68) to lead the qualifiers at Pacific and then learned that his recently appointed trainee pro, Craig Vincent, had also qualified fourth at Oxley. Harrington, whose wife Lee is a pro at The Grand Golf Club, will have to re-arrange staff rosters for this week to cover himself and Vincent while they challenge for the $100,000 Order of Merit championship.

Another driving range pro, Gavin Vearing from Sandringham in Victoria, with a -3 (69), was equal best score at Oxley with Royal Queensland’s Tom Arnott. Arnott was -5 at the half way mark but dropped two shots on the way home while Vearing played steady, par golf with birdies at 10, 11 and 15 to assure himself of a place in the field on Thursday.

The 17 qualifiers include six amateurs.

Queensland Open Pre-Qualifying scores
Oxley Golf Club:
69 Tom Arnott, Gavin Vearing
70 Stuart Loughrey
71 Russell Smith (Am), Craig Vincent
72 John Kelly
73 Neil Watson, Martin Weir (Am), Simon Payne (after five way play-off).

Pacific Golf Club:
68 Peter Harrington
69 Nigel Weldon (Am)
70 John Campbell (Am)
71 Kunal Bhasin (Am), Terry Kilkadaris, Ben Lammi (Am), Brian Penman
72 Craig Cork (after seven way play off)