Carpentaria Golf Club course superintendent Steve Jensen was named C Grade and C Grade Gross Champion, as well as overall 36-hole Nett Champion, at the 2026 Mossman Golf Open. Photos: Supplied.
The course superintendent of Carpentaria Golf Club at Weipa went above and beyond at the Mossman Golf Open despite a looming hip replacement operation.
Steve Jensen played from 17 to 19 July and emerged as the C Grade champion and C Grade gross champion. The long-time golfer was also crowned overall 36-hole Nett Champion.
Jensen competed at Mossman Golf Club with six other Weipa golfers, including local legend Sandy Nelson, 82.
Jensen is a veteran competitor, but said he still did not expect to do so well.
“I’m very competitive, so even at 62, I like winning. I couldn’t believe it. They just kept calling my name out: winner, winner, winner,” he said.
“I’ve got a crook hip at the moment and I haven’t played much golf.
Well-known Weipa golfer Sandy Nelson, 82, competing at the 2026 Mossman Golf Open.
“But we had a practice round on the Friday and my old mate from up here Sandy Nelson – he’s like a legend up here in Weipa, everyone knows Sandy, I can tell you – we went around together and he played 54 holes too.
“On the second day, halfway through, I said to Sandy, ‘I’ve got to stop for a few minutes, my hip is starting to get some sharp pains in it’.
“But I just sort of walked around for a few minutes and then it came good, so I just kept going.
“When I got back I found out I pretty well cleaned up everybody. I was pretty happy.”
Jensen said he had “won a lot of championships over the years” and “been a pretty good golfer”, representing North Queensland in the pennants.
However, finding time to play can be tough these days.
“I’m always busy up here on the golf course, so I don’t get to play a lot and when we have our open, well, I’m busy working through the night preparing the course,” Jensen said.
“So I thought, I’ll go down to the Mossman Open – at least I don’t have to do any mowing and stuff down there.”
Jensen, who started golfing when he was 11, was pleased to see fellow Weipa players perform well at the Mossman competition.
Weipa’s Helen Sabatino played well in the 2026 Mossman Golf Open.
“Jamie Hutton was runner-up in B Grade 36-hole Gross. And Helen Sabatino, she got a nearest the pin prize,” he said.
Leigh Allender, Jim Lucas, Kris Brooks and Murray Mountjoy were also part of the Weipa crew at the Mossman Open.
Jensen said about 30 locals regularly played at Carpentaria Golf Club and new members were always welcome.
