Golf roundup

This is how close Poverty Bay club captain John Van Helden got to a hole-in-one on the sixth in the Friday Ambrose Teams Series on the Awapuni Links course last week. It would have been his second ace on that hole. Picture by Dave Keown

Poverty Bay

Breaking 80 at his home Te Puia Hot Springs club is not a problem for Mark Higham.

Breaking 80 at his other club, Poverty Bay, has been.

Until last Thursday.

Higham won the Division 1 men’s stableford with 78-11-67, for 41 points. It was his first sub-80 round at the Awapuni Links since a 79 on June 30, 2022.

An in-form Dave Pirimona had to settle for second twice the previous weekend with net 66s. A net 69 was enough to go one better on Saturday.

Pirimona won the Division 1 stableford with 81-12-69, for 39 points — his front nine of 37 including the jackpot of two twos and the approach.

The focus this Saturday turns to matchplay with the first round of the Reynolds and associated cups.

Reynolds Cup top 8 No.1 seed Keith Marshall is up against Jimmy Situ while No.2 Pirimona takes on Stefan Andreassen.

The quote of last week came from Poverty Bay pro and director of golf Dave Keown in reference to Mike Christophers’ 84 on Saturday which comprised nines of 2-under 34, then 14-over 50.

“He went out in a limousine and came home in an ambulance.”

If Christophers can emulate his front-nine form in his Reynolds Cup Round 1 match this Saturday, a more famous quote (from the 1986 movie The Fly) can be directed towards his opponent, Mark Stewart . . . “Be afraid, be very afraid.”

Top qualifier Jan Utting advanced to the semifinals of the Hutchinson Cup women’s matchplay competition on Wednesday.

Utting defeated Miggles Shanks to make the last four.

Other Round 2 winners were Sally Spence, Megan Allen and Birgitt Whyte.

A par on  the fourth hole highlighted Sue Kemp’s win in the women’s stableford. She shot

106-37-69, for 41 points.

WEDNESDAy — Hutchinson Cup women’s handicap matchplay, Round 2: J Utting def M Shanks, S Spence d M Francois, M Allen def M Lane, B Whyte def V Bell.

Women’s 18-hole stableford: S Kemp 41, M Colebourne 40.

Twos: M Colebourne.

Sue Bunt 9-hole stableford, Round 3: S Armstrong 35, J Newman 35, J Alderson 36.

MONDAY — Women’s red tees stableford: G Young 40, J Utting 36.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, Division 1: B Brown 38, B Morgan 38, C Carmody 37, A Hayward 36.

Division 2: B Talbot 39, P Grogan 39, R Morley 38, R Owen 37.

Twos: L Hewson, W Donnelly, G Morley.

Approach: L Hewson.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, Division 1: D Pirimona 39, A Hayward 38, K Marshall 35.

Division 2: M Stewart 38, M Allen 37, J Kerekere 37.

Twos: D Pirimona 2, D Wright, A Hayward.

Approach:  D Pirimona.

Jackpot: D Pirimona.

THURSDAY (Feb 29) — Men’s stableford, Division 1: M Higham 41, S Andreassen 38, A White 35, S Jeune 34.

Division 2: C Morton 34, G Clapham 34, D Bush 31, J Williams 31.

Twos: G Morley 2, I Murphy, S Jeune, W Brown, G Clapham, T Sherratt.

Approach: G Morley.

Jackpot: G Morley.

Neil Knight is a traditionalist.

He fondly recalled the days of old as he walked up the fifth fairway in Week 2 of the Fulton Hogan Friday Ambrose Teams Series on the Awapuni Links.

Playing for Pioneer Seeds, Knight talked about the year he and the late Ross Bignell won the Fletcher Cup men’s pairs title at Gisborne Park Golf Club.

It was many golfing moons ago and Knight did it with the very clubs he used on Friday.

“I got married 44 years ago and I had the clubs for 15 years before that, so I reckon they’re nearly 60 years old.”

No arguments there. His woods are made of wood. The “executive” irons could be either museum pieces or what you find rummaging in the dusty depths of a second-hand store or a hoarder’s garage.

But as Neil proved on Friday, you don’t necessarily need $1000 Titleist graphite drivers or $800 Odyssey putters to find the fairway or stick your ball close to or in the hole.

When it was suggested his clubs were what Noah used to hit off the ark during the down time before the waters receded, he popped a wood sedately down the middle.

As teammates Shannon Ratima and Junior Akurangi smashed their drives into the airspace of passing jumbo jets, Neil was happy to take the lower trajectory route which, unlike his cohorts, did not involve African jungle searches for balls.

Pioneer Seeds ultimately had more fun than success on a night when the sponsors took the halfway lead and the Poverty Bay club captain almost achieved perfection.

Fulton Hogan’s crew of three non-golfers and one 18-handicapper are the overall leaders on net 32.0, just 0.59 ahead of the all-women Floaters, with G-Force third on 33.18.

The Week 2 winners were Team Xtreme led by a couple of Davids — Situ and Pirimona, the latter doing a fine Roger Tuivasa-Sheck impersonation in his Warriors jersey which impressed the best-named team of the competition, Up the Pars.

Pirimona thought for all money he had won the approach on the par-3 sixth hole only for club captain John Van Helden to put his tee shot to within two inches of the hole.

JVH earned his team Tee-Rex — or as someone suggested Tee-Wrecks — a $50 Neighbourhood Pizzeria voucher.

The Week 3 draw is —

No.1 tee: Dragnett, BDO.

No.2: White Haulage, City Lights.

No.3: Sugar Nightclub, Gis Int 2.

No.4: Hook & Slice, Gis Int 1.

No.5: Team Turf, Lexi’s Swingers.

No.10: Tee-Rex, G-Force.

No.11: Up the Pars, Floaters.

No.12: Pioneer Seeds, 2 Lemon.

No.16: Team Xtreme,  Rock Apes.

No.17: Fulton Hogan, Zach & the Hacks.

Electrinet Park

The players who won the Oligoi Jug men’s interclub penannts title for the past two years are not guaranteed spots in the 2024 squad.

While the likes of Anaru Reedy and Daniel Collier are a lot closer to certainties than possibilities, such has been the interest in pennants this year that Electrinet Park are running a 36-hole strokeplay trial for their two Oligoi sides.

The rounds are being held on March 23-24 off the championship tees.

The top 10 players will make up the two teams.

The 2024 pennants start at Tolaga Bay on Saturday, April 13, and will feature an afternoon clash between the Park sides.

There are some delectable first-round duels in the men’s handicap cup matchplay.

The senior division features a Round 1 clash between the Park’s top two players, Anaru Reedy (off +2) and Dan Collier (+3).

Waiting for them is top qualifier Zane Boyle, who, on a 5-handicap, won’t mind who he faces.

Boyle and Craig Christophers earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the top two qualifiers.

Christophers will play the winner of the match between defending champion Matt Henwood and Pete Stewart.

The intermediate division first round pits Mike Christophers against James Witika — a revenge match for Christophers who was upset by bottom qualifier Witika in last year’s club champs. Their handicap cup tussle fittingly is off the stick.

There will be no repeat intermediate handicap cup winner from 2023 as Shannon Toa has stepped up to the big boys division and faces Sel Peneha in Round 1.

Damian Pilitati top qualified in the seven-man junior division so earned a pass into the semifinals.

Likewise Warren Muir in the endeavour division.

The first two rounds of the handicap cups must be completed by Monday, April 1.

Junior Akurangi shot 38-8-30, for 24 points, to win last Thursday’s 9-hole stableford.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: W Muir 41, Z Boyle 40, D Pilitati 39, M Henwood 37.

Twos: Z Boyle, B Holt, L Hayes.

THURSDAY (Feb 29) — Gordon’s Pharmacy 9-hole stableford: J Akurangi 24,  J Pardoe 21.

Long drive: A Pahina.

Birdie board: S Ratima, M Henwood, J Akurangi, C Fox, I Loffler.

Monkey on the back: J Lloyd.

Simulator Challenge: J Adams.

Non-golfers’ section: K Kapa.

COMING UP: SATURDAY, April 6, Jack Glassford Memorial Golf Tournament, shotgun start from 8.30am, men’s and women’s divisions (maximum handicap of 24 for men; 36 for women), non-golfers’ division, gross, net (for the Jack Glassford Memorial Golf Trophy) and stableford, long drive and approaches, start sheet at clubhouse or contact club at (06) 867-9849, inquiries to John White 027-613-5070 or Tina Karaitiana 027-2424-222.

Waikohu

Tom Smith and Kahu Tamanui are the 2024 men’s pairs champions. They beat Percy Milner and Karauria Ruru in the final on Sunday.

Sonny Ritchie has sub-90 in his sights after winning the men’s stableford with 91-23-68, for 38 points.

Ella Wynyard’s putter came out of the oven. She won the women’s putting with 29.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: S Ritchie 38, P Milner 34, T Ritchie 34.

Women’s putting: E Wynyard 29, A Reeves 33, M Tuapawa 35.

Twos: I Ruru.

Men’s pairs final: T Smith/K Tamanui def P Milner/K Ruru.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition, LGU, women’s stableford and putting.

Māhia

A hot back nine of 44 was the difference as Bryan Cooper won the men’s stableford on Sunday with 94-24-69, for 39 poitns — one point ahead of Roger Bremner and Rusty Smith.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: B Cooper 39, R Bremner 38, R Smith 38, D Waihaki 37.

Twos: P Bremner, R Smith.

Oslers approaches:  D Waihaki, R Smith.

COMING UP: SATURDAY/SUNDAY, April 26.27, Māhia Golf Club 50th jubilee, inquiries and bookings to Lil Morgan 027-303-0341.

Patutahi

Regan Hindmarsh went birdie ballistic in a spectacular performance on Sunday.

Hindmarsh had eight birdies in his 5-under 65, which fittingly won him the senior men’s net.

His nines were 33, 32 and featured one-unders on the first, fourth, fifth, seventh, 10th, 11th, 12th and 16th holes.

He had more birdies than he did pars.

SUNDAY — Men’s  net, senior division: R Hindmarsh 64, J Neilson 66, T Hindmarsh 68, C Beattie 68.

Junior division: L Jamieson 68, B Pohatu 68, B Tietjen 69, M King 69.

Twos: C Beattie, R Hindmarsh.

Jackpot: R Hindmarsh.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: T Adamson 21, R Mottart 20, P Varey 20, D Dodgshun 20,  C Parker 20.

Junior division: M King 22, P Tinnelly 21, G Holland 21, G Maude 20, S Fookes 18.

Te Puia Hot Springs

The city clubs dominated the first division but locals made their mark in the second at the Te Puia Hot Springs women’s open tournament on Saturday.

Electrinet Park great Karen Hay won the top division gross with 79, Patutahi’s Sheree Gray won the net with 87-17-70 and Poverty Bay’s Lynne Holmberg won the stableford with 80-9-71, for 33 points.

Māhia’s Renee Hiko won the second division gross with 88 while home-course player Hiria McClutchie’s 89-19-70 won the net and clubmate Robyn Ngatai’s 36 points the stableford.

Ereura West rose in the east in Round 3 of the Jo Hale Memorial series on Sunday.

There was distance between West and the rest as he won the net with 59 — five strokes clear of Henry Rasmussen.

SUNDAY — Jo Hale Memorial series, Round 3, net: E West 59, HJ Rasmussen 64, B Clark 68, H McClutchie 69, I Ngarimu 73.

SATURDAY — Te Puia Hot Springs women’s open, up to 18 division, gross: K Hay 79.

Net: S Gray 70.

Stableford: L Holmberg 33.

19+ division, gross: R Hiko 89.

Net: H McClutchie 70.

Stableford: R Ngatai 36.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, Peter Rouse Memorial tournament; SUNDAY, March 17, Jo Hale Memorial, fourth and final round.

Women’s pennants

Te Puia Hot Springs took full advantage of home advantage in Round 2 of the Poverty Bay women’s interclub pennants on Saturday.

The pennants were held in conjunction with the Te Puia Hot Springs women’s open tournament.

The host club’s team of Iritana Ngarimu, Hiria McClutchie, Pauline Summersby and Robyn Ngatai won the pennants round with an aggregate stableford total of 135 points.

Ngarimu led the way with 36 points.

Māhia were second on 121, Wairoa were third on 114, Patutahi and Poverty Bay were fourth-equal on 105 and Electrinet Park were sixth on 100.

The Springs’ win lifted them into the overall lead on 11 team points from Patutahi and Māhia, both on nine, Wairoa and Poverty Bay on six, and Park on two.

The next round is at Wairoa on March 16.

Tahunga

Cyclone-hammered Tahunga Golf Club will finally get to mark its 50th anniversary.

Having been postponed a number of times, the anniversay will be celebrated on Saturday, April 27, from 11am.

A light lunch at that time will be followed by an optional 9-hole Canadian foursomes at 12 noon, a closest to the pin competition on the newly elevated river hole at 3.30pm and a dinner and prizegiving from 6pm.

RSVP on the Tahunga Golf Club & Community Hub Facebook page or email tahungagolfclub@gmail.com or phone Mike Gibson 027-929-9205

The Tahunga Men’s Open is also all go.

It is to be held on Saturday May 18.

The annual 18-hole tournament will feature gross, netball and stableford sections, along with approaches, twos and long drives.

Morning tea is at 10.30am followed by a shotgun start from 11am.

A barbecue will follow.

Inquiries to Mike Gibson 027-929-9205 or email tahungagolfclub@gmail.com

Tolaga Bay

The Tolaga Bay opening day  tournament is being held on Sunday, March 17.

Mixed pairs and men’s sections — 8am and 12 noon tee-offs.

Inquiries to Taine Lincoln.

You won’t see MA Orford in gold lettering on the clubhouse honours boards.

His name is not mentioned when the feats of legends are recalled over 19th-hole drinks.

Sports headlines have never revered his name in bold black capital letters.

Nope. When it came to golf, Mike Orford, who died on February 28 after a short illness, epitomised a fairly large population of those who chase the dimpled ball . . . Joe Hack.

But far more importantly than golfing exploits, Mike had a quality that elevated the Englishman-cum-Kiwi to special status.

For all 50-odd years he trundled the fairways of Poverty Bay golf course, Mike was considered a gentleman. A genuinely nice guy. A bloody good sort.

Those who turned up to a “celebration” of his life at the golf club on Monday — family, friends, former workmates, fellow Tottenham Hotspur fanatics, golfers, even lawn bowlers — were unanimous in agreement . . . a good man had gone too soon.

For the record, Mike did have his moments in the golfing sun.

In 2015, he won the Bryan Cup pairs alongside former Wattie’s colleague and past Sunday morning cohort Arthur Bacon (who passed away last year) — believed to be Mike’s first-ever golfing trophy.

Two years later, Mike won the Discovery Cup for the best net score by a player 70 years or over at the Gisborne East Coast Vets’ open — shooting an eyebrow-raising 90-28-62.

At Monday’s gathering, close friend John Hill spoke of Mike’s working, golfing, Gisborne City footballing and mercantile cricketing past but emphasised the most important part of his life as a husband (to Joan), father (to Sharyn, Julie and David), grandfather and friend.

He was a true champion as all of those.