Sport
26 June, 2024
Home course advantage pays off for Boulia local
The orange jacket stayed in the Outback town on Sunday night.
Orange jacket one day, orange high-vis the next.
There was no time to celebrate for Boulia local Leaim Shaw, who said he pulled off a “fluke” to win the second leg of the Outback Queensland Masters on his home course on the weekend.
“That was the second comp that I’ve ever been in,” he told North West Weekly on Monday.
“It was a complete fluke.”
Shaw, who plays a lot of social golf, came out on top with 37 points in the two-day stableford event.
Golfers played nine holes on Saturday and nine on Sunday.
“I was just hitting them straight on Sunday,” said Shaw, who was partnered up with fellow Boulia golfer Dwayne Girdler, who finished 16th in a field of 64.
“I’m still in shock that I won.”
Shaw calls himself a corrugator relocator in his usual job driving a grader for Boulia Shire Council, although the lifelong North West resident was known to be a bullfighter in his younger years.
“I’ve been in Boulia since 2015 but originally I’m from the Isa and the Curry areas.”
It was a good weekend for the Boulia locals, with club president Harry Bell finishing third.
Travelling from the Southern Riverina, Natasha Mason of the Jerilderie Golf Club was awarded the women’s orange jacket.
Meanwhile, the $10,000 hole in one failed to go off on Friday, but one visiting golfer did manage to get an ace, albeit a day too early.
While practicing 24 hours ahead of the official tee off, Peter Skeers recorded his first hole in one.
With a soft 7-iron, he hit the ball within two feet from the pin before it bounced into the cup.
He and fellow players didn’t see it go in until they walked up to the hole.
“It was my first hole-in-one in 44 years of playing,” said Peter.
The Outback Masters roadshow now heads to Winton this Saturday and Sunday.