IAN and Wendy Chidgey are the toast of Margaret River Golf Club after winning their way to the final of the nation-wide Auto Club Championship.
The prize for this terrific husband and wife team is an all expenses paid trip for the decider at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast later in the year.
Travel, accommodation and golf costs for three days to compete in the final are included.
It was tough, it was tense and in a nail-biting finish they managed to pip experienced Augusta pair Kim Darragh and recent Scroungers winner Brian Neal on a countback, after they finished equal on 73.
Congratulations are also due to Tony Dean, a visitor from Pineridge Golf Club, for his man-of-the-round 44, which earned him the individual title - six clear of his nearest challengers.
Craig Christie came out on top of a three-player countback on 38 for the runners-up berth from Darragh, and Ricky Coates, who was the top woman.
Coates, in fact, was involved in another earlier countback, in the Rosily Vineyard mixed stableford, only to be edged out of top spot by Clinton McGregor after they both carded 37, just one behind was Bruce Derby.
So tight, too, in the First National Real Estate stableford with three men in the final shake-up on 39.
The scrutineers' verdict was that Kim Hewton won from Rob Baker with Wayne Clark third.
Rain washed out the Veterans stableford, but there were no problem for the women’s event a day later as Rhonda Hearn created a storm of her own to win on 36.
In-form Di Yates (34) and Maggi Foy (32) claimed the minor placings.
In a week of crucial countbacks, there was another dramatic decider in the Mad Fish Wines Scroungers stableford with four men finishing on 38.
Eventually Ian Colmer got the nod over Geoff Barrett, Craig Christie and Bernhard Abbott, who was also runner up in the “B” Grade section.
Second best in the A” Grade was Brian Carter with 37.
