GOLF ROUNDUP

PATUTAHI RECORD FALLS: Hukanui Brown added to his list of achievements with a men’s course record at his home Patutahi course on Sunday. Brown shot 8-under 62 to surpass the previous best of 63 jointly held by Tony Akroyd and William Brown. The +1-handicapper had eight birdies in his round, including the opening three holes and the 17th and 18th. On a card that featured only 3’s and 4’s, he had matching nines of 31. Standing on the par-4 17th tee at 7-under and knowing what he had to do, he hooked a hybrid around the trees to pin-high a foot off the green, then up and downed for birdie — sinking a 2-foot putt for the record. He said the round could have been lower, perhaps even 59. He drove into the right-hand drain on the fifth hole for a penalty stroke, but managed to make par, and had four lip-outs. “It was a stressful round,” he said. Herald file picture

Patutahi

THE late Bryan Johnson would have nodded his head in approval at the performance that won his trophy at the Patutahi Men’s Open on Saturday.

Indeed, Patutahi stalwart Johnson would have been impressed with a tournament that embodied everything great about country clubs  . . .  an excellent course, quality golf, brilliant company, typically superb hospitality and, of course, the impromptu 19th-hole singalong.

Electrinet Park member Shaun Nepe was the on-course star of the day.

His 82-20-62 was the best overall net and won him the Bryan Johnson Memorial Trophy.

It was clearly the stand-out performance but there were others of note, as the results show.

Another highlight was the number of youngsters in the field, including the local lads under the wing of  Poverty Bay East Coast Golf Association president Anaru Reedy; and a young-gun crew from Ōpōtiki coached by Micky Huriwaka.

Huriwaka, on behalf of a “Ngati” golfing group known as Nga Hau E Wha (The Four Winds), donated $1000 to the association to help golf clubs hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The money came from a raffle run by Nga Hau E Wha member Tuakana August, of Kawerau Golf Club, to help their “Tairāwhiti golfing whānau”.

The group started off four-strong about seven years ago and has grown to 50.

Huriwaka’s son, Elijah, showed he is one to watch at the Tahi Open, driving through the back of the green on the tricky 214-metre 18th, then chipping in for eagle-2.

Among the field were a 14-man group of mainly Hamiltonians known as the “Washed ’ Em Up Crew” on a tour that included rounds at Mahia, Wairoa and Poverty Bay  (on Sunday).

TUESDAY — Women’s stableford: M Philip 38, J Smith 36, K McLatchie 36.

Sunday — Men’s net: H Brown 62-+1-63, B McKenzie 65, R Pardoe 67, T Hindmarsh 67.

Women’s net: H Humble 70, H Pomana 72, S Gray 73.

SATURDAY — Patutahi Men’s Open, Bryan Johnson Memorial Cup for best overall net: S Nepe 62.

Senior division, gross: A Reedy 68, O Allison 69, D Bowler 70, D Russell 70, R Pohatu 70.

Net: P Stewart 66, C Taewa 68, G Brown 70, M Christophers 70, T Hindmarsh 71.

Stableford: B Talbot 39, J O’Neil 37, C Christophers 36, T Reeves 36, B Cameron 35.

Intermediate division, gross: H Harris 75, W Tuapawa 77, T Brodie 81, G Middlemiss 84.

Net: R Gunn 64, J Phillips 70, K Ruru 70, A Nimmo 70.

Stableford: P Molloy 40, C Taylor 37, D Waihaki 36, D Pilitati 35.

Junior division, gross: T Morunga 83, G Holland 90.

Net: C Kirkpatrick 67, S Maynard 70, W Reedy 74.

Stableford: D Dodgshun 38, C Brown 36.

Long drives: P Stewart (sr), H Harris (int), T Morunga (jr).

Approaches: A Aiken (sr), G Holland (jr).

Eagles: R Pohatu, E Huriwaka.

Twos: T Brodie, G Brown, L Beattie.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: T Sharp 20, J Neilson 20, T Brodie 20, D Pohatu 20, M Smith 19.

Junior division: H Humble 22, C Kirkpatrick 22, B Williams 22, N Short 20, D Dodgshun 20.

Poverty Bay

HAYWARD v Talbot.

It was the legends in their lunchboxes talk of a recent Russell Street birthday barbie, and this weekend it will come to a Highlander movie-like conclusion where “there can be only one”.

Andy Hayward and Bruce Talbot lock swords in the final of the Reynolds Cup men’s top 8 handicap matchplay final.

Two weeks ago, the TAB odds would have been decisively in Hayward’s favour. Hot from disposing of Peter Hakiwai with Jason Bourne  ruthlessness in his semifinal, Hayward was the man to beat.

But last Sunday, Hayward staggered around the Patutahi course at its annual men’s open like he’d been hit repeatedly by Mike Tyson while Talbot raced to stableford victory in his division with the authority of Max Verstappen.

Momentum is everything, the guns will say. A week is a long time in golf, weekend hackers will reply.

Extra holes could decide this one.

In other finals, Glenn Morley, off a 2-handicap, will be giving more shots than the opening day of the game bird season when he plays Bill Simpson in the Willock Cup second 8.

Mark Jefferson, on the back of some warm form, faces Neville West in the Lunken Cup third 8 final.

Silver fox Tene Goldsmith added to his collection of age-breaking rounds on Saturday. Goldie, at 76 years young, shot 1-over 73-8-65 including a two on the sixth hole.

His 43 points easily won the division 1 men’s stableford.

Dirk Bullivant overcame a quadruple-bogey 7 on the 11th to win the division 2 men’s stableford on Sunday with 79-11-68, for 42 points.

Richard “Chips” Owen had his best round at the Bay since August 2018 last Thursday — 85-19-66 for 42 points — and it won him the division 2 men’s stableford.

Jan Utting provided the highlight round of women’s club competitions this week. Utting won the LGU silver division with 83-15-68, her lowest round off the Bay’s yellow tees in over two years.

WEDNESDAY — Women’s stableford: G Young 32.

LGU 1, silver division: J Utting 83-15-68.

Bronze I: M Allan 95-20-75.

Bronze II: V Fraser 109-34-75.

9-holers: J Hall 52-18-34, J Loffler 63-28-35.

TUESDAY — Poverty Bay vets’ stableford (held at Waikohu Golf Club): B Lumsden-Nicholls 34, P Harrison 33, B Morrissey 31, W Carpendale 28, R Young 27, L Evans 27.

Twos: W Carpendale, D Pirimona, C Christie.

MONDAY — Women’s stableford: C Skuse 38.

Twos: L Holmberg.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: S Jeune 39, D Gray 38, C Natusach 37, J Van Helden 36, A White 36.

Division 2: D Bullivant 42, L Pollitt 40, D Hall 39, M Thomas 36.

Twos: G Morley, O Allison, K Summersby, S Andreassen.

Approach: K Summersby.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: T Goldsmith 43, S Andreassen 37, S Francks 37, D Hall 37, M Jefferson 37, C Poole 36.

Division 2: K Travers 36, M Stewart 35, H Kaiwai 35.

Twos: D Pirimona, T Goldsmith.

Approach: T Goldsmith.

THURSDAY (March 23) — Men’s stableford, division 1: A White 39, G Brown 36, C Poole 36, A Kirkpatrick 35.

Division 2: R. Owen 42, P Graham 38, W Thompson 36, C Christie 35.

Twos: G Brown, R Owen, S Jeune.

Approach: B Colbert.

MONDAY (March 20) — Women’s stableford: M Lane 37, F Allen 35.

Electrinet Park

the twilight 9-hole summer series ended today with a “grand” finale.

Ten players were embroiled in the 9-hole shootout net elimination this afternoon.

Up for grabs was $1000 for the overall winner, ranging down to $50 for the first person to go.

Nine of the finalists were men, with Kino White the solo woman. The final was scheduled to tee off at 2pm.

Sunday — Women’s stableford.  S Paku  35.

Saturday — LGU, silver division: K Hay.

Bronze I: J Akuhata-Nickerson.

Bronze II: K Papuni.

National teams’ event qualifiers: K Hay, K White, B Walker, T Ford, J Kerr (reserve).

FRIDAY — Carters Building Supplies 9-hole stableford: T Leggett from M Emery.

Approaches: T Montgomery (women), M Henwood (men).

Long drive: S Brown.

Monkey on the back: T Montgomery.

Birdie Board: B Holt, Z Boyle.

THURSDAY (March 23) — Carters Building Supplies 9-hole stableford: C David 21, C Christophers 20.

Approaches: K White (women), P Hakiwai (men).

Long drive: M Christophers.

Monkey on the back: S Brown.

Non-golfers’ section: L Hunt.

Birdie Board: J Collier, D Collier, S Pahina, C Christophers.

Te Puia Springs

PETER Ngarimu is the front-runner after round 1 of the Jo Hale Memorial Cup. Ngarimu shot 85-18-67 to set the pace in the four-round series.

SUNDAY — Jo Hale Memorial Cup, round 1, men’s net: P Ngarimu 85-18-67, J Puha 96-26-70.

Women’s net: H McClutchie 98-24-74, I Ngarimu 100-26-74, R Ngatai 101-24-77.

Twos: I Ngarimu.

Tolaga Bay

BRUCE Yates was the best of an impressive mob in the stableford on Sunday.

Yates won with 40 points, one ahead of Dan Maitai, Pete Stevenson and Te Ngakau Welsh.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: B Yates 40, D Maitai 39, P Stevenson 39, T Welsh 39.

Twos: T Adamson, W Reedy.

Waikohu

THE course proved the winner in a low-scoring affair in the club stableford on Sunday.

Aaron Coker only needed 32 to top the men while Marg Tuapawa’s 31 headed the women.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: A Coker 32, R Reeves 31, T Reeves 29.

Women’s stableford: M Tuapawa 31, A Tamanui 28, V Grace 28.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition; April 8-9, Terry Rutene Memorial 4x9-hole matchplay tournament.