If there was ever any doubt that early winter golf in Queenstown can be spectacular, Thursday's competition put those doubts to bed. Yet another stunning day greeted the field, with sunshine overhead, barely a breath of wind and conditions so good that excuses were (and should be) in short supply.

And speaking of things in short supply, spare Stableford points were nowhere to be found after Neil Templeton decided to collect almost all of them for himself.

Neil produced a staggering 26 points to not only claim first prize, but also set a new benchmark for the winter 9-hole competitions. It was a round that left scorekeepers double-checking the maths and fellow competitors wondering whether he had accidentally played the course from the forward tees. A remarkable effort from Neil and one that may stand for some time.

Incredibly, Rodney Clay and John Kennedy both posted superb rounds of 23 points, scores that on almost any other Thursday would have had them counting their winnings at the top of the leaderboard. Instead, they found themselves sharing second place. Seldom is 23 points only good enough for runner-up honours, but such was the standard of golf on display.

Stableford Results

1st – Neil Templeton – 26 pts – $35

2nd – Rodney Clay – 23 pts – $30

3rd – John Kennedy – 23 pts – $30

4th – Simon Hayes – 21 pts – $20

5th – Andrew Gunn – 21 pts – $20

6th – Athol Stephens – 20 pts – $15

7th – Frank Garthwaite – 20 pts – $15

8th – Sue Gain – 20 pts – $15

9th – Kelly MacKenzie – 19 pts – $10

10th – John Strettell – 19 pts – $10

11th – Russell Moore – 19 pts – $10

The depth of scoring throughout the field was extraordinary, with eight players managing 20 points or better. It seems the combination of sunshine and winter golf continues to agree with everyone, although perhaps not quite as much as it agreed with Neil.

Congratulations to all of our prize winners and to everyone who came out and enjoyed another glorious day on the links. If the weather keeps behaving like this and the scores continue heading north, we may need to start handicapping the scorecards themselves!