Alistair Knight ensured Bunbury GC’s strangle-hold on the Men’s Country Stroke Play title continued into a fifth straight year.
Playing in the event for just the second time, Knight (pictured above) edged to a one-stroke victory over Gillam Jones (Wyalkatchem GC), while his Bunbury clubmate Aron Jones was a further shot back in third.
Two-handicapper Knight was one of a handful of likely challengers for the title after a four-over-par opening round at The Western Australian Golf Club.
This left him two strokes behind Aron Jones and one behind Gillam Jones and eight-time winner Danny Ennor, also of Bunbury GC.
Knight made a strong start to his second round with a par-birdie start, but it was a predictably tight contest between the top four all afternoon.
The penultimate hole of the day proved crucial. After three-putting for a bogey in his morning round, Knight made amends in fine style in Round 2.
He flushed his drive, hit a fine approach and rolled home his birdie attempt from 20 feet to move a shot clear of playing partner Gill Jones.
Minutes later, in the group behind, Aron Jones bogeyed the same hole to fall two shots off Knight’s lead. It meant Knight could afford a bogey six at the last and still edge to a one-shot victory at +5 for the championship.
Knight’s victory follows on from the successes of fellow Bunbury GC members Bailey Hampson (2024-25), Danny Ennor (2023) and Greg Golinski (2022) – something Knight believes has helped spur him on.
“It’s always such a good atmosphere at Bunbury Golf Club,” he told GolfWA. “We all egg each other on and there’s a lot of competitive camaraderie, but everyone’s also really inclusive.
“If anything, that positive atmosphere is probably the one thing that’s helped me improve. We build each other up and that helps everyone playing better.”
It wasn’t long before Bunbury GC members were celebrating again, either, as Danny Ennor and Matt Simmons teamed up to land the Country Foursomes title at The Vines G&CC two days later.
Bunbury GC’s Matt Simmons (left) and Danny Ennor (right) with GolfWA’s Scott Ballantyne
The duo sat level with Brookton GC’s Ryan Sheridan and Christopher Rawes after 36 holes but clinched the title at the second playoff hole.
Both events formed part of Drummond Golf Men’s Country Week, which saw more than 300 players from regional WA contest multiple team and individual titles at courses across the Perth Metro area.
View a gallery of images from the Country Stroke Play Championship here.
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