Jukes, Whitehouse claim open titles

ASHLEY Whitehouse captured his sixth Mildura Golf Open on Sunday, fending off runner-up and tournament favourite Greg Rhodes by three shots in the 36-hole event.

The 50-year-old Riverside Golf Club greenkeeper started the second day a shot adrift of Rhodes and Cam Stewart, but he put together an even-par round of 72 to finish on one over and claim victory.

“When you look at all the scores on Sunday, the course was set up to be more difficult,” Whitehouse said.

“But my ball striking was very good – and it was nice to get one over Rhodesy.”

He said he had a slice of luck in starting the second round out of the two seeded groups.

“I was one shot away from the first-day leaders, but I missed out on a count-back to get a seeding, which turned out to be good for me,” he said.

“I got out there a bit earlier without the pressure of being in a seeded group.

“Sometimes you can make the mistake of watching the people you’re playing against (at the top of the leaderboard), rather than focusing on your own game.”

Whitehouse’s sixth Mildura Open victory comes 26 years after his first success at the Twelfth Street club.

He said the Mildura layout was “playing much tougher and longer” than it did a few years ago when he broke the course record.

“I shot 65 back then and I wonder now how the heck I did it,” he said.

In the Ladies’ Open championship, rising star Madeline Jukes strolled home to a 15-shot victory after posting rounds of 73 and 82.

A major highlight for the 18-year-old first-time ladies’ champion was an eagle at the par-four eighth hole.

“I hit driver off the tee and then managed to hole out my pitching wedge from about 90m,” Jukes said.

The Rowville Secondary College Year 12 student said she was delighted with her iron play on day one, but that fatigue contributed to her higher score on Sunday.

“I played quite well on Saturday. My iron game was on fire pretty much all day, which helped a lot,” Jukes said.

“But I struggled on the back nine in my second round. It was pretty warm out there and I haven’t long returned from Melbourne.

“I was very happy to get the win though.”

Lee Bottomley finished runner-up after rounds of 81 and 89.