A total of 402 players competed in the 2008 United Mineworkers National Golf Championships held at The Oaks Golf and Country Club at Cessnock from March 11 to 14.
Competitors came from the Northern, Western and Southern NSW mining communities and Queensland.
The competition raised $12,135 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
Magnificent support was again provided by major sponsors, Slater and Gordon Lawyers, The United Mineworkers Northern District, TESA Group and The Oaks Golf Club.
Excellent contributions also came from The Australia Hotel, Companion Credit Union, United Colliery, The United and Hunter Valley Miners Lodges, Team Subway, Tahmoor Coal and Tahmoor Miners Lodge, Firefly International, Cypress Lakes Golf Resort, Tamburlaine Wines and McLeish Estate Wines.
Steve Thompson from Hunter Valley Mine, with rounds of 73, 72 (145) won the strokeplay championship for the 15th time, defeating Shaun O’Malley 74, 75 (149) from Mannering Mine.
Bruce Chambers from Hunter Valley took out the B-grade championship with 165 from Robbie Swan, Wambo, with 170.
Adam Jackson from Moranbah, Queensland, won C-grade with a great score of 164 from Bill Schofield, Mount Thorley, with 192. Maurice Duroux from N.R.E. Southern District, won the veterans championship with 157.
Handicap winners were, A-grade, Jason Coates, Tasman, 139 from Glen Burgess, Metropolitan, 140. B-grade, Tony Mills, Moranbah, Queensland, 143 from Peter Payne, Hunter Valley, 146. C-grade, Paul Adams, Ashton, 146 from Dominic Spender, Tahmoor, 149. Veterans, Ken Roe, Hunter Valley, 152.
The men’s national teams championship was won by the Hunter Valley team of Ken Roe, Steve McNaughton, Gunther Schilko and Robert Logue with a 13 under par score of 59. Handicap winners were S. McNab, P. Slatter, A. McNab and L. O’Connell with 53.
Kristine McMahon from The Oaks Golf Club won the ladies open championship with 88.