Above: Tasmanian professional Robyn Hodgetts blasts his way out of a bunker on the eighth.By Glen Atwell
KEYSBOROUGH Golf Club held its annual pro-am event last Thursday and a star-studded field turned on the gas for a hot day on the fairways and greens.
Players teed off in two separate fields, morning and afternoon in shotgun starts, as hot and humid conditions engulfed the 6.3-kilometre course for most of the day.
Many of Australia’s top professional golfers mixed it with a number of celebrities and club members.
Scott Laycock, David Diaz, Marc Leishman and Jason Norris headlined the professional contingent and were all keen to grab a slice of the $20,000 prizemoney on offer.
Celebrity starters included veteran broadcaster John Blackman and a hoard of St Kilda footballers including Nick Dal Santo, Robert Harvey, Sam Fisher and Brendan Goddard.
A number of Keysborough Golf Club members also had the chance to play a round of golf with some of the game’s best.
One local member, Jason Taylor had the scary task of teeing off in front of Laycock, Dal Santo and Fisher during the day.
Taylor said he was feeling the pressure, but somehow managed to smoke his first drive off the tee.
“I was shaking like a leaf before and after the drive, luckily it went straight and got some distance too,” he said.
Unfortunately Taylor finished four over par and said he wished he’d stayed nervous all day.
“I was going well around the front nine, then dropped my bundle down the back.
“Being nervous seemed to help my game,” he laughed.
Fisher proved to be the sleeper of the celebrity field and spent the day launching lustful drives and impeccable irons.
Taylor said the Saints’ defender was the surprise packet of the group.
“Some of Sam’s drives were unbelievable, he is a tremendous golfer,” he said.
“Even Laycock was praising his game.”
But not all the footballers were experts of the fairways.
Despite being a star on the football field, Dal Santo demonstrated his lack of golfing greatness and strayed into the thick rough on more than one occasion.
Jason Norris was the overall winner of the day, shooting a seven-under 66.
David Walker, Andrew Pitt and David Bransdon tied for second with rounds of 67.
