MICK Hazell's third club champion title at Wagga City Golf Club won't be an easy one to forget after what would have to be a near record-breaking performance.
Hazell finished with an amazing winning margin of 45 shots, sealing his third club championships with a final round of one under par 71 on Sunday.
Hazell produced four rounds of remarkably consistent golf, hitting scores of 75, 72, 75 and 71 to win by one of the biggest margins ever seen for an A grade club title.
Hazell finished on 293, with Warren Lynch (338) finishing second. A final round 76 helped Matt Tooze into third spot (341).
Hazell, 48, said it means a great deal to capture a third title at Wagga City.
"It always does, absolutely. That's what you play for," Hazell said.
"That's what I work hard for, to stay down on a handicap of one, to keep my handicap low. To take A grade is your main goal, and that's what I want to do, stay in A grade for as long as I possibly can.
"Whether I'm winning or coming last, it doesn't matter."
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Hazell, who plays off a handicap of one, was determined not to get distracted by the size of his lead and he was happy with the golf he produced.
"I just set myself a goal to do the four best rounds I could. It didn't matter what the lead was, I just wanted to make sure I was consistent in my rounds of golf," he said.
"I just wanted to keep mistakes to a minimum and do the best I could.
"That's what I was telling myself. I don't care what everyone else was saying, I even had people already congratulating me on the Sunday morning but I said no, it's not over, I've still got my own goals that I wanted to set.
"I wanted to make sure I stuck to my guns and got to do what I wanted to do."
Hazell's total of 293 would have proven extremely competitive in any club championships of the last 10 years, something that sits well with him despite a lack of leaderboard pressure.
"That was the way I was looking at it. Even though after two rounds I had the lead, I was only three over off the stick after two rounds," he said.
"I thought I'm happy with that. I still would have been in the mix, if not leading anyway."
The other aspect that will remain with Hazell about title number three is his finish to the tournament.
"I guess just putting in that good one under round in on Sunday and putting in four rounds in the low 70s," he said.
"That's what I'll take out of that. Knowing that I could play good, steady, consistent golf over four rounds."
Hazell also finish on top in the A grade nett standings.
Ray Bell (337) overran Todd Gunning (341) to take out a close finish to the B grade title. Bell also finished on top in the nett standings.
Owen Guthrie (387) claimed the C grade championship, while Edward Wall won nett.
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