Capacity fields to contest 2022 Wittenoom Cup and Brenda Wittenoom Open at the Albany Golf Club

Bumper fields will contest the 2022 Wittenoom Cup and Brenda Wittenoom Open at the Albany Golf Club this weekend, one of WA’s major regional golf events.

In all, 252 players are set to play in the 36-hole stroke competition, including both defending champions Peter Tomlinson and Vanessa Stephens, on the Albany links course.

Albany golfer Tomlinson claimed victory in last year’s Wittenoom Cup and will be joined in this weekend’s event by previous male winners Noel Sewell, Kim Snowball and Sam Western las they look to add another Wittenoom Cup to their name.

A field of 158 men, an increase of 28 players from last year, will vie for the Wittenoom Cup that was first held in 1927 and named after Charles Wittenoom, a long-serving AGC president.

In 2003, the Brenda Wittenoom Open was started in honour of Brenda Wittenoom, a tireless volunteer who was awarded AGC life membership in 1981.

The men’s and women’s events run alongside each other every year as the club’s major annual competitions.

Stephens, who is a member of Nedlands Golf Club, will defend her women’s crown and is among a field of 94 ladies, the entrants also containing former winners Lisa Taylor and Cath Bellemore

Competitors will play a round of 18 each day, alternating between an afternoon and a morning start.

Golfers will begin teeing off at 7am on Saturday.

The two marquee events cap a busy nine-day golf carnival at the Albany course, with more than 630 players from around WA making the trip to play 1870 rounds of golf.

Albany Golf Club general manager Dan Northcott said the field contains a host of visiting players.

“Similar field size to last year with a few extra men and less women playing,” he said.

“The lead-up events have been very popular this year with slightly higher numbers entered.

“Visiting players make up a larger percentage of the field.

“As per previous years this event proves to be such an open field with all players having an equal chance with handicaps coming into calculations.

“Weather conditions may play apart with higher winds expected which will challenge many of the visiting players.

“Past history shows that the local men have the upper hand over the visitors while it is the opposite on the women’s side of the draw.”