quattro Cup thriller

Melbourne’s exclusive Capital Golf Club was again the venue for the Australian quattro Cup Final, and once again the standard of competition was world class.

A total of 23 pairs took part in the final, having won their place after competing throughout the year and winning in their respective state competitions.

This year marked the largest quattro Cup ever held in Australia with 2200 participants throughout the year, showing the tremendous support for the competition which celebrates 26 years as the largest and most prestigious amateur golf competition in the world.

With some sensational performances over the weekend, it was Melbourne couple of Dr Ian and Barbara Bejer who managed to come out on top, their accuracy and consistency beating out all challenges to make them the 2016 Australian champions.

“We’re still pinching ourselves at the result,” says Barbara Bejer. “We’re over the moon.”

“We were playing against people who were off one and two handicaps and here are we in our 20s… these guys are pretty darned good golfers.”

But on the day, the Bejers were better and it was their consistency that won out coupled with some significant team play.

“She was absolutely in the zone,” says Ian of Barbara’s performance during the final, although in the lead up to the weekend things didn’t look so promising.

“Ian and I played the week before and after three holes I did not contribute one iota,” says Barbara, “so he (Ian) sent me for an emergency golf lesson,” she laughs.

The Bejers, who are customers of Audi Centre Melbourne, won their qualifying round back in March after buying their A3 Cabriolet.

“We’d just bought the car,” says Ian “and I said, you must have a golf day, let me know when it is and by the time we’d got home the dealer had emailed to say that the golf day was called the quattro Cup and the round was the following week.”

Ironically, it was at that very round at Victoria’s classic Kingston Heath course that another quattro Cup golfer snagged the hole-in-one. For the Bejers though, it was the the round that would set them up for the national final.

“It was a thrill to play at Kingston Heath,” says Ian “and a bonus to win, but we never thought any more of it. We just enjoy getting out and playing, although I did have some lessons back in June to get some instruction on what to do when the swing wasn’t working.” 

Clearly the instruction and the obvious team work on the day paid off, although the surprise is still evident in Barbara Bejers voice days after the win.

The awards were made at a glittering event following the tournament, with avid golfer and Audi ambassador, Matt Burke as emcee.

“The camaraderie over the weekend was magnificent and the hospitality A1 and it was just a fabulous couple of days,” says Barbara.

Ian agrees, saying “The hospitality was tremendous and we really enjoyed the whole experience… staying at The Crown and playing at Capital,” although the proliferation of bunkers was something akin to torture at times he says.

“It’s all well and good if you’re a young bloke who can carry 280,” says Ian of trying to drive over the sand, “ but with bunkers to the left and bunkers to the right, you should be rewarded if you can hit down the middle of the fairway,” he laughs, “not be punished with more bunkers there as well.”

Nevertheless, the bunkers obviously weren’t enough to stop the Bejers, who didn’t know they had won the comp until everyone was back at the Crown for the presentation.

The couple are now looking forward to taking on the rest of the world as they represent Australia at the International quattro Cup final, this year to be held in Spain.

Less than two weeks away, there will be considerable pressure on the Bejers when they play at the Greg Norman designed Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, Australia boasting quite a record in International quattro Cup finals, but neither one is too concerned how things will play out in Barcelona.

“We’re excited to be going to Spain and I’ve looked at the course online and am looking to forward to playing there, but we’re aiming to go over there and enjoy the experience and are under no illusion we’ll be winning.” Ian says.

“There will be players from all over the world, the best amateurs golfers in the world, so we’re not going to kid ourselves.”

We’ll see!

Our congratulations to all those who took part in this year’s quattro Cup competition and the very best of luck to the Bejers in Spain.