Harrison repeats ace history

And still the champs . . . Simon Jeune (left) and Glenn Morley with the trophy presented to the men’s gross winners of the Enterprise Motor Warehouse Poverty Bay open foursomes held on the Poverty Bay course. Jeune and Morley fired 76 to successfully defend the title. Morley gave full credit to Jeune, who he said was in “vintage” form. And yes, they did fill the trophy. Picture by Gray Clapham

The loss of his trusty 5-wood proved an ace blessing in disguise for long-time Te Puia Hot Springs member Peter Harrison on Sunday.

Harrison sank his tee shot on the 148-metre par-3 ninth hole at the Springs — the third hole-in-one of his career and second on that hole.

Three-wood proved the perfect club but would not have been his usual weapon of choice.

“Normally I’d use a 5-wood on that hole but the blasted thing broke the week before . . . the head came off,” said Harrison, the club’s president of about 10 years.

“So I pulled out my 3-wood.”

The retired principal (Tolaga Bay Area School) “knew the ball was going straight for the green” but lost sight of it in the air and “no one else saw it”.

He searched over the back of the green but there was no sign of it so playing partner Pete Ngarimu looked in the hole and exclaimed: “Oh, there it is.”

Harrison’s first ace came at the Bridge Pa course in Hastings in 2014; the second in January 2017.

He has been a loyal member of the Springs since 1982.

He took up the game at Tolaga Bay at the end of 1974 after suffering a rugby career-ending shoulder injury while playing for Uawa.

Father-in-law Buster Chaffey “could not get a set of clubs in front of me fast enough”.

Harrison and wife Eileen joined Te Puia  Springs around 1982 after shifting to Tokomaru Bay where they still live.