IF momentum counts for anything, Gavin Hassan has to be the favourite to take out the 2014 Orange Ex-Services Country Club A grade club championship on Sunday.
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And his opponent Dave Chippendale knows it.
“I’m not playing too badly, but Gavin has won a couple of monthly medals ... he’s been winning a lot out there. I think they’ve made a rubber stamp with his name on it to save them writing it down so often,” Chippendale laughed.
Hassan nailed Matt DeGraaf 2 and 1 in a tight semi-final to earn the right to take on Chippendale, who progressed from the final four to tomorrow’s decider with a commanding 11 and 9 victory over Steve Cassell.
Accustomed to getting around the Country Club course with consummate ease, Chippendale was tipping the 2014 club champion would be the player who managed the Country Club greens the best.
With that in mind, he was hopeful his short game and putting was on song.
“I use a broomstick (putter). Sometimes it comes off sometimes it doesn’t. Fingers crossed it does on Sunday,” he said.
“I played well over the first 18 holes last week, most of that was sub par.”
Chippendale said he would be thrilled if he was able to emulate last week’s start to his semi-final with Cassell when he took to the course tomorrow.
“It’d be nice, but I think the weather will make conditions pretty tough,” he added.
It’s club championship season in Orange, with the Wentworth title race reaching its semi-final stage tomorrow with Matt Williamson taking on Nathan Button and Craig Coles facing off against Steve Bray in A grade.
Beginning its championship, Duntryleague will have Robert Payne take on John Dubois, Mal Gregor play Rob Parfett and Craig Stojanovic meet Rob Lam.
In the other round of 16 matches, James Conran will go toe-to-toe with Michael Campbell, Andy Campbell will face Adrian Priest, James Bird plays Paul Collis and David Corby takes on Tyson Lane.
