Golf: Omanu shed 'bridesmaid' tag

Omanu No1 Jordan Golding chips on to a green during his win over Mount Maunganui's Bailey Smith in yesterday's BOP Championship Pennants final at Omanu.

Omanu teams have had to watch Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and Springfield clubs win the lion's share of BOP Championship Pennants titles since 2001.

But yesterday Omanu, anchored by impressive No1 Jordan Golding, beat Mount Maunganui to win the most sought after title in Bay of Plenty club golf on their home course.

The 18 holes were in remarkably good condition, despite damage to some trees after Thursday's tornado caused some unscheduled landscaping.

Golding, 20, has played five years for Omanu and says "it is just awesome" to finally finish in front.

"We've always been second or third to Tauranga and the Mount, or make the semis and get knocked out, but this year we have played well the whole way through.

"This year we just played as a team. Every week we had the same sort of guys come out and play their hardest, and do all they could do. At the end of the day we were the best."

Golding beat Mount Maunganui's Bailey Smith in the afternoon singles match to finish off an excellent season. He now has the rest of the winter off to focus on his university studies.

Omanu had a few speed wobbles in the early morning foursomes but managed to take a 2-1 advantage into the six singles matches where they reigned supreme without any need to second guess themselves.

It was one of four titles won by Omanu on finals day yesterday.

The Tauranga ladies made Omanu, captained by Aroha Tito, work all the way in the Silver final.

Jodae Ngahue and Jackie Gray won their foursomes for Tauranga but Omanu took a 2-1 lead into the singles. Omanu's senior men were comfortable winners over previously unbeaten Opotiki as was the intermediate side over Tauranga.

Ohope defied the odds after being down 2-1 in the foursomes to win five of the six singles matches against Kawerau in the Junior final.