Three of The Brisbane Golf Club’s top-ranked players – Hannah Reeves (handicap +5.6), Aspen Sugars (2.3), and Angelina Drakos (3.6) – will lead the Friday Yellow Diamond team during the 2024 Brisbane District Ladies Golf Association Pennant season.
BGC holds the prestigious Friday Yellow Teams Pennant, and will compete in this division from April 19 against teams from Redcliffe, Pacific, Royal Queensland, McLeod, Wantima, Nudgee and Indooroopilly.
“Friday Yellow Diamond is one of the two premier BDLGA Pennant competitions but, with eight clubs participating, this is probably the one most clubs really want to win,” suggested Women’s Captain of TBGC, Janet Nathanson.
“Hannah Reeves will be playing three of our Pennant matches, managing to take time out from her busy schedule playing amateur competitions around the country. In 2023 Hannah was a definite point for every game she played, and we trust her good form will continue into 2024.
“Aspen Sugars, will no doubt be a key player within the team, having returned from the USA after gaining valuable Pennant experience while studying and playing in the US College system. After playing four Pennant matches during her College break last year, and winning all four, Aspen has committed to play each of the seven events in 2024.
“And Angelina Drakos, an up and coming junior, will fill the role of one of the three team members ‘playing off the stick’ in this division, and will be joined by Perri Ilott (7.1), who will substitute for Hannah when she is unavailable.
“The remaining members of the team are all seasoned Pennant players, and will give it their best to retain the Pennant in 2024.”
Playing on a Sunday, the Yellow Diamond team will also have its top three golfers playing “off the stick”. The team will be led by Safina Kyprianou, current Brisbane Club Champion, who plays off scratch, and she will be joined by Lyn Horswood (2.5), a new BGC member, and Jodi Holmes (7.9) an experienced Pennant player, who rounds out the top three.
“Once again, the remainder of the team is made up of regular Pennant players, who will bring much to the team, and we trust that their experience will be enough to score back-to-back wins for the club,” said Janet.
Last year BGC entered just one Sapphire Team, which played in Zone 2, and was successful in winning that division.
“Again in 2024, the club had planned to enter only one Sapphire Team, basically recalling the successful members from 2023, who all enjoyed the experience so much they wished to continue,” Janet revealed.
“In one match last year in this Division, playing under the rules of full handicap difference, this team conceded a mammoth 56 shots, but still won the match. So, with that experience under their belt, it is little wonder they wanted to stay together.
“Competing this year in Zone 3, and again under the leadership of team Captain Anna Lyons, we are confident they can create those same opportunities, and score another win.”
When a club entered in the Sapphire Zone 2 Pennant competition was forced to recently withdraw, the BDLGA called upon BGC to come to the rescue, which means Brisbane will have four Women’s teams playing Pennants in 2024.
“Competing in a different geographical zone, this team will be largely composed of newish players to golf, with many of them learning the game in the ‘Women 4 Golf’ program at BGC under the tutelage of by Asha Hargreaves, the 2023 PGA Coach of the Year in Game Development, for Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“They are excited, wonderfully keen players just wanting to experience something new and different, and they are really looking forward to the challenge ahead.” – TONY DURKIN
Details of the 2024 BDLGA Pennant competitions are:
Yellow Diamond (Friday) – first three matches are played off the stick, with the remaining four matches played under full handicap difference. Maximum allowable GA handicap is 20. Teams competing in this division are Brisbane, Redcliffe, Pacific, Royal Queensland, McLeod, Wantima, Nudgee and Indooroopilly. Competition starts on April 19, and finishes on May 31.
Yellow Diamond (Sunday) – same playing conditions as above, with the competition starting on April 21 and finishing on May 26. Teams competing are Brisbane, Royal Queensland, Keperra, Nudgee and Oxley.
Sapphire Zone 2 – all matches are contested by full handicap difference, with no minimum handicap, but a maximum GA handicap 32. However, the aggregate of the GA handicaps of players in this competition must be at least 100. If a player’s handicap is higher than 32, 32 will be the figure used as their GA in this calculation. Teams competing in Sapphire Zone 2 are Brisbane (2), Redland Bay, Indooroopilly (2), Royal Queensland, Bulimba and Wynnum. Dates of play are from April 19 to May 17.
Sapphire Zone 3 – same playing conditions as above, with the competition starting on April 26 and finishing on May 24. Teams competing are Brisbane (1), Indooroopilly (1), Ashgrove, McLeod, Oxley and Gailes, with the competition teeing off on April 26, and finishing on May 24.