THEY have tried many times before, but Jarryd Bird, Paul Rossiter, Graham Thorne and Paul Oxley can finally celebrate after taking out the Bathurst round of the Holden Scramble on Sunday.

The quartet head off to Macquarie Links next month to contest the state finals for the first time after their nett result of 54.1 got them home by less than a point.

After hitting 59 off the stick, their nett result, which takes into account the average handicap of the team, was calculated. 

Their effort was good enough to see off Andrew Short, Paul Strick, Graham Simpson and Todd McIntosh who returned 55 nett.

Captain Rossiter said he wasn’t certain that his team had got the win on the walk back to the clubhouse, but knew it was a great day out.

“I didn’t know about the result but I knew that we had had a good day. We really didn’t have to hit many shots out of the rough. I think we had one shot out of the bunker and the rest of it was pretty regulation,” he said.

“You don’t really know how anyone else is going because you’re all teeing off at the same time. Guys in front or behind you, you can see how they’re going but not anyone else.

“We’ve been the bridesmaids here for the last few years, but we’ve had the same score or thereabouts for the last four years. This time a bolter from the pack didn’t come out and get us.”

Rossiter said the best thing about the day was how well all four members of the team pitched in for the ambrose format competition.

“Jarryd Bird was driving the ball extremely well, he won the longest drive today. Everyone contributed really well. I’d say that Graham Thorne was our best with the putter and it was just a beautiful team effort.

“All of us probably played some of our best golf all together on the same day. It ended up being really close at the end there between the top three or four sides.”

The team started out steadily as they shot three pars from their first four holes before the group ended their first nine holes with five straight birdies.

That run of form continued on the next four holes before a couple of pars brought it to a brief stop. A birdie on their last hole, the ninth, proved crucial as it was the difference between placing first or second.

On October 20 the team heads to the Macquarie Links course for the state final where Bathurst Golf Club professional Matt Barrett will join them to make it a team of five.