Golf roundup

Brad Morgan (left) and Paul Rickard (right) retained the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout title at Poverty Bay on Sunday. Hukanui Brown, who shot a course-record 59 at Patutahi the previous weekend presented the silverware. Picture supplied

Poverty Bay

The stars of one of the greatest performances in Poverty Bay club history were at it again on Sunday.

Paul Rickard and Brad Morgan successfully defended the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout crown.

“Rick”, getting around on his late father Hugh’s cart nowadays, and his 39-year-old cohort clearly bring out the better in each other —no more so than their famous 2018 Poverty Bay men’s open foursomes gross triumph which is indisputably the biggest shock in Poverty Bay-East Coast golfing history.

The Awapuni Shootout titles are not so sensational as they are off handicap, but impressive achievements all the same.

On Sunday “Bradrick”  returned a 27-hole net total of 96 for the three 9-hole formats — best-ball, Canadian foursomes and ambrose.

Only 0.375 back in second, were Jason Phillips — behind the wheel of his new electric cart that looks like it came out of the Lego movie — and Pete Stewart, whose rock-solid performance led one of his playing four to query how he lost both his Oligoi Jug men’s pennants matches at Tolaga Bay the day before.

Lynne Holmberg and Maraea Wesche made up a PB/Māhia combo and won the women’s title with 108.62 (note the course is par 74 for women; 72 for men).

Peter Hakiwai and Lou Kriel followed up helping Poverty Bay to victory in the ER Black Cup interclub at Te Puia Hot Springs the previous weekend by winning the mixed pairs section with 101.125.

Bernie Rothschild fell several months short of shooting his age for the first time on Tuesday.

The 74-year-old carded an excellent 3-over 75-12-65 in winning the veterans’ stableford.

His first round in just under three weeks featured birdies on the fifth and 15th holes.

He lamented a double bogey on the 12th and a three-putt, but it appears to be only a matter of time before he joins the exclusive club.

WEDNESDAY — LGU, silver: M Allen 90-19-71.

Bronze 1: T Lewis 97-26-71.

Bronze 2: S Eriksen 105-29-76.

Twos: D Kirkpatrick.

9 holers: L Fletcher 36 (division 1); R Dymock 36 (division 2).

TUESDAY — Veterans’ stableford: B Rothschild 45 , M Stewart 37, B Morrissey 37, D Bush 36, P Mckenzie 35, K Goldsmith 35, T Goldsmith 35.

Twos: S Andreason.

MONDAY — Women’s medal: V Bell 75, M Lane 75.

SUNDAY — Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 27-hole open pairs net (9 holes of best-ball, 9 of Canadian foursomes, 9 of  ambrose), men: P Rickard/B Morgan 96; J Phillips/P Stewart 96.375; D White/M White 96.625, H Brown/W Brown 98.875, W Donnelly/M Norman 99.625, E Brown/T Donovan 100.125.

Women: L Holmberg/M Wesche 108.62.

Mixed: L Kriel/P Hakiwan 101.125.

9-hole best-ball net: H Tupara/K Tupara 28, D Bullivant/A Lawler 31.

9-hole Canadian foursomes net: J Holmes/F Ball 32.5, B Colbert/C Jeffrey 34.

9-hole ambrose net: M Lewin/B Simpson 30.25, S Jeune/R Clark 31.

SATURDAY —Men’s stableford, Division 1:  S Francks 38, M Callaghan 37, A Kirkpatrick 36, D Jenkins 36.

Division 2: B Simpson 36, P.Goodwin 34, R Morley 34.

Twos: D Wilson.

Approach: B Simpson.

Thursday (April 11) — Men’s stableford, Dvision 1: A Abrahams 41, W Mortleman 39, C Christie 37, B Colbert 37.

Division 2: J Bryden 39, M Smith 37, P Graham 37, S Bridge 37.

Twos: W Mortleman.

Approach: W Mortleman.

Māhia

Bob Solomon dominated Round 1 of the Foster Cup men’s competition on Sunday.

Solomon won the stableford with 108-39-69, for 42 points — six clear of Pete Bremner’s 74-2-72, for 36.

Renee Hiko set the pace in Round 1 of the Connolly women’s competition with 38 points.

SUNDAY — LGU: S Adams 71, A Campbell 72, V Kyle 73.

Putting: A Campbell 26.

Foster Cup men’s competition, Round 1 (stableford): B Solomon 42, P Bremner 36, G Hornblow 35.

Connolly women’s competition, Round 1 (stableford): R Hiko  38, V Kyle 35.

Te Puia Hot Springs

Robyn Ngatai and Raana Walker topped the Springs’ Sunday competitions.

Ngatai finished 6-up on the card to win the women’s bisque bogey while Walker’s 88-21-67, for 38 points, won the men’s stableford.

SUNDAY — Women’s bisque bogey: R Ngatai +6, I Ngarimu +5, H McClutchie +2.

Twos: H McClutchie.

Men’s stableford: R Walker  88- 21- 67,  38; K Waitoa 78-12-66, 36.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, President’s Cup women’s competition, Round 1, LGU, putting.

Tolaga Bay

Irons specialist Peewee Tuapawa earned a countback win in the men’s stableford on Sunday.

Tuapawa and Dan Maitai had 35 points apiece.

SUNDAY — Stableford: P Tuapawa 35, D Maitai 35, P Stevenson 34.

Twos: G McLean.

Electrinet Park

Duane Mauheni was in career-best form in winning the American stableford on Sunday.

Mauheni had consecutive birdies in his 77-12-65, which earned him 61 points. He pipped Warren Muir by one point.

Muir is setting the early pace in qualifying for the 2024 men’s shootout.

Qualifying is over three time periods  — autumn, winter and spring — with players counting their best two white tee scores and one off the blues over each period.

The Men’s Handicap Cup matchplay finals are on Saturday. These will be followed by president Wayne Carpendale’s “shout”.

The Park women’s team for the national teams’ final at Electrient Park on May 18 are Jean Foot, Tai Aramakutu, Kino White, Carolyn Carpendale and Tracey Ford (reserve),

SUNDAY — American stableford: D Mauheni 61, W Muir 60, J Adams 57, D Boyle 55.

Twos: C Christophers 2, A Pahina, D Mauheni, M Downie, K Collier.

Jackpot: C Christophers.

Aotearoa Cup/LGU, silver division: K White 74 on c/b from C Pipi.

Bronze 1: J Akuhata 72.

Bronze 2: S Paku 72.

Drawn twos: S Maisey.

The draw for the Men’s Handicap Cup finals on SUNDAY is — Senior division, 9am: Zane Boyle v Matt Henwood.

Intermediate, 9.10: Chris Fox v John Collier Jr.

Junior, 9.20: Steve Rolls v Mat Downie.

Endeavour, 9.30: Lindsay Hunt v Stephen Johnson.

COMING UP: WEDNESDAY, April 24, Electrinet Park women’s open foursomes, 18-hole (report 9am for 9.30am start) and 9-hole (report at 11am) sections, gross and net, entries close Monday, April 22, contact Kino White 022-495-6677 or Jean Foot 868-7744, maximum handicap of 40 for 18-hole players.

Endeavour pennants

Waikohu made a near-perfect start to the Endeavour men’s interclub pennants at Māhia on Saturday.

The six-man Waikohu side won five of their matches to rack up 20 points (four points for a win) and set the early pace.

The Endeavour men’s pennants is played off handicap. Waikohu’s 1 to 3 played Tolaga Bay while numbers 4 to 6 faced Te Puia Hot Springs.

For Waikohu, wins went to Richard Reeves, Tipi Ruru, Larry Green, Tama Brown and Sonny Ritchie. Karauria Ruru was the only one to taste defeat.

Hosts Māhia ended the day on 18 points through wins to Chris “Gid” Pitman, David Waihaki, Wayne Wesche and Tegal Smith, and a half for Bruce Maher.

Electrinet Park (2) are sitting third on 16 points, thanks to victories to Danny Boyle, Heath Tupara, Junior Akurangi and Kyle Tupara — Heath’s son.

Patutahi ended the day with 14 points. Pat Molloy, debutant Jason Phillips and Cecil Brown had wins while George Brown had a half.

Defending champions Poverty Bay collected 10 points from wins to Frank Ball and Richard Foon and a half by Colin Simpson.

Te Puia Hot Springs were sixth on the day on eight points — Ian Logan and Eruera West chalking up wins.

Park (1), who Poverty Bay beat in a putt-off to decide the 2023 series, could muster only six points from a win to Kelly Spring and half by Slade Tiopira.

Tolaga Bay ended the day at the foot of the table on four points. Mark Watts was their sole victor.

The top stableford scorers are acknowledged each round.

Kyle Tupara’s 42 points was the best individual performance, followed by Pitman’s 41 and Tipi Ruru’s 40.

The best from the other teams were Mike de Luze (Patutahi, 38); Foon (Poverty Bay, 38); Logan (Te Puia Hot Springs, 37); Ray Walford (Park 1, 34); and Watts (Tolaga Bay, 37).

Round 2 of the pennants is at Patutahi on April 27.