AS someone with a strong Rosewood connection, Nathan McMillan dreamed of one day winning the golf club’s major championship.
After achieving that feat following an eight-year break, Nathan hasn’t stopped smiling.
Nathan, 48, built on a two-shot final round lead over last year’s winner Jack Wojcicki to secure the 2025 A-Grade title by five shots.
Nathan’s winning gross total was 292, ahead of Jack (297) and Shanker Silvadorae (303).
Nathan’s nett score was 284, beating Jack (293) and Shanker (291).
Winning his first club championship on May 31 after 20 attempts gave immense joy to Nathan.
“It’s pretty pleasing after all these years and I’m probably not getting any younger,” Nathan said.
“The closest I’ve finished [previously] was third one year.”
Nathan is now based at Willowbank. He grew up in Rosewood and attended the state and high schools before becoming a workshops manager and later a production manager for a different steel fabrication company.
He started playing golf at the Rosewood club aged 10, after joining his uncle for a hit.
“I just stuck at it and loved it,” he said.
Nathan continued to play growing up before taking a break due to family and work commitments overseas.
He had won three junior titles in a row as a teenager before chasing his senior golfing goal when able to play.
Nathan said his latest result over four rounds – finishing ahead of last year’s champion and pennants team member Jack – was especially gratifying.
Sitting on the back deck overseeing the course, Nathan said a lot of the Rosewood golfers were good mates.
“All the members out here, everyone was really supportive on Saturday once I’d won,” Nathan said.
“Everyone knew me. I’ve been here so long.”
Nathan shot 70 in the first round before 75 the next weekend and 71 on May 24.
The final round was played in testing wet conditions on slower greens.
Nathan compiled a score of 76.
“It’s great,” Nathan said of his success.
“My goal at the start of it was to make that top four.
“I didn’t expect to be leading after three rounds but pretty happy how I got it on the last day.”
Nathan will join other pennants representatives in the annual series starting in August.
Before that, he’ll continue to “squeeze in” whatever golf he can, including contesting the next Rosewood Golf Club Open Matchplay event over five weeks starting this month.
He was runner-up in that event last year.
Nathan said the key to succeeding at the Rosewood course was “driving the ball well”.
With a handicap of one, his favourite hole is the third.
“It’s a good drive that sets you up,” he said.
“I usually play that hole pretty well.”
He said the main appeal of golf was “the personal challenge”.
Nathan has another passion – competing with his ‘Smoke And Daggers’ team in barbecue competitions on a circuit around South East Queensland and occasionally interstate.
He has enjoyed that since 2018, cooking up a different winning treat in his latest effort on the golf course.
