Poverty Bay’s women’s club champions were decided last week. They are (from left) Lynne Holmberg (senior), Maxine Francois (intermediate) and Vonnie Fletcher (junior). It was a first senior crown for Holmberg and second for Francois and Fletcher.Picture supplied
Patutahi
Shayde Skudder will be giving it his all on two sporting battlefields over the weekend.
“Skudz” will co-captain Poverty Bay Wekas in their Heartland Championship rugby derby against Ngāti Porou East Coast in Ruatoria on Saturday.
The next day he will lock horns with reigning champion Hukanui Brown in the senior men’s final of the club championships.
Skudder got there with a victory double last weekend. He beat Brown’s older brother — Eddie Brown Jr — 3 and 2 in a quarterfinal on Saturday before heading to the Oval for the Bay’s Heartland clash with Mid Canterbury.
He then fought out an extra-time semifinal battle with Dwayne Russell, Skudder getting across the line on the 20th.
The third-placed Coast will be favourites over the eighth-placed Bay and if the TAB were to put odds on the Patutahi senior men’s final, Brown would be its pick.
Having disposed of Regan Hindmarsh 3 and 2 in his semi, he is a win away from making it five senior titles in a row.
It is one of six finals on Sunday.
George Brown ousted No.1 seed Hamish Harris on the last to advance to the intermediate men’s title where he faces Pat Hokianga.
Mike de Luze and Mason Smith will fight it out for the junior title.
Michael Broad, who came back from 2-down late in his semi to beat Colin Kirkpatrick on the 19th, takes on Steve Fookes for the endeavour title.
Two women’s finals will be played — Helen Pomana v Sheree Gray for the intermediate crown; Abbie Davis v Kim Torrez for the junior honours.
TUESDAY — Women’s net: J Ewart 116-37-79, J Smith 113-33-80, L Haisman 110-30-80.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, up to 13: S Skudder 36, C Beattie 36, H Brown 33, G Brown 33, A Hindmarsh 33.
14-plus: M King 38, T Smith 36, G Holland 36, G Tattersfield 35, P Johnston 35.
Women’s stableford: D Johnston 38, A Davis 36.
Twos: S Skudder, G Tattersfield, J Brown.
Eagles: H Brown, S Skudder.
Jackpot: S Skudder.
FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, up to 7: T Green 21, D Johnston 21, H Harris 20, G Brown 18, P Molloy 18.
8-plus: A Davis 21, C Harris 20, C Newman 19, H Pomana 18, H Humble 18.
Electrinet Park
The stars are aligning for a repeat of the 2022 senior men’s club championship final although Zane Boyle and Sel Peneha may have something to say about that.
Anaru Reedy beat Dan Collier in last year’s final and the pair are in separate semis on Sunday.
No.1 seed Collier faces Boyle while Reedy will play Peneha.
In an all-premier club rugby quarterfinal, HSOB’s Boyle rolled over the top of YMP’s Silas Brown 5 and 4.
“HSOB got its sole victory against YMP for the year,” Boyle joked.
It earned him a daunting match-up with three-time senior champion Reedy although he had to work hard to see off 2021 junior champion Matt Henwood on the 18th.
Collier took a more straightforward path to the last four — defeating Jason Devery 4 and 3.
Peneha went the distance with Tony Akroyd in an 18-hole duel.
Ian Loffler remains on track for consecutive club championship titles. The 2022 junior champion is into the semis of the intermediate division where he faces Te Ariki Pomana.
Bottom qualifier James Witika is still in the mix after ejecting Phil Nepia in his quarterfinal. His semifinal opponent is the winner of the yet-to-be-played quarter between Josh Hayes and top seed Tom Reynolds, who is chasing his third intermediate honour.
Steve Phillips and Paul Wellard face off in one junior semi; Park greenkeeper Quentin Peneha and Blue Toa in the other.
Head greenkeeper Pete Tamatea is into the endeavour semis where he will play Kurei Collier while Josh Adams and Shannon Collier decide the other final berth.
Di Webb had her best round since January of 2022 in winning the Grandmother’s Cup net on Sunday with 105-42-63, then went one better yesterday in the first round of the Spring Team Challenge women’s net.
Ben Holt won the Father’s Day Mug men’s stableford and Ray Grace was best of the grandfathers.
WEDNESDAY — Women’s Irish stableford, winner: D Webb.
Twos: J Foot, S Paku.
Spring Team Challenge, round 1: Spring Chickens (F Brown/S Paku/P Shaw/D Webb) 278.
SUNDAY — Grandmother’s Cup women’s net: D Webb 63.
Non-Grans net: C Pipi 77.
Father’s Day Mug hidden holes stableford: B Holt 23, M Christophers 22, C Fox 20.
Grandfather’s Cup winner: R Grace.
Twos: M Henwood, J Witika.
SATURDAY — Men’s net: J Witika 67, M Christophers 70, M Henwood 71.
WEDNESDAY (Aug 30) — Billies Cup women’s putting, round 6: T Aramakutu 33.
Overall winner (best four rounds aggregate): K White.
Poverty Bay
Lynne Holmberg remembers only too well the first time she made a senior women’s club championship final.
It was in 2014 and resulted in an 8 and 7 thrashing at the hands of Jan Utting.
Nine years later, the same pair met again for senior glory and this time Holmberg ascended the throne.
It took all 36 holes to sort out a champion last Wednesday. Holmberg was 2-up with two to play but lost the 35th before overcoming the nerves to finish it next to the clubhouse.
It was her first club championship title and capped a memorable year for the hockey convert, who was presented honorary life membership to YMP Hockey Club at its centenary celebrations in July.
Maxine Francois repeated history in winning her second intermediate women’s title.
Francois won on the 30th hole in the 2021 final and hugged Sally Spence on the same hole in the 2023 final.
Vonnie Fletcher won the junior title by default over Sarah Eriksen — adding it to her 2021 success.
Colin Christie can’t recall the exact year he won his first and only junior club championship title.
But if all goes well for him, he’ll have a second on Saturday afternoon.
Christie beat Shaun Boyd 3 and 2 in the junior semifinals of the 2023 Liquorland men’s club champs last weekend.
It put him into a final against Hamish Williams, who is vying for his first club champs crown.
Christie thinks his previous junior victory was about 50 years ago. He’s 78 now and recalls being around the 30-years mark when he won.
To get to the 2023 final, he almost needed to achieve a special golfing feat . . . breaking his age. Christie shot 80 on Saturday.
Williams eliminated top seed Keith Marshall 2 and 1 to make the 18-hole final.
Vance Richardson and Stephen Francks will contest the intermediate final.
Richardson beat Andy Abrahams 2 and 1 on Thursday of last week to make his first final.
Francks had a ding-dong battle with multiple intermediate title winner Neil Mackie before getting across the line on the 18th.
Francks has been in one final in the past — at Omokoroa Golf Club in Tauranga. He was second.
An operation has ended reigning senior champion William Brown’s hopes of making it three in a row.
He forfeited his semifinal match against Mark Jefferson, who is a step away from a first senior honour.
Standing in his way is 2015 champion Simon Jeune.
Peter Goodwin and Murray Smith will contest the endeavour final.
The senior final is over 36 holes; the other three are 18.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: M Norman 39, D Bullivant 36, S Francks 36.
Division 2: C Carmody 41, G Marchbank 38, K Travers 36 .
Twos: B Colbert, M Norman.
Approach: M Norman.
Saturday — Men’s stableford, division 1: N Mackie 38, G Brown 36.
Division 2: S Francks 38, C Poole 36.
Twos: A Hayward.
Approach: S Francks.
THURSDAY (Aug 31) — Men’s stableford, division 1: A Abrahams 37, W Mortleman 35, C Poole 35, J Van Helden 34, A White 34.
Division 2: C Christie 43, B Allen 37, G Eriksen 36, K Goldsmith 35.
Twos: A Abrahams.
Approach: K Goldsmith.
WEDNESDAY (Aug 30) — Women’s club championship finals, senior division (36 holes): Lynne Holmberg def Jan Utting on the 36th.
Senior consolation: Gay Young from Anne Witters.
Intermediate division (36 holes): Maxine Francois def Sally Spence on the 30th.
Intermediate consolation: Marg Colebourne from Janet Muir.
Junior division: Vonnie Fletcher def Sarah Eriksen by default).
Junior consolation:Vicki Fraser from Marg Lane.
9-holers: Lesley Daniels def Sue McLaughlin.
18-hole stableford: A Gemmell 45, R Spence 41.
9-holers’ stableford: S Gardner 23, J French 19.
TUESDAY (Aug 29) — Veterans’ stableford: K Goldsmith 40, V Richardson 36, D Mettrick 36, J McGregory 35, N Jones 35.
Approach: T Loomis.
MONDAY (Aug 28) — Women’s stableford: G Young 35.
Twos: C Nelson, S Spence, F Allen.
The Emerre and Hathaway/Insurance Institute Gisborne annual tournament is being held TOMORROW. Report at 12 noon for a 12.30pm shotgun start. The draw is —
No.1 tee: B Talbot/R Brott/K Steven/S O’Neil; S Harbottle/F Lewis/M Tilley/H Williams.
No.2: M Gemmell/A Gemmell/T Sherratt/D Sherratt; M de Luze/P Molloy/G Middlemiss/D Williams.
No.3: D Bush/B Rothschild/L Ball/E Ball.
No.4: T McNeill/M Thomas/G Knight/P Mullooly; L Jamieson/J Neilson/B Cameron/G Brown.
No.5: A Abrahams/G Morley/G Clapham/J Van Helden; N Mackie/W Mortleman/J Rowe/A Battistella.
No.6: N Jones/D Robertson/F Ball/D Bullivant; A Willock/T Petro/R Fergus/L Bates.
No.7: R Chalmers/C Taewa/M Parkes/B Colbert.
No.8: M Owen/D Quinn/B Tietjen/T Brodie; P Summersby/I Tietjen/C Kirkpatrick/M Smith.
No.9: A Lincoln/Tere Lincoln/Taine Lincoln/J Lincoln/N Hansen; D Gregory/T File/Z Boyle/P Burgess.
No.10: G Hannah/D Raggett/C Newman/T Amess; G Udall/A Ross/N Richardson/V Richardson.
No.11: R Gibson/C Carmody/B Brown/D Meadows.
No.12: P Rickard/T Green/L Pollitt/A White; M Stevens/B Morrissey/C Hensley/L Evans.
No.17: O Aldridge/P Humphries/D Maloy/T Sharp/T Adamson; G Cunningham/D Waide/S Andrews/G Wilson/J Sheridan.
No.18: S Phillips/J Witika/M McMenamin/C Parker.
Tolaga bay
“Coastie” rules Tolaga Bay . . . again.
Dion “Coastie” Milner put his name in gold on the honours board for the umpteenth time with victory over Taine Lincoln in the senior men’s club championship final on Sunday.
Milner was on fire as he beat Taine Lincoln 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final. He also won the men’s net with a superb 2-under 66-8-58.
“It was all there from tee to green,” said Milner, who last won the title in 2021.
Joel Lincoln’s return to golf yielded the intermediate crown. He beat Peewee Tuapawa 9 and 8 while Jeremy Murphy cruised to a 10 and 9 win over Watene Reedy in the junior final.
SUNDAY — Net: D Milner 58, Taine Lincoln 65, M Watts 67.
Approach: B Yates.
Te Puia Hot Springs
Sudden-death decided the 2023 Women’s Handicap Cup champion on Sunday,
Hiria McClutchie defeated Pauline Summersby on the 19th hole of the matchplay final.
SUNDAY — Women’s Handicap Cup: H McClutchie (93-24-69) def P Summersby (93-25-68) on the 19th.
Twos: R Ngatai.
Men’s net: P Ngarimu 86-19-67, P Harrison 93-26-67, D Goldsmith 87-18-69.
Waikohu
Richard Reeves denied little brother Terry Reeves victory two weeks running on Sunday.
Richard won the men’s stableford with 38 points while Terry, fresh from his senior club championship win, was second on 35.
Terry’s round of even par 70 included an eagle-3 on the 404-metre fifth hole.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: R Reeves 38, T Reeves 35, T Smith 35, K Tamanui 34, S Ritchie 33.
Women’s stableford: A Reeves 36, M Tuapawa 32.
Twos: M Tuapawa, P Milner.
Eagle on 5: T Reeves.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Waikohu open closing day, 11.30am tee-off; SUNDAY, club competition.
Seas are moderate but the title race is heating up at the surf nationals.