Brock Lowrey and Jamie Hutton – better known in Survivor Golf circles as Gingerman and Robin – celebrate after winning the Weipa qualifying event at Carpentaria Golf Club in May to book their golden tickets to the 2024 grand final in Port Douglas this weekend. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
It will be a case of “bombs away” and plenty of big hitting when Weipa’s Brock Lowrey and Jamie Hutton tee off in Port Douglas this weekend as they vie for Survivor Golf glory.
The pair – better known on the course as Gingerman and Robin – booked their appearance in the 8 December grand final at Palmer Sea Reef after securing bragging rights and golden tickets in the local qualifying event in May, and told Cape York Weekly they were focused and raring to go.
“We are looking forward to the challenge and to find out how two casual golfers from Carpentaria Golf Club stack up against the other winners from around the country,” Lowrey said before the pair’s departure for Port Douglas.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for two blokes from a remote town.”
Hutton played the Port Douglas course in July to undertake “reconnaissance work” and said its forgiving design would allow them to play their natural games, adding recent preparation for Survivor Golf’s big dance had involved staying out of Weipa’s soaring temperatures and reflecting on their performances.
“We’ve spent a few early mornings out on the course to beat the heat, and the rest of the day resting and recovering in the ice cold aircon of the Gingercave,” he said.
“We want to show up as fresh as possible, ready to perform.”
The format of Survivor Golf allows it to be used as a mechanism to spread mental health awareness both on and off the greens and fairways, and founder and chief executive officer Dave Cameron said he could not wait to see what qualifiers from across Australia brought to the course.
“It’s going to be our best one yet,” he said.
“It’s really exciting – all the teams are bringing family and friends, and it’s going to be elite.
“Anyone that steps on the tee box can win it and the qualifiers all basically qualified with the same score, which is really cool.
“The correlation between being outdoors and playing with two new people in that environment, there’s a really nice synergy there using golf as a way to create the connections; it definitely does drive and trigger these conversations.”
While Weipa will be cheering Gingerman and Robin on as they tackle the Port Douglas course on Sunday, Lowrey said he believed they would be “very competitive” thanks to likely being at the higher end of the handicap spectrum, with several unofficial sponsors set to get a mention if the pair once again tastes success on the Survivor Golf stage.
“Brock is the speechwriter and is prepared to thank all our sponsors for the chafing cream and anti-inflammatories that allow us to play the sport we love,” Hutton said.
Jamie Hutton fires a short-range chip at the 18th flag during the Weipa Survivor Golf qualifying event on 3 May. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
