Golf Roundup

History repeated . . . Poverty Bay clubmates Tene Goldsmith (left) and George Brown (see the following picture in this gallery) did battle for the second year running in the championship first 8 final at the Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers’ Society’s annual tournament on the Awapuni Links course yesterday. As he did last year, Goldsmith proved too good for his fellow 8-handicapper, winning 2 and 1. But he had to fend off a Brown comeback on the back nine after Goldsmith led 6-up after nine holes. The three-day matchplay tournament featured 48 players divided on handicap into six groups of eight. Among them was golfing royalty in the form of Bay of Plenty and Mount Maunganui Golf Club great and former New Zealand representative Owen Kendall. He set a championship course record of 67 at Poverty Bay during the 1986 North Island amateur, won the Bledisloe Cup as leading amateur at the 1985 New Zealand Open and won the 1987 New Zealand amateur, among his other successes. Goldsmith beat Kendall 3 and 2 in the semifinals on Wednesday. Other group winners were Colin Harrison (of Omanu, second 8); Nigel Jones (Poverty Bay, third 8); Tony Rutledge (Taupo, fourth 8); Cecil Brown (Patutahi, fifth 8); and Dallas Atkins (Poverty Bay, sixth 8). Picture by Liam Clayton

Electrinet Park

The club just can’t catch a break.

The weekend rain once again resulted in heavy surface flooding and the course being closed.

However, greenkeeper Pete Tamatea said on Facebook on Tuesday that the water was “draining away nicely” and yesterday said he expected it to be open today for the twilight weekly competition.

Meanwhile, fingers and toes will be crossed that the weather will play ball for the Park’s Christmas tournament on Sunday.

As of yesterday, the field was all but full and the Sunday forecast was for a cloudy day with freshening northerlies and occasional rain developing later in the day.

An eagle on his last hole helped Craig Christophers to victory in last Thursday’s Gordons Pharmacy twilight 9-hole stableford.

Christophers made two on the 315-metre par-4 18th (he played the back nine) . He smoked his drive to 25m off the green, then sank his second with a 48-degree wedge.

He also made a birdie-2 on the 14th in his 1-over 37 for 22 points.

JayMcCafferty was second, also on 22.

The Shannons are setting the pace in qualifying for the twilight shootout final on April 4.

The top 10 players will vie for the big bucks in the hole-by-hole elimination final at the end of the twlight series next year.

Qualifying format is a player’s best five stableford totals before Christmas added to their best five after Christmas.

As of last Thursday, Shannon Collier was leading the way with 98 points, including a 24-point haul on October 12.

He was two points ahead of Shannon Toa, with Ian Loffler, Jason Lloyd and John White third-equal on 95.

The winner of the shootout final pockets $1000.

THURSDAY (Nov 23) — Gordons Pharmacy twilight 9-hole stableford: C Christophers 22 J McCafferty 22.

Men’s long drive: S Brown.

Women’s long drive: T Lardelli.

Approach: J Muir.

Monkey on the back: C Akuhata-Brown.

Simulator challenge: E Reeves.

The MTF Finance Electrinet Park Christmas tournament is on SUNDAY. The draw is —

No.1 tee, 7.30am: T Reynolds, J Hayes. 7.37: D Webb, T Aramakutu. 7.44: P Wellard, D Harrison, D Craven, R Walford. 7.51: J White, S Lardelli, P Nepia, G Williams. 7.58: K White, T Lardelli, T Karaitiana, P Johansen.

8.47: G Brown, J Brown, C Beattie, J Beattie. 8.54: E Brown jr, T Donovan, S Peneha, R Moleta.

9.01: J Collier, D Mauheni, D Pilitati, J Collier jr. 9.08: G Nickerson, J Akuhata-Nickerson, D Te Maro, W Chung. 9.15: B Rogers, J Pardoe, K Marshall. 9.22: J McCafferty, M Francois, L Brown, F Brown. 9.29: M Downie, W Muir, D Reeves, P Milner. 9.36: M Huriwaka, E Huriwaka, A Biddle. 9.43: R Moore, G Hill, A Pahina, D Rameka. 9.50: Beau Toa, S Toa, Blue Toa, J Taylor. 9.57: J Kerr, T Ford, C Pipi, J Foot.

10.04: S Tiopira, K Spring, Q Peneha, J Lloyd. 10.11: D Gregory, J Witika, S Phillips, T Leggett. 10.18: L Hayes, B Holt, J Adams, Z Lister. 10.25: W Reedy, W Tuapawa, R Castle, W Tautau. 10.32: B Yates, M Yates, T Adamson, J Sheridan. 10.39: Taine Lincoln, J Lincoln, Tere Lincoln., C Henstock. 10.46: H Tupara, K Tupara, D Price, M Bond. 10.53: C Treweek, K Fenn, A Drake, G Cranefield.

11am: N Hansen, P Stewart, E Reeves, T Reeves. 11.07: M Abraham. 11.14: M Henwood, I Loffler, B Matoe. 11.21: M Christophers, C Christophers, J Devery.

No.10, 9.21: P Tamatea.

Poverty Bay

Spud Murphy said “there’s still life in the old dog” when he won the 2021 men’s shootout final.

Two years later, he continues to prove that.

The 2000 Poverty Bay Open champion and former Poverty Bay-East Coast No.1 won the division 1 men’s stableford last Thursday with 1-over 73-6-67, for 41 points. He mixed two birdies with three bogeys in his low score of the year.

Duncan Bush won division 2 with 86-17-69, for 39, including a two.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: M Thomas 34, J Leaf 33.

Twos: A Hayward.

Approach: A Hayward.

THURSDAY (Nov 23) — Men’s stableford, division 1: I Murphy 41, A Kirkpatrick 39, S Andreassen 37, V Richardson 37.

Division 2: D Bush 39, S Harbottle 38, H Johanson 37.

Twos: D Bush, M Dodgshun, M Gemmell, A Abrahams.

Approach: G Udall.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, Dec 10, Taste One/First Light Frozen Christmas Open Tournament, entries being taken.

Patutahi

Soggy but playable.

That was the assessment as Patutahi reopened on Tuesday after surface water from the weekend rain prompted the decision to close it on Sunday.

Members have been advised that if they are using a golf cart to keep away from the greens and wet areas such as the left-hand side of the sixth hole close to the boundary fence.

In recent news, the women’s recent AGM saw the appointment of Abbie Davies as the new women’s club captain and Jandy Beattie as the vice-club captain.

The club’s AGM is being held on Sunday, December 17, from 10am at the clubrooms. A notice of the AGM and agenda will be emailed to members.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: P Summersby 19, S Nepe 19, P Johnston 19.

Junior division: A Davis 21, G Tattersfield 20, C Kirkpatrick 19.

COMING UP: SATURDAY, Dec 16, Enterprise Motor Group Xmas Hams Open Tournament, two-tee start (8am and 12 noon), men’s and women’s divisions, contact George Brown 027-370-9869 or email horiboy1@xtra.co.nz

Māhia

The Māhia men’s 36-hole open tournament scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled.

On its Facebook page, Mahia said: “Our course is unplayable. We are working on a new date and will let you know when that is.”

Players who had already paid their entry would be contacted.

The club is “looking forward” to its New Year tournament on January 3.

Tolaga Bay

The Tolaga Bay Christmas Tournament scheduled for last Sunday was cancelled because of the weather.

Waikohu

Another Reeves has been unleashed on the golfing scene and looks like one to watch.

Pounamu Reeves, a new member yet to get an official handicap, won the men’s stableford on Sunday with 47 points.

He was five clear of Tama Brown.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: P Reeves 47, T Brown 42, R Reeves 38, E Reeves 34, S Ritchie 34.

Women’s stableford: A Tamanui-Nunn 33, A Reeves 23.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition.

• Golf Roundup compiled and edited by Chris Taewa. If you have a story, tournament to promote or results you wish to have printed, contact 
The Gisborne Herald at 869-0633 or email sports@gisborneherald.co.nz