Golf Roundup

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TahungaSOME players never lose it.

Even after an lengthy period away from the game, they only need a little oiling to soon be running somewhere near full efficiency.

On Saturday, Rowan Clark delivered a cameo performance at the Tahunga men’s open that reminded those who knew of his past deeds just how good he was . . . and probably could be again.

The former Poverty Bay-East Coast representative shot 1-under 69 on the short but creatively tricky nine-hole Tahunga course to show up all but one of a quality field in the annual strokeplay tournament.

His last individual 18 holes was at the 2015 Tahunga open.

Other than the odd hack and ambrose teams’ tournament, he has had minimal time on the fairways but the competitive juices started dripping on a fine and mild Saturday afternoon 60 kilometres out of Gisborne as he put himself into a position to win the gross.

The former greenkeeper and now cricket and rugby groundsman delivered a display of power and accuracy off the tee, combined with a deft short game, that belied his limited course time.

He ended up one stroke behind Te current PBEC rep Andrew Higham and just short of a 50s double.

Only a few weeks ago, Clark’s best mate Simon Jeune beat Higham in the East Coast men’s open matchplay final.

Both Jeune and Clark are in their early 50s and as he set himself up for a hot round on Saturday, Clark was thinking how good an emulation that would be.

Higham quashed that, thanks to a dramatic last few holes. The Te Puia Springs 29-year-old made birdie on the par-5 16th after hitting into trouble, hacking out sideways and then putting a 3-iron stiff from what he described as “no man’s land”. He chipped in for par on the 17th then made an up-and-down for par on the 18th for 2-under 68.

There was an expectation that the course record of 66 would go and the player quality was there to achieve that.

Sponsor Brent Colbert, joint holder of the record, added incentive by stating that anyone who broke it would get to keep the unique open trophy for the gross — an old glass American bourbon bottle in the shape of a golf club mounted on a piece of rimu from the old Gisborne freezing works.

But only Higham, Clark and Mahia’s Peter Bremner (69) ended in red figures.

Best net of the day was posted by Tahunga’s Spencer Butt (77-13-64) while a new member to the club, Phil Cook, whose handicap is pending, racked up 45 points from his 88 off the stick.

Another excellently-run tournament on an impressively turned-out course, with classic country hospitality, sent everyone home happy.

SATURDAY — Tahunga men’s open, overall gross: A Higham 68, R Clark 69, P Bremner 69, T Akroyd 72.

Overall net: S Butt from T Green, R Nichol.

Stableford, 0-15: T Williams 41, B Colbert 40, M Steele 40.

16-36: P Cook 45, T McNeil 42, B Johnson 41.

Long drives: E Brown jr (0-13), Tom Sherratt (14-21), S Hain (22-36).

Best second shots: A Higham (0-13), T Williams (14-21), S Hain (22-36).

Approaches: B Morrissey (0-13), T McNeil (14-21), J Puha (22-36).

Stableford, first 9: H Douglas 22, P Anderson 21, M Stevens 21.

Stableford, second 9: L Johnson 21, C Taewa 21, J Ash 21.

Gisborne ParkPLENTY of pars last Tuesday and plenty of bogeys on Saturday helped Evan Parkin to a victory double.

Parkin had 11 pars in his veteran men’s stableford-winning 82-15-67, for 41 points, on the Tuesday.

He registered the same number of bogeys on Saturday and his 85-15-70, for 38 points, was still good enough for the men’s stableford honours.

Alayna Watene is on track to break 100 soon. She won the women’s stableford on Sunday with 104-35-69, for 40 points while Tony Leggett’s 89-20-60, for 39 points, was best of the men.

Members are set to contest two of the more prominent trophies of the season — the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs and Benson Cup women’s pairs.

Qualifying for the women is this weekend.

Electrinet Park results, Sunday — Men’s net: T Leggett 69, J Glassford 71, A Pahina 72, S Phillips 72, J Charles 72.

Twos: J Glassford, S Phillips, D Craven.

Approach: F Hutton.

Women’s best third shot: L McFlinn.

Men’s best second shot: B Huhu.

Women’s stableford: A Watene 40.

Drawn two: M Alley.

Saturday — Men’s stableford: E Parkin 38, S Phillips 35, B Huhu 34.

Twos: B Huhu.

Nancy McCormick women’s foursomes, net: K Hay/P Joseph 70, B Walker/N Grace 72.5.

Women’s net: B Walker 69.

Drawn two: F Hutton.

Wednesday (May 18) — John Penny women’s qualifying round 2, net: M Alley net 68.

Drawn two: M Marino.

Tuesday (May 17) — Veteran men’s stableford: E Parkin 41, A Nairne 39, S Mohlmann 39, R Walford 37.

Twos: R Walford.

COMING UP: SATURDAY/SUNDAY, Benson Cup women’s pairs qualifying rounds; SATURDAY/SUNDAY, June 4-5, plus June 11-12, Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs qualifying rounds.

Poverty BayGAY Young’s name will go on the Captain’s Cup for the second time but next to a different partner.

Young, who won the mixed pairs title with Tene Goldsmith in 2011, combined with Basil Payne to win the 2016 edition.

The format was American foursomes over two rounds, with each pair counting their best round. In American or Pinehurst foursomes, both players tee off then hit their partner’s ball. They then select the best ball and play alternate shots from there on.

Young and Payne’s came in the first round — a 79 off the stick for a net 64.

Lee Hewson posted his best score of the year — 80-15-65, for 43 points — to win the division 2 stableford on Sunday.

Rob Fletcher emphatically ended a series of century scores with 90-25-65, for 43 points, which won him the division 2 stableford on Saturday.

Pete Graham shot 86-20-66, for 42 points, off the blue tees to take the division 2 men’s stableford honours last Thursday.

TUESDAY — Women’s stableford: M Powdrell 40.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: P Rickard 37, T Goldsmith 37, D Pirimona 35, R Gibson 35, T Donovan 35.

Division 2: L Hewson 43, P Grogan 40, M Barker 37, A Destry 37.

Twos: K White, J Green, G Morley.

Approach: T Donovan.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: K White 38, Payne 38, N Udy 37.

Division 2: R Fletcher 43, H Johanson 40, K Travers 40.

Twos: B Payne, H Johanson, B Proudfoot.

Approach: B Proudfoot.

THURSDAY (May 19) — Men’s stableford, division 1: M Dodgshun 40, V Richardson 37, D Bush 37, A Kirkpatrick 37, J Osborne 36, R Skuse 36, C Christie 36, F Ball 36.

Division 2: P Graham 42,B Allen 40, D Atkins 39, T Travers 39, M Gemmell 36, S Bridge 36, R Murphy 36.

Twos: M Higham

Approach: J Osborne.

Te Puia SpringsNEHE Dewes and Aomihi Cook topped round 4 of the Jo Hale series.

Dewes won the men’s section with 81-16-65 while Cook’s 104-32-72 headed the women.

SUNDAY — Round 4 of Jo Hale men’s net: N Dewes 81-16-65, D Young 83-15-68, D Cook 83-13-70, J Puha 98-26-72.

Round 4 of Jo Hale women’s net, round 1 of captain’s competition, LGU: A Cook 104-32-72, C Colbert 98-25-73, F Walker 106-33-73.

Women’s putting: A Cook 30, C Colbert 30, F Walker 34 .

Twos: D Young.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, haggle.

Tolaga BayWAIROA’S Tina Duncan is the “Queen of the Coast” and Tahunga’s Kylie Johnson the “Princess”.

Duncan won the 0-18 net title at the annual Queen of the Coast women’s open tournament with 91-18-73 to earn her “royal” golfing status.

Johnson shot 86-22-64 to win the net in the 19+, or “Princess” division.

Heading into Sunday’s medal, Mike Brooker’s last sub-80 round came on his way to winning the division 4 final of the King of the Coast in July of 2014.

He ended that in fine style with 79-20-59 for a runaway win.

It could be suggested it was his first score in the 70s since April of 2008 (also 79). The 2014 performance was matchplay, which features gimmie putts and assessed holes if matches end before the 18th hole.

SUNDAY — Men’s medal: M Brooker 59, D Maitai 66, J Kemp 67, Tere Lincoln 68, Taine Lincoln 69, W Robinson 69.

SATURDAY (May 14) — Queen of the Coast (0-18), net: T Duncan 91-18-73 on c/b from Miggles Shanks 89-16-73.

Stableford: J Pohatu 34, B Walker 33, T Smith 33, F Wesche 32, N McRoberts 31, J Utting 30.

Princess of the Coast (19+), net: K Johnson 86-22-64, K Utting 103-35-68.

Stableford: T Paku 36, L Poananga 34, T Murphy 33, M Pickles 33, T Allan 33, J MacKinnon 33, N Grace 31.

Approaches on 3 and 12: F Wesche (0-18), V Fraser (19+).

Approaches on 9 and 18: J Kerr (0-18), K Johnson (19+).

Long drives: K Green (0-18), K Johnson (19+).

Twos: M Shanks.

Honest golfers: C Ewen, J Thompson.

MahiaDUNCAN Bremner and Maria Wainohu’s putters were their deadliest weapons in the Aces medal on Sunday.

Bremner’s 73 topped the men and Wainohu carded 70 to win the women’s section.

Both had an impressive 29 putts along the way.

SUNDAY — Men’s Aces medal: D Bremner 72, C Wesche73, W Wesche 73, F Daley 74, T Hema 75.

Bluck putting: D Bremner 29.

Women’s Aces medal: M Wainohu 70.

Women’s putting: M Wainohu 29.

Women’s Stevenson net-minus-stableford: L Morgan 73-37-36, F Wesche 38, T Smith 38, M Wainohu 38, E Westwood 44.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, Carter Cup 3, LGU.

PatutahiRHONDA Maloy shot her lowest number —108-49-59 — since joining the club last year to win the LGU on Tuesday.

A run of pars helped Wai Koia to men’s net glory on Sunday while Andrea Haisma’s 94-25-69 topped the women.

TUESDAY — LGU net: R Maloy 108-49-59, P Sutton 94-27-67.

9-holers’ net: G Brooks 89-26-63.

SUNDAY — Men’s net: W Koia 80-16-64, R Nichol 81-17-64, M Farmer 82-17-65, D Skudder 86-21-65, M Stock 79-14-65.

Women’s net: A Haisman 94-25-69.

Twos: R Nichol, D Maloy.

FRIDAY — Meat pack nine-hole stableford, senior division: B Williams 23, T Green 21, T Brodie 20, T Hindmarsh 20, H Pomana 20.

Junior division: T Coutts 24, K Donovan 23, R Shannon 22, D Skudder 22, S Pittar 21.

WaikohuCOMING UP: SUNDAY, club day; SATURDAY/SUNDAY, June 4-5, Coates and McLean matchplay tournament.

Seniors

MAHIA’S John Aitchison produced a nine-hole special to win the Gisborne East Coast Senior Golfers’ Society Invitation Day on Monday.

Clearly finding Poverty Bay’s slick and smooth greens to his liking, Aitchison, off a 22-handicap, fired an incredible even-par 36 on the front nine.

The back nine was a different story — 48, including a birdie on the 10th — but he still signed for 84-22-62, for 46 stableford points.

It was his best gross score since an 84 at his home course over 11 years ago.

There were several other impressive returns among the 31-strong field. Nigel McGregor was second overall with 43 points, followed by Robin Foster (41) and Duncan Bush (41).

The society’s next scheduled fixture is the first round of the Croskery Tankard four-ball best-ball stableford at Poverty Bay on Tuesday, September 13.

MONDAY — GEC Senior Golfers’ Society Invitation Day stableford: J Aitchison 46, N McGregor 43, R Foster 41, D Bush 41, B Cox 40, J Fricker 39, F Ball 37, S Mohlmann 37, B Payne 36, D Mettrick 36, R Buckingham 36, D Malcolm 36, B Atkins 36.

Twos: J Aitchison, N McGregor, B Hall, B Morrissey.