Pearce volunteers walking the vine line for love
Air Force rugby players to be trained under new SmartRugby program

By FLTLT Roddy van Rooyen
Volume 48, No. 3, March 9, 2006

KEEN golfers from RAAF Base Pearce got the chance to meet their idols recently when they took part in a PGA tour in Perth.

In keeping with tradition, the West Australian Golf Association approached Pearce and asked for volunteers interested in undertaking ‘roving marshal’ duties during the $3 million tournament, held at The Vines, just south of the base.

Pearce volunteers have acted as roving marshals since the days when the Heineken Classic was played at The Vines in the 1990s. Roving marshals are required to walk the course for four days, and the high fitness standard in Defence make Pearce an obvious source of volunteers for this role.

The tournament attracted players from all over the world and is part of the European PGA Tour calendar.
The script didn’t quite go to plan, when several of the senior ranked players failed to make the cut at the halfway stage. These included the current US Open champion, Michael Campbell from New Zealand, and former two-time US Open champion, South Africa’s Reteif Goosen.

The players who did make it to the weekend didn’t disappoint the crowds, with the eventual winner, Kevin Stadler from the USA, winning the tournament by two shots from WA’s Nick O’Hern, with a final score of 20 under. Robert Allenby was unable to add to his run of Australian titles, and had to settle for third, a further two shots behind.

Those who volunteered as roving marshals witnessed golf the way it should be played, and are looking forward to the next big tournament to be hosted in Perth.

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