Dave Foster Clinches SWGA Championship

Dave Foster from the Barwon Valley Golf Club, showcased his immense talent in a gripping final round of the SWGA Championship. Despite challenging weather conditions with heavy rain drenching the course, Foster held his nerve and secured a hard fought victory over East Geelong’s Chris Chapman.

The final round at The Anglesea Golf Club was an ultimate test of a players patience and skill, with the relentless downpour early in the round all but eliminating any run off the tee, making the course play its full length.

The opening hole set the tone for a thrilling encounter, as Chapman nailed a fantastic birdie to draw level with Foster. After exchanging birdies on the 2nd hole they headed to the tricky par 3 third hole tied, however, Foster displayed his composure and holed his birdie putt regaining a one shot lead.

As they navigated the demanding 4th, 5th and 6th holes, both players faced considerable challenges, collectively dropping 8 shots to par. This opened the door for the chasing pack to close in on the leaders. A couple of holes ahead, Alex Barnes was putting together a stellar front nine, snatching the on course lead after a remarkable birdie on the dogleg 8th hole.

Foster and Chapman both started the back nine well with a string of steady holes, as Barnes encountered a series of bogeys unfortunately dropping him out of contention. It was becoming evident that the title race would be a head to head battle. Foster held steady with several pars in a row before Chapman dropped shots on the 16th and 17th holes, handing Foster a 2 shot lead standing on the 18th tee.

A nervy second and third shot on the final hole left Foster short of the green on the 18th. Having to navigate two severe tiers to get to the very back left pin position, Foster and his experienced caddy, Keith Alford, wisely chose to use his putter. Hitting a magnificent putt to 3 feet, all but guaranteed him victory in front of a large crowd of players, who had gathered around the green to watch the conclusion of the championship.

Foster’s success added another highlight to his golfing career, following his integral role in leading Barwon Valley’s victorious Division One pennant team in 2022.

Stewart Drayton highlighted once again his consistency finishing in third place, whilst the experience of Steve Symons had him climbing the leaderboard after equalling the low round of the day with a brilliant 75 to move into a tie for 4th alongside Alex Barnes.

Leigh Datson of Clifton Springs secured a commanding victory in B grade. Heading into the final round with a 5 shot lead, the pressure was on to continue the form he showed around his home course a week earlier. Leigh showed remarkable consistency and skilful play throughout the round to extend his lead to an impressive 13 margin over his rivals leaving no doubt about his well deserved victory.

Clifton Springs can also claim another winner in Joel Nairn, who went on to win the Nett Championship with a two round total of 141, giving him a one stroke victory over Guy Holman. Stephen Wright claimed the Senior Championship by 6 strokes over his fellow competitors.