Region’s topgolfers headto Dongarafor MW Open

Dongara will host the Bendigo Bank Mid West Open on May 2 and 3, the fourth event of the annual competition.

The open has gained in popularity over the past few years as it interchanges between Geraldton, Spalding Park, Kalbarri and now Dongara golf clubs, and will draw some of the best single-figure handicap players in the region.

Geraldton Golf Club’s Easter Open winner Brady Collins deservedly starts as favourite, but Ryan Kneale, Jock Drummond and Simon Cruickshank will provide stiff competition.

The Dongara course has undergone vast improvement over the past 12 months and Mid-West Men’s Golf Association president Peter Bradley said that this year’s event was growing quickly.

“We’ve got an eight-year program to go through Geraldton, Spalding, Kalbarri and Dongara all twice each and Bendigo Bank has jumped on board as sponsors, which has been fantastic, ” he said.

“Mike Bowley (secretary) has done a fantastic job and it’s one of those things we just keep building each year and everyone starts to become aware of it.

“Brady and Ryan would certainly be up there but there’s a host of single-figure players, so they’ll all be good players in contention.”

Collins said the locals would be hard to beat on their home course and credited Kneale for his own improvement over the past 12 months.

“It’ll be good to have a look at the course after the improvements, I haven’t played there for a few years now so I think the local boys will be pretty big threat, ” he said.

“I’ve heard all about the course and how it’s turned out, so it should be a really good competition.

“Watching Ryan and learning a lot from him has helped me and helped my game, ”

Saturday will be the four-ball Stableford competition before the singles championship on Sunday.