Mears played as the club professional in the 54-hole event alongside Victorian-based tour professional Ashley Hall, with local members Brad Smith (handicap 10), Mark Bateup (27), Scott Hammond (20) and Mitchell Egan (12) in their team. Dubbo’s team handicap was 10.3, second largest in the finals.

They got through their local qualifying event and then survived a regional play-off before getting a place in the final side against groups from across Australia.

Dubbo had nett scores of 55.1, 56.1 and 51.1 to finish on 162.3 nett - their final round second best.

The team from Robina Woods on the Gold Coast (handicap 6.3) won the final with rounds of 51.7, 51.7, 52.7 (156.1) while second was another Queensland side Laidley Golf Club (158.9) off 8.7 handicap.

The top two teams from the mixed championship final - and the best women’s event team - will represent Australia in 2012 when China hosts the next leg of the China Challenge - a new initiative between the China Golf League and the Holden Scramble.

“Everyone played really well and it was great to have Ashley Hall with us for the final round as he was with me and the team from Coonamble when we won up here a couple of years ago. He’s a very good player,” Mears said.

“The fellows were hoping to have one of the more high profile tour players with us (Stuart Appleby, John Senden, Wayne Grady or Peter O’Malley) but when I reminded them that nerves would be hard to overcome with these guys watching your every swing, they were more relaxed with Ashley.

“Obviously to finish third was a great effort, but to miss out by one for the trip to China was disappointing.

“Twenty-five teams were in the mixed final, but only four in the women’s final, so I think it could have been done a bit better having three spaces, but only two from the main division.”

It was a commanding performance from start to finish from Robina Woods.

The consistent and talented team of Nathan Baker, Matthew Pease, Adrian Robert, Blake Johnson and PGA professional Corey Taylor teamed up with tour professional Peter O’Malley.

Laidley was steered by PGA professional, Ian Esson, and teamed up with tour professional David Bransdon.

The final team packing their bags for China is the ladies team from the Cromer Golf Club, who took out the Women’s Holden Scramble Championship Final on Monday.

The team lead by PGA Professional Nicholas Robb and consisting of Adele Brimmer, Beverley Fagan, Yvonne Burns and Katrina Brown teamed up with Holden Young Lion, Nicole Picken, to finish with round of 51 and win by 7.9 shots.

The Holden Scramble Championship Final was conducted over four days of sunshine at Novotel Twin Waters and Twin Waters Golf Club on Queensland’s aptly named Sunshine Coast.

The Holden Scramble is a PGA event for amateur golfers throughout Australia, and has been running for the past 20 years with around 35,000 players participating each year. The event is open to any player with an official handicap.