Winner: Shepparton Golf's division one weekend pennant team will represent GMBR at the State Pennant Championships in May.
Shepparton Golf Bowling Club added another glorious chapter to its incredibly successful 2022-23 season last week.
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After scaling the top of the mountain in the Goulburn Valley Playing Area’s premier weekend and midweek pennant competitions, the Golfers continued their winning ways by securing a pair of victories in the Goulburn Murray Bowls Regional finals.
The GMBR finals are an annual occurrence which pits the division one weekend and midweek pennant premiers from the Goulburn Valley and Murray Playing Area against each other.
For the winner, a trip to the State Pennant championships at Moama Bowling Club was on the line, with the matches set to determine which club in the GMBR reigned supreme.
And in midweek and weekend pennant, Shepparton Golf proved it was the region’s best, with its pair of division one squads reeling off two thrilling victories.
Shepparton Golf pennant manager John Stokes, who was one of three players to feature in both victories, said the result was a wonderful achievement for the club.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a whole club this year, and I think these results are just reward for the hard work we put in,” Stokes said.
“For the club to be in this position (of going to State Pennant finals) it is invaluable, it helps us with recruiting and just generally for the club with morale.
“It is no secret that the club is a better place to be when we are winning, and for the midweek and weekend pennant sides to be able to represent the region on such a big stage it is very special.”
The midweek clash had the Golfers take on Numurkah Golf in gripping contest on its home green.
Despite falling in two of the three rinks, the Edna Harling Shield champions emerged a 12-50 to 4-47 victor.
The catalyst for the triumph was none other than Stokes himself, as he skipped his rink one squad to a decisive 26-12 win.
He recalled what was a thrilling match from beginning to end.
Region championships: Shepparton Golf's division one midweek pennant side will represent GMBR at the 2023 State Pennant Championships.
“It was such a great contest and very similar to our Goulburn Valley grand final where we beat East Shepparton on the final end,” he said.
“This time we were one-up on the final end and we managed to hold firm and come away with the victory, despite the fact we only got the victory in one rink.
“We got off to a fast start which always sort of had us in front of the game and to finish it off with that last end it was very exciting for us.”
The weekend pennant match on the other hand was a little less stressful for the Golf squad, as it continued on from its demolition of Kyabram in the Allan Matheson Shield decider with a 71-41 mauling of Cobram.
Playing on under lights on its home patch, Shepparton Golf was at its brutal best from start to finish and swept all three rinks.
What made the performance all the more impressive was the fact the GVPA division champion was forced to overhaul its team structure in order to cater for what was a three-rink contest.
Stokes said it was pleasing to see the squad back-up its good form and record another dominant victory.
“It was unfortunate we had to go from 16 players back to 12, but that comes from our competition being one of the very few around that plays the four rinks,” he said.
“We got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the three rinks got going we really started to run away with it and ended up blowing the margin out quite a bit.
“Once again that was one of our better performances of the season and I think the key to our success was the fact that we were very balanced across the three rinks.”
Shepparton Golf will now represent the Goulburn Murray Bowls Region at the State Pennant Championships which will take place from Saturday, May 6 to Tuesday, May 9.
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