Waratah's Greg McMillan and Newcastle's Troy Stonestreet are both confident players will be up to the task in the A-grade pennants final despite being postponed three times in the last month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The clubs will go head-to-head for the 2021 title at Pacific Dunes on Sunday, four weeks after the decider was first scheduled.
Newcastle District Golf Association officials were forced to abandon the initial showdown (March 14) after half-a-dozen holes because a storm hit.
The spare weekend on March 21 was then completely washed out and the same course remained shut seven days later.
Easter was off the table so April 11 became the next available date, marking 35 days since the last round where both sides qualified over 2019 champions and 2020 runner-up Merewether.
IN THE NEWS:
- Knights poised to seek exemptions from the NRL to field a team against the Titans next week
- Two NSW surfers pulled unconscious from water die
- Nats face sharper preference campaign in Upper Hunter from Shooters, Labor after Michael Johnsen exit
- The Russian, the fraudster and the suitcase of cash
- NDIS new independent assessments concern Hunter participants and advocates for people with disability
- Reasonable winds but lack of swell as expectation builds in Newcastle Cup
"It's certainly dragged out somewhat, but hopefully we'll get on this week and everything will be swell," McMillan said.
"Obviously you haven't got that run in playing those last few rounds ... so it will be interesting to see how everybody's form is after a bit of a break, but there's still been plenty of time to get back in the groove.
"Yes there's been a long delay, but we should be able to deal with that."
Stonestreet agreed and feels "it's the same for everyone".
"These guys are all good enough golfers. There's not much difference between a good and a bad week for most of these guys. It's going to be very tight I'd imagine."
Reigning premiers Newcastle are likely unchanged with Josh Robards coming off a maiden NSW Open appearance.
Waratah will be minus Brian Carmichael, who is away holidaying in WA, with Bowen Small now joining older brother Clayton in the side. They last held the trophy in 2018.
* REPRESENTATIVE squads for both seniors and juniors are set to be selected after the pennants season wraps up and ahead of 2021 commitments.
Newcastle are due to meet Lower North Coast at Harrington on May 30, Central Coast at The Springs in June (19-20) and Hunter at Hawks Nest in July (24-25).
The Regional Championships follow at Kooindah Waters in August (14-15) with the NSW Country Championships rounding out proceedings at Bathurst in November.
* NEWCASTLE leads the way with two comprehensive wins to start the NHDLGA division one pennants campaign.
They have 13.5 points overall with Maitland (10), Merewether (8), Kurri (7.5) and Charlestown (7) next best with one victory each. Nelson Bay (4.5) and Belmont (3.5) have suffered back-to-back losses.
Play in the women's competition paused on Easter Monday but resumes at Belmont on April 12.
* TORONTO'S Jye Forrester was officially acknowledged as a NSW-ACT PGA trainee graduate last week, celebrating with the class of 2020 at a postponed awards ceremony at Strathfield.
* GREG McMillan leads the NDGA Order Of Merit rankings after finishing second at last month's Charlestown Cup.
He has 240 points from this year's opening three events, 60 in front of nearest rival Chris Turnbull (180). Next best is Jim Clarke (170).
The Hawks Nest Cup and Karuah Open are coming up (April 17-18) after the recent Tanilba Bay Cup was put back until May 22.
* WARATAH, Nelson Bay and Toronto will host the NDGA junior pennants series next week, run over three straight days between April 12 and 14.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
