On October 14, 15, 21 and 22, the Harden Country Club Golf Championships were played with the Glover family winning big, especially Ben Glover who took out the Men’s Club Championship for what could be the 15th time.
Glover has had a lot of success over the last two decades and has been rarely challenged for the title, showcasing his ability to get around the course in fewer strokes than the rest.
He played a good weekend of golf with 18 holes each day on the first weekend and he got to play with his son Jessie which was particularly satisfying for Ben.
Ben said, “After the first day, I had a handy lead but after the second round I only led by three shots.” He and the other golfers played a total of 4 rounds, 72 holes across two weekends. Ben’s score ended up 75 – 75 – 79 and 75.
“The last round I led Simon Glover by 5 and I was well under after 11 holes and finished 4 over, it’s a little bit difficult knowing you’ve got it wrapped up and to come in to the home stretch and try to maintain focus can be hard.
“The biggest highlight was having the first two rounds with my young bloke Jessie, who ultimately won the B grade scratch and the McClean Gold Cup.
“The first two rounds were a challenge for him because he doesn’t play a lot but he’s going to be pretty good. It’s good to see he stuck on without me in the last two rounds the following weekend.
“It was good – the guys I played with, so it was a seeded draw and I played with Simon Glover and Matt Peisley and that was good fun.”
Being 4 in front going into the last round, Ben was able to hold onto the lead and take out the big prize and be Harden’s best golfer for 2023. His dominance continues and his next challenger may come from his son in the next few years as his golf game continues to improve.
The Glover family are handy around the game with Ben’s brother Josh, well-known to be able to control his swing and play straight up the fairway. There’s little doubt that the Glovers and their extended family will be lining up in the Australian Sand Green Championships to be held at Binalong in 2024 with $140,000 in prize money on offer. The family and Ben know the course well.