In the feature match of the morning, Poverty Bay senior club champion Simon Jeune defeated his Park club champion counterpart Anaru Reedy with a birdie on the last in a clash between two former PB Open winners.
It set up a second-round match against 18-year-old leftie Zach Rolls (Poverty Bay) who staved off a late charge from Dean Williams (Amberley) to win on the 17th — Rolls chipping in for birdie to seal the deal.
No.2 seed Dan Collier (Park) advanced but was taken all the way by host course member Marcel Campbell before winning on the 18th.
Hukanui Brown (Patutahi) beat 2007 PB Open winner Tony Akroyd (Park) 4 and 3, Reece Witters (PB) defeated Aaron Goddard (Hamilton) on the 18th and seven-time PB Open winner Waka Donnelly (Napier) ejected Glenn Morley (PB) 6 and 5.
Brown was up against Donnelly and Witters faced Smith in the quarters.
With Smith and Van Der Nagel on opposing sides of the draw, there remained a chance of them shutting out the locals, who have dominated the event in the past 10 years.
Former New Zealand rep Smith, who led Bay of Plenty to multiple national interprovincial titles, showed his class in qualifying .
Smith top qualified on 145 (74, 71) although it took a countback to decide the Scott Plate winner.
Dan Collier also posted 1-over 145, which included the low round of the day — 3-under 69 in the morning — but because his afternoon score of 76 was higher than Smith’s 71, the visitor earned the No.1 seeding for the championship 16.
Collier’s morning effort including a stunning finish on a new course layout specifically for the Open. He ended birdie, birdie, eagle (on the par-5 18th which is usually the fifth hole).
That run went along with three other birdies.
Smith had 16 pars and two bogeys in his 74 but found birdie form in the afternoon — four of them.
He had plenty of outside company in the top 16 heading into the first round of matchplay over the seven divisions including Van Der Nagel, who qualified seventh on 152 (78, 74) and Williams, who shot 151 (71, 80) for sixth.
Collier was joined in the top group by 2021 champion Reedy, who qualified third on 147 (75, 72); Stewart, 10th on 155 (74, 81); and Akroyd, 12th on 156 (76, 80).
These four made up the Park team who won the Oligoi Jug interclub pennants this year.
Donnelly (of Napier but formerly of Te Puia Hot Springs and Poverty Bay) had probably his best qualifying rounds for several years — 147 (73, 74) — to qualify fourth and give himself another chance of equalling Frank Gordon (8) as the most prolific winner of the Open.
Patutahi five-time senior club champ Hukanui Brown qualified fifth on 150 (75, 75).
Five host course members made the first 16 — Witters on 155 (80, 75); Rolls 156 (77, 79); Morley 157 (78, 79); 2019 champion Jeune 157 (76, 81); and Campbell 158 (81 77).
Rolls was one of two teenagers to qualify. Solomann, of Auckland course Whitford Park but who played pennants for Waikohu this year alongside his dad and 1995 PB Open champion David, snatched the 16th and last seeding with 158 (79, 79).
Big-hitting Goddard showed he could be a danger in matchplay in qualifying eighth on 155 (80, 75), his afternoon round featuring six birdies.
The cut-off for the top 16 was 158 — six shots lower than last year, a reflection of plenty of run and the weather.
Poverty Bay’s Gerald Kemp produced his best round in over 10 years — 84 off a 21-handicap — en route to posting the best 36-hole net total of 134, one shot ahead of Tolaga Bay’s Joe Sheridan, with Poverty Bay’s Hamish Williams another stroke back.
There were a few tales of woe.
One local’s century-plus morning round was compared to the 1976 Olympics performance of gymnast Nadia Comaneci . . . it featured three 10s.
Six players qualified for the $1000 Nearest To Pin Challenge held at the end of the tournament including Campbell, who won it last year. The seventh and final qualifier was decided by clubhouse draw last night.
Family bragging rights were also earned yesterday. Solomann beat his father by two shots; Marcus Gray beat dad Deevon by four; Dave Jenkins beat son Simon by three; and Tim Mackie beat brother Neil by eight.
Results of the quarterfinals were not available when the Saturday newspaper edition of the The Herald went to print.
PB Open Top 16 —
145 — Mark Smith (Springfield) 74, 71; Dan Collier (Electrinet Park) 69, 76
147 — Anaru Reedy (Park) 75, 72; Waka Donnelly (Napier) 73, 74
150 — Hukanui Brown (Patutahi) 75, 75
151 — Dean Williams (Amberley) 71, 80
152 — Craig Van Der Nagel (Te Puke) 78, 74
155 — Aaron Goddard (Hamilton) 80, 75; Reece Witters (Poverty Bay) 80, 75; Pete Stewart (Park) 74, 81
156 — Zach Rolls (PB) 77, 79; Tony Akroyd 76, 80
157 — Glenn Morley (PB) 78, 79; Simon Jenue 76, 81
158 — Marcel Campbell (PB) 81, 77; Glenn Solomann (Whitford Park) 79, 79.
Round 1 of matchplay: Smith def Solomann 5 and 4; Collier def Campbell 2-up; Jeune def Reedy 1-up; Brown def Akroyd 4 and 3; Rolls def Williams 3 and 1; Witters def Goddard 1-up; Donnelly def Morley 6 and 5; Van Der Nagel def Stewart 4 and 3.
