{"id":934487,"date":"2026-10-20T03:32:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T03:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/934487\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T03:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T03:32:21","slug":"golf-langford-martin-reign-supreme-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/934487\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf: Langford, Martin reign supreme again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Langford claimed her 12th ladies\u2019 championship title to move within one of Karen Droop\u2019s record, while Martin celebrated an extraordinary 15th men\u2019s crown.<\/p>\n

Judy Langford put herself just one Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort ladies\u2019 championship title away from record holder and club life member Karen Droop last Sunday.<\/p>\n

Crowned champion for the 12th time, Judy claimed the 2026 title, finishing six strokes ahead of runner-up and last year\u2019s first-time winner, Aileen Buckley.<\/p>\n

In equal third place, a further two strokes back, were Dot Brodie and multiple club champion Judy Kruger.<\/p>\n

It was Dot\u2019s third consecutive third-place finish. She had led by one stroke after both the first and second rounds.<\/p>\n

The legendary Karen Droop, who has won 13 titles since the club championship began 99 years ago, in 1927, claimed the OBE award. Much to the laughter of the big crowd at the presentation evening, Karen declared: \u201cHow good is it to be over bloody eighty!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Overnight women\u2019s leader from rounds 1 and 2, Dot Brodie, putts just off the Murray Course 12 th hole.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

Playing off a handicap of 11, Judy Langford\u2019s three-round total of 258 was far from her best golf. But her experience, coupled with thoughts of her late, accomplished golfing parents, Allan and Lorna Zotti, helped her produce solid golf when it mattered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a three-way contest,\u201d the 65-year-old retired nurse said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe actual scores didn\u2019t matter to me \u2013 I just wanted to make par or bogey. On the back nine, my putter got me over the line. I\u2019m guessing it was solid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Mum and Dad really helped today. I was definitely thinking of them and talking to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

They would be proud of you, Judy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Judy Langford\u2019s tee shot on the Par 3, 13 th Murray Course hole was just short of the green but her second left her with a five-footer which she achieved for par.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

Following her announcement as A Grade champion by ladies\u2019 captain Louise Cross, Judy received a standing ovation as attendees raised their glasses to the popular champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cFantastic\u201d was the word used by club president Andrew Shell to describe the presentation evening numbers, the quality of the Lake and Murray Courses, and the running of the big event by the pro shop, particularly Baxter Droop.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s runner-up Aileen Buckley drives on the Par 5, 14 th Murray Course hole.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

Jay Ar rallies to claim 15th title<\/p>\n

Trailing by six strokes after the first round, Jay Ar Martin had to play top golf over the remaining two rounds to claim the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort\u2019s 2026 men\u2019s championship title.<\/p>\n

Martin, off +2, fired par rounds of 72 for a total of 222, six strokes ahead of second placed Troy Robinson. Robinson, off square, led by six strokes after his excellent first round 72.<\/p>\n

But Robinson stumbled with a second round 79 to place him one behind the little master going into the all-important final round.<\/p>\n

Martin, Robinson and their two playing partners Cooper Holmann and Craig Hicks played some wonderful shots which received spontaneous applause from golf fans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s runner-up Troy Robinson tees off on the Par 3, 14th Lake Course.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

Spectators at the back of the Par 4, 15th Lake Course hole loved witnessing the 268-metre uphill drive into a breeze drive from13-year-old Cooper which arrived at the green. The most impressive youngster finished in third, nine strokes adrift of Martin.<\/p>\n

Jay Ar was as solid as a rock when it really mattered, gradually drawing away from rivals with pinpoint accuracy and the threat of several birdies.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fourth positioned Craig Hicks blasts his tee shot on the Par 3, 14th Lake Course.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t want the emphasis put on his golf but rather the number and quality of youngsters in the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just come out to enjoy myself these days,\u201d the 42-year-old production operator at Thales Australia in Mulwala said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung Cooper made me play solid. It\u2019s just great to see more youngsters playing golf and in this event – the likes of Cooper, Tom Hicks, Cody Costello, Baxter Donovan and Tate Thomson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On the green for one! Putting for eagle on the uphill Par 4,15 th hole on the Lake Course was 13-year-old Cooper Holmann. His 15 footer just missed and the now teenager settled for a birdie on his way to third place in the open men\u2019s championship.
\n Photo by
\n Les_Garbutt<\/p>\n

After Sunday\u2019s round, there was another big round of applause for the popular winner, at the presentations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Langford claimed her 12th ladies\u2019 championship title to move within one of Karen Droop\u2019s record, while Martin celebrated…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":934488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-934487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}