Golf roundup

Anthony Pahina and son Shaun with the coveted Te Kanawa Cup after beating Tom Reynolds and Darrel Gregory in the handicap matchplay final on Sunday. The trophy dates back to the days of the Turanganui golf club. Pictures supplied

Electrinet Park

Winning her 21st women’s senior club championship title was the second-best thing to happen to Karen Hay in the space of a few days.

Becoming a grandmother for the first time well and truly outdid that.

Hay beat Jo Kerr 7 and 6 in the 36-hole matchplay final on Saturday — adding to her legendary status of having won club championships in every decade bar one since the 1970s.

Hay, who said she only entered to make up the numbers this year, led 2-up after 18 holes.

While pleased to have her name engraved on the trophy yet again, it faded in comparison to becoming a nanny to a baby girl — which tickled her pink as she has only brothers and sons.

“The grandfathers and grandmothers cups are on Sunday and I was told I’ll have to play in it.”

As to defending her senior crown

. . . “I’ll go as long as I can”.

Jean Foot made it four intermediate titles on the trot and seven in total. She beat Jacque Akuhata 5 and 4 in their 27-hole final.

Kath Papuni proved unstoppable as she beat Di Webb 6 and 5 in the 18-hole junior final on Sunday.

“It was one of those days when not much went wrong,” the multiple junior title winner said.

The final of the Benson Cup women’s pairs between Kerr and Tracy Ford and Webb and Tai Aramakutu is to be held on Saturday, September 9.

Once is random.

Twice is arguably coincidental.

Three times is a nemesis.

Which is what father and son Anthony and Shaun Pahina have become for Tommy Reynolds when it comes to the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs.

The Pahina men, under the pseudonym Feral Crescent Boys, defeated Reynolds and Darrel Gregory, aka Faint Hearted, 3 and 1 in the handicap matchplay final of probably the longest Te K series in history, thanks to the weather.

The Te K and two subsidiary trophies — the Fletcher (for Te K first-round losers) and Turanganui (non-qualifiers) cups — were meant to be decided weeks ago. Finals day was finally confirmed for Sunday, smack dead in the middle of club championships.

Anthony,  already out of the club champs, and Shaun, not able to play, were fully focused on the task at hand, and it proved a tight final.

“It was a great match, said Shaun. “You needed a net-par or net-birdie to win a hole.”

The Pahinas got their nose in front after nine holes, then managed to halve the 10th and 11th holes — on which Reynolds was getting shots from low-handicapper Anthony (off 9). They held strong to the finish.

It was a special victory. The pair had already won the Fletcher (2020) and Turanganui (2022) cups together, so it completed a treble  — something Anthony had already achieved as he won the Te K with Geoff Hill in 2017.

Reynolds will be having nightmares about them. He has been runner-up to them in all three of those finals. The Pahinas beat him and Tony File in the 2020 Fletcher Cup final and Reynolds and Gregory in the 2022 Turanganui Cup final.

Shaun was hoping to be celebrating a double this week, with his wife due to give birth to their second child.

Steve Phillips and James Witika won the Fletcher Cup final. The 5XLs pairing beat Glen McKinnon and Phillips’ former Thistle football teammate Dave Harrison 3 and 2.

The Turanganui Cup final featuring John Collier Jr and Damian Pilatati against John Collier Sr and Duane Mauheni is to be played this weekend.

SUNDAY — Sunday Trophy women’s shootout net: C Pipi 90-17-73 c/b from P Johansen.

Drawn two: T Ford.

Men’s net: M Christophers 70, M Bond 70.

Twos: M Downie.

Long drive: Z Boyle.

Approach: Z Boyle.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford: Q Peneha 35.

Twos: A Pahina 2.

Waikohu

Terry Reeves won the battle of the brothers to claim senior men’s glory in club championship finals day on Sunday.

Reeves beat brother Ethine 4 and 3 while another brother, Richard, defeated Tama Brown by the same margin in the intermediate final.

Sonny Ritchie had too much firepower for Tom Smith in the junior final — winning 6 and 5.

Audrey Tamanu-Nunn fended off Cheryl Te Rito 3 and 2 for the intermediate women’s title.

Marg Tuapawa retained the junior women’s crown with a 4 and 3 win over Penny Rutene.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition; SATURDAY, Sept 9, Waikohu open closing day, Canadian pairs and men’s sections, 11.30am tee-off.

Patutahi

Regan Hindmarsh will be hoping his putting remains at a temperature too hot to touch for his senior men’s club championship semifinal this weekend.

He’s probably going to need it to.

Hindmarsh eased past Jace Brown 4 and 3 in their quarterfinal match on Sunday.

“Bugger never missed a putt,” said Brown.

His reward is a clash with reigning champion Hukanui Brown, who is gunning for a fifth title in a row.

Dwayne Russell beat Jon Priestley 4 and 3 in their last-eight clash. He faces the winner of Eddie Brown Jr and Shayde Skudder.

The intermediate and junior semifinalists have been sorted.

Top  intermediate seed Hamish Harris will play George Brown while Ashley Hindmarsh takes on Pat Hokianga.

Junior No.1 qualifier Tony Sharp is up against Mike de Luze while Chopper Summersby faces Mason Smith.

The endeavour semifinalists are Steve Fookes, Mike Broad, Ian Tiejten and Colin Kirkpatrick.

In the women’s champs, Sheree Gray and Helen Pomana will duel for the intermediate title.

Abbie Davis is straight through to the junior final. She awaits the winner of the semi between Charlie Holland and Kim Torrez.

All semis are on Sunday.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, up to 13: R Hindmarsh 38, D Russell 35, R Bremner 34, P Bremner 34, H Harris 34.

13-plus: M Smith 37, A Brodie 36, M de Luze 35, S Fookes 35, G Holland 34.

Women’s stableford: H Pomana 34.

Twos: H Brown 2, D Russell.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, up to 8: J Brown 21, R Hindmarsh 19, H Harris 19, T Sharp 19, R Pardoe 18.

9-plus: A Davis 19, C Newman 19, S Fookes 17, M Broad 17, T Coutts 17.

Poverty Bay

simon Jeune could mark his entry to a new decade with a club championship title.

The just-turned 60-year-old booked his spot in the senior men’s final in emphatic fashion on Sunday.

Having knocked out Marcel Campbell 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Jeune played his semi against Glenn Morley on Sunday morning.

Morley crushed Henri Campbell 8 and 7 in Saturday’s quarters but was no match for Jeune, the pair shaking hands on the 13th.

Jeune, who won the title in 2015, will wait with interest to see who his opponent will be.

Mark Jefferson  is scheduled to play defending champion William Brown in the other semifinal.

Jefferson’s 3 and quarterfinal win over Quin McPike was highlighted by near-perfection on the 11th hole — his ball hitting the pin and finishing a foot away.

Brown breezed past Hayden Keast 5 and 4 but has had to have an operation this week, meaning he may not be available for the semis.

Neil Mackie remained on track for another intermediate men’s honour with a 4 and 3 win over top qualifier Alex Kirkpatrick.

His semifinal opponent is Steve Francks who silently assassinated Jimmy Situ 4 and 2.

The drama level was much higher in the other two semis. Andy Abrahams sank a 20-foot par putt on the 18th then watched as Andy Hayward three-putted from 18-feet to lose 1-down.

Vance Richardson extinguished Craig Christophers’ hopes of intermediate glory at Poverty Bay and Electrinet Park.

Richardson also won on 18 and was to play his semi against Abrahams today.

Junior No.1 seed Keith Marshall made a statement with his 5 and 4 disposal of Don Wright to set up a semifinal against Hamish Williams, who knocked out Cary Hensley.

The other semi pits long-time member Colin Christie against first-year member Shaun Boyd. Christie ejected Bill Simpson; Boyd beat Shaquaid Hihi.

The four endeavour hopefuls get their first matchplay action in the semis: Pete Goodwin v Brian Read, Dallas Atkins v Murray Smith.

Sunday — Men’s stableford, division 1: A Battistella 40, A Hayward 35.

Division 2: R Young 38, N Jones 36.

Twos: W Mortleman, K Daniels.

Approach: K Houkamau.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: G Udall 40, A Abrahams 38, S Francks 38.

Division 2: K Goldsmith 39, B Allen 36, G Clapham 35, J Phillips 34.

Twos: K Goldsmith, M Stewart, V Richardson, A Hayward.

Approach: C Dean.

THURSDAY (Aug 24) — Men’s stableford, division 1: N Mackie 39, A Battistella 39, I Murphy 38, A Abrahams 38.

Division 2: D Atkins 40, M Smith 38, R Fletcher 38, M Gemmell 37.

Twos: T Goldsmith, J Bryden, A White, P Humphreys, I Murphy, N Mackie.

Approach: I Murphy.

Mahia

The Fiordland Lobster Company men’s 36-hole open tournament has been rescheduled to November due to the condition of the course.

The tournament will be held on November 4 and 5, with a nine-hole pre-tournament haggle on the Friday afternoon.

For inquiries and entries, contact Maraea Wesche on 027-229-2342 or mwesche@gmail.com.

Te Puia Hot Springs

Matches in the first round of the Women’s Handicap Cup went all the way on Sunday as the course continues to dry out.

Hiria McClutchie defeated Iritana Ngarimu 1-up while Pauline Summersby beat Robyn Ngatai also on the 18th.

Round 2 is this Sunday.

Bill Clark won the men’s net with 82-14-68, one stroke ahead of Pete Ngarimu’s 88-19-69.

Tolaga Bay

Mark Watts won the club net with ease on Sunday.

‘Wattie’ returned 64 — his victory anchored by 28 putts over the 18 holes.

He was six shots clear of his nearest rivals and also won the approach.

SUNDAY — Stableford: M Watts 64, T  Higgs 70, BJ Sidney 70.

Twos: P Tuapawa, R Castle, P Stevenson.

Approach: M Watts.

Putting: M Watts 28.