Top talent to tee off

One of Albany’s most historic sporting competitions will be fought on the fairways of Albany Golf Club this weekend.

The 2017 Wittenoom Cup marks 90 years since the region’s premier golf event was established.

Charlie Wittenoom joined Albany Golf Club in 1913.

At the time, a different competition existed known as Golf Week.

That event attracted players from Perth and surrounds looking to escape the heat of summer.

Wittenoom donated a trophy for the main event in 1927 and this represented the creation of the Wittenoom Cup.

Since 1927, the event has continued to grow and AGC director Ian Redmond said it was a momentous occasion.

“This is one of the club’s gold-letter events on their calendar and commemorates the 33-year committee and presidential endeavours of Charlie, who contributed so much to the structured evolution of today’s splendid golfing facility,” he said.

Created in 2003 and now running in conjunction with the men’s event is the Brenda Wittenoom Open for female golfers.

Competitors will play on the AGC course over 36 holes of stroke on Saturday and Sunday with 140 entrants in the men’s event and 100 in the women’s.

Last year’s winners, Dean Gliosca and Jo Haub, will return to defend their titles — a feat achieved only once in the past 89 years of competition.

The two competitions represent the finale of the Wittenoom Cup Carnival, which was a 10-day event that began last Friday.

Redmond said the carnival was now the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

“This year, nearly 600 entrants will play more than 1700 rounds of golf at the famous Albany Links course,” he said

“This is a marathon effort for the staff and many club volunteers that help organise and run the event, but they are all very happy to see the enthusiastic golfers come to Albany to test their skills.”

Redmond also indicated his sadness that this would be the first Wittenoom Cup without club stalwart Ron Snowball, who won the event in 2007 and died in 2016.