Sport
3 July, 2026
Jake Cockle takes A-grade title in golf championships
A SCORCHING Sunday charge from Trent Baptiste lit up the final day of the club championships on 21 June, with the C-grade contender firing a personal best 80 to rocket up the leaderboard and turn the competition on its head.
His hot streak set the tone for a dramatic finish across all divisions as players battled showers, nerves and four days of high-pressure golf.
Daily prizes kept every grade competitive and Ian Street added to the excitement by chipping in on the 17th to claim the eagles’ nest in the final round.
On Sunday, the four-day duel between Regina Gattera and Cindy Cockle in the division two ladies was one of the standout contests of the championships.
Cockle clawed back shots on Sunday, but Gattera’s consistency proved too strong.
Her win was a proud moment for the club’s junior coaches, who have watched her rise through the junior ranks into a confident adult competitor.
Moving day caused chaos in the C-grade men, with early leader Garry Breitkreutz unable to produce the round he needed.
Baptiste, meanwhile, quietly improved each day before exploding on Sunday to seize the title with his career best performance.
The B-grade men’s title came down to a nail biting play off. Luke Peters entered day three just ahead of last year’s champion, Colin Lyons, but it was Marc Di Carlo who stormed home with a Sunday 77.
Peters’ 87 brought the pair level, forcing a sudden death showdown.
Di Carlo won the toss but sprayed his drive right, then hit a tree and went out of bounds. Peters steadied, reached the green in three, and the hole was conceded crowning him B-grade champion.
In A-grade, Jake Cockle looked solid on Saturday but faltered early on Sunday, allowing Andrew Rose to trim the lead to just three after six holes. Cockle responded with a clutch birdie near the ladies’ 16th tee post and held firm through a tense back nine to secure the championship. The overall nett leaderboard saw Cockle leading at -3 after three rounds.
In the senior men’s divisions, Andrew Rose claimed the A-grade title convincingly. Rodney Green took B-grade honours and Norm Stewart, the C-grade champion.