IT was an emotional day for Kathie Shearer, her sons Bobby and Brett and grandson, Jake, as the family recently unveiled a statue to honour her late husband Bob, at his beloved Southern Golf Club.
Fittingly, as guests gathered to get their first glimpse of the amazing life size work of Shearer powering a six iron down the 18th fairway, only the thwack of club on ball from golfers on the nearby tee broke the silence.
It must be said here that bronze statue by sculptor Louis Laumen and Cameron McIndoe of Fundere Foundry is quite frankly a superb work.
The Shearer family, wife Kathie, sons Bobby and Brett and grandson Jake, at the unveiling of the Bob Shearer statue.
The usually gregarious Kathie Shearer was in an almost soulful mood at the unveiling describing the gesture by Southern as a “generous and beautiful honour bestowed on us as a family.”
“Bob was a husband to me, a father to Bobby and Brett and just ‘Pops’ to Jake.
“But almost as importantly he was a proud member of Southern Golf Club and as you know, he wasn’t a bad golfer either!
“Bob never sought or expected accolades but I know for a fact he would have been humbled and overwhelmed with this statue as a lasting tribute to his memory.”
Kathie said when Southern GM, Brad Robb, and president, Peter Anderson, approached her with the idea of a statue, she never thought for a moment that they would get the support of the committee and members of the club.
“I seriously underestimated you all and for that I must apologise.
“However, I did think there was a chance that the spike bar may have been named The Bob Shearer Spike Bar, which to many, including me, seemed to be a very fitting memorial given the amount of time he spent within those walls.”
Kathie said her husband loved Southern’s “values, principles, inclusiveness, fun and most importantly, the camaraderie of the people, many of whom came to be his friends.”
“As Bob got older, his relationship with the club developed in a slightly different way. He grew a little softer and more accepting of his golf game, although his competitive spirit was still shining brightly as his playing partners would attest that he still didn’t like losing very much.
“Until the end he played three times a week, Mondays, either Wednesdays or Thursdays, or both, and of course Saturdays.
“I always knew when a game was on the cards as I would hear him humming while having a shave or even singing dreadfully a few bars of his favourite songs, ‘Do not forsake me’, Oh my darling,’ or the Bob Marley classic. ‘Don’t worry, be happy’.
Amongst Shearer’s most memorable golfing achievements was a victory at the 1982 Australian Open, beating Jack Nicklaus and Payne Stewart to claim the Stonehaven Cup.
Kathie said Bob “was never happier than when he was at Southern. He was a real Southern clubman.”
“To everyone who contributed and helped to make this day possible, I hope when you see the statue it gives you the same feeling in your heart as it gives us as a family.”
She paid tribute “three special Southern people” – Robb, Anderson and Kevin Roberts for their inclusiveness since Bob’s death at 73 in January 2022. She also thanked PGA Chairman, Gavin Kirkman.
“It has really been terrific, almost like Bob reporting back on what’s going on, which has so helped with our grieving process to know we are still included.”
Anderson, Southern GC President, said erecting the statue was not only about Shearer’s ability as a player.
“I trust when you see this statue, please think about the camaraderie, the friendship, the mutual respect we all have,” he said.
Anderson said he was proud of the fact that Shearer became one of only 19 life members of Southern at age 44, while praising the efforts of GM Brad Robb throughout the process involved in the statue becoming a reality.
Rodger Davis outgoing chairman of the PGA of Australasia said: “Bob was a great man. It is very rare that you find that someone who has a fantastic amateur career – then has a better professional career – stays at the one club. And what a club. He used to talk about it all the time.
“He was coached by his only coach, Harold Knights and came back here all the time. And was fantastic with juniors and young professionals coming into the game. I know he helped me when I first started out.”
Davis is the only surviving member of the Coca Cola Young Lions who travelled the word together in the 1970’s. The other three were Shearer, Jack Newton and Ian Stanley, all of whom have died far too young in recent years.
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