Not many Bay members know Hawke’s Bay product McPike but he has been a valuable addition to the side, including the semifinals where he and Situ posted comfortable wins in the Bay’s 5-3 defeat of Patutahi (1).
Favourites? Poverty Bay might suggest that despite being on home fairways, they are the underdogs.
Park are the defending champions and with Reedy at the helm boast a powerful and experienced unit.
Reedy is unbeaten in the four Oligoi matches he has played this series and goes in hot from a 7-under 64 (including four twos) at the Park late last week.
Akroyd played his first matches of the 2023 series two weeks ago in Round 7 and the semifinal, but boasts an impressive history.
He was in all three Park teams who have won Oligoi finals this century (2000, 2011, 2022) and stepped up in their semifinal victory over Te Puia Springs when he ended Andrew Higham’s seven-match winning streak.
In fact, all players from both sides have made vital contributions along the way.
Morley’s gritty half with Patutahi No.1 Hukanui Brown got Poverty Bay over the line in the semis and he has been a mainstay for the side in recent years.
Collier has got the job done before for Park as a member of 2011 and 2022 champion teams and has notched some important wins over the 2023 campaign.
Whether home advantage plays a part is questionable. The Park boys are familiar with the Bay — Reedy and Akroyd have won PB Open titles on it — and all but Reedy got time on the course at the Poverty Bay open foursomes last Saturday.
Local knowledge greens-wise could be a difference and the Park crew will want to avoid the challenging Bay bunkers.
Tomorrow also features position playoffs among the other six teams albeit over 18 holes.
Prominent in the thoughts of many players in tomorrow’s series climax will be Higham, who continues his battle after suffering serious injuries in a car crash at Mahia the morning after the semifinals.
Certainly Higham would have wanted his “brothers” to go out and play hard.
The final round of a tight Endeavour men’s handicap matchplay pennants is also at Poverty Bay tomorrow.
Leaders Tolaga Bay (48) are four points clear of Poverty Bay (44), with Park (1) and Mahia on 42 and Park (2) 40.
With 24 points up for grabs, any of these six-man teams could win the title.
Oligoi Jug interclub pennants finals day
Oligoi Jug final, 36 holes: Poverty Bay v Electrinet Park 1.
Poverty Bay: Glenn Morley, Mark Jefferson, Quin McPike, David Situ.
Park (1): Anaru Reedy, Dan Collier, Tony Akroyd, Pete Stewart.
Bronze final, 18 holes: Patutahi (1) v Te Puia Springs.
Patutahi (1): Hukanui Brown, Dwayne Russell, Dean Pohatu, Eddie Brown Jr.
Te Puia Springs: William Brown, Jason Devery, Wade Wesche, John Wyllie.
Pounamu Trophy final (5th-6th), 18 holes: Tolaga Bay v Patutahi (2).
Tolaga Bay: Bruce Yates, Neil Hansen, Will Yates, Tim Adamson.
Patutahi (2): Jace Brown, Chris Beattie, Wynne MacLellan, Pat Hokianga.
Wooden spoon final (7th-8th), 18 holes: Park (2) v Waikohu,
Park (2): Matt Henwood, Craig Christophers, Zach Rolls, Marcus Gray.
Waikohu: David Solomann, Terry Reeves, Glenn Solomann, Percy Milner.
