She decided to compete for fun in the NSW Senior Women’s Golf Championship as a reprieve from the concerns at home around the bushfire, but didn’t count on winning her age group. 

“I live in Tathra so we had been dealing with the fires and I decided I would go for fun and just let the results be what they would be,” Hergenhan said. 

“So when I made the finals that really exceeded my goals,” she adds with a laugh. 

Hergenhan, who celebrated a 60^th birthday on Wednesday finished eighth overall, but top three in her 55-59 age bracket. 

“I came third in my age group [to qualify for finals] so the next day you go out and play a match play in an elimination round – but I played very well in that one and ended up winning 4-2,” Hergenhan said.  

The win pitted the six-capper Hergenhan against the title favourite – who had finished fourth overall and playing off just a three handicap, while a good chunk of the field had competed off single figures.

“We battled it out and it was a really close and exciting match - I got two up and on the second last hole I beat her three with one to go,” she said. 

Playing against some of the best contenders from Sydney, Newcastle and surrounds, Hergenhan said she was over the moon with the result ahead of the local pennant season kicking off in Bega. 

She said she was among the lucky ones with little damage at home in Tathra, but winning a state title was a stark contrast to just a week before. 

She was booked to play in the FSC tournament in Mallacoota, but staying with family and getting updates from the evacuation centre was among the many that were effectively left homeless for half a week. 

“I was staying with my brother, but we went to the centre on the Tuesday to try and get back in – they said no – there was nothing we could do so I decided to play.

“So I got lent some shorts and tops by the girls I do boot camp with, I played with my playing partners old clubs and I sorted out some $12 runners from Big W,” she said.

Hergenhan said she was thrilled by the win and was now excited to carry that form into the pennant season and at local tournaments like Pambula-Merimbula. 

She also praised her Bega club mates who had been enormous supporters of her trip. 

“ A massive thank you to these girls, they knew the result before I could tell them because they were all watching the live feed online,” she said with a laugh.