Furneaux claims Jack Newton Classic

BY Anthony Powter | Special Events Tour | 2008 Jack Newton Celebrity Classic | Round Two | 18 Dec 2008

The Jack Newton Celebrity Classic celebrated it’s 30th anniversary in grand style with a mixture of entertainment, good company, coupled with some fine and not so fine golf at the Cypress Lakes Resort in the Hunter Valley.

Tamworth professional Simon Furneaux outlasted Sydney’s Ewan Porter on the first playoff hole to win the 36 hole pro-am style tournament and claim his maiden victory. Both Porter and Furneaux had finished at 7-under-par for the tournament.

Andre Stolz and Peter Fowler were tied in third position at 6-under-par, with Stolz continuing his fine run of late with Australian tournaments.

Furneaux, who’s only being playing professionally for three years on the Von Nida Tour, was very pleased with his efforts.

“To win this event, from a field that included many established tour players is a real honour,” said Furneaux, who will attempt to gain his Asian Tour Card next February.

“This tournament has a long history and some great names have won. To be now part of that list tops my year.”

The tournament had been in the balance for the best part of the final round, at one stage up to five players were in contention for the title.

Ewan Porter was simply unlucky not to have his birdie putt drop on the final hole, his ball sitting on the lip and failed to drop. Andre Stolz was also unlucky not to capitalise on the par 5 6th after reaching it in two to set up an eagle, yet like Porter his ball refused to drop. It ultimately cost both of them the title.

Kurt Barnes simply ran out of holes as nailed the final nine holes of the tournament to finish 5-under-par and in a share of 5th along with Nathan Green, Leigh McKechine and James Nitties.

The professional roster included a mixture of PGA Tour, Nationwide, European and Asian Tour players with Nick Flanagan, Aron Price, Won Joon Lee, Paul Gow and Paul Sheenhan, to name a few, also taking to the fairway to raise funds for Diabetes Australia and the Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation.

The men were supported by fellow female professionals Sarah Kemp, Nikki Garrett, Kristie Smith, Jo Mills, Cherie Byrnes, Katy Jarochowicz, Vicky Thomas and Shani Waugh. The ladies adopted a relaxed approach to the two rounds, with Katy Jarochowicz taking to the fairways wrapped in nothing more than a towel, whilst Nikki Garrett was a little more conservatively dressed as an Australian Olympic yachtsman.

Sydney’s Sarah Oh was the highest ranked women’s professional, finishing 2-under-par.

St Michael’s amateur golfer and member of the Jack Newton Golf Foundation, Michael Williams, played superb golf to be the best amateur finishing at 5-under-par.

Golf aside, the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic was again a mixture of great Aussie mateship, sport, good food and some serious entertaining. The entertainment was capped off with former Prime Minister The Hon R.J.L Hawke, Patron of the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic, bringing everyone to their feet at Tuesday’s dinner to join him in singing “Waltzing Matilda”.

The footballers from the various codes ensured there was plenty of good rivalry both on and off the course, with many giving their drivers the full treatment to gain long drive honours. Most later realising that golf is more about technique, as opposed to sheer brawn as the scorecards showed at the end of the day.

Headlining the celebrity roster were some of Australia’s favourite TV and film stars including Home And Away’s Lincoln Lewis, Conrad Coleby and Esther Anderson. Dancing With the Stars host Daniel Macpherson, Temptation’s Livinia Nixon did their part to raise funds for charity as did Dawn Fraser, John Newcombe and international actor Justin Melvey.

The Jack Newton Celebrity Classic represents for many, including the professionals, one of their main sporting calendar events. The camaraderie is thick and regulars comment how they look forward to the three days the week before Christmas each year. Many of the pros see the event as their “Aussie Christmas Party” on tour.

It’s a great event with friendships forged, many stories told and most importantly some good old Aussie fun had by all.

It’s any wonder the event has and continues to be so successful. Unlike many other golfing tournaments in Australia that have come and gone, the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic has survived the last 30 years and it’s sure to be around for a while longer yet and that in itself is a good thing.