The finalists in the Electrinet Park Thursday twilight 9-hole shootout are, standing (from left) Josh Adams, Shaun Pahina, Anthony Pahina, Beau Toa, Kymani Tamatea, Junior Akurangi and Rueben Maynard. Front: Dan Collier, Craig Christophers and Waiti Tamatea. Toa won the final.
The finalists in the Electrinet Park Thursday twilight 9-hole shootout are, standing (from left) Josh Adams, Shaun Pahina, Anthony Pahina, Beau Toa, Kymani Tamatea, Junior Akurangi and Rueben Maynard. Front: Dan Collier, Craig Christophers and Waiti Tamatea. Toa won the final.
Patutahi
Cecil Brown has never defused a bomb, but he showed all the skills of an explosive expert under extreme pressure at Patutahi on Saturday.
For the second year running, Brown emerged the men’s 19-hole shootout champion.
The 18-handicapper stood on the fingers of a cliff-hanging Selwyn Skudder on the 18th hole and watched as he joined 17 others in plummeting to their metaphorical deaths in the hole-by-hole elimination final.
A bogey, getting a shot, to Skudder’s bogey, not getting a shot, was good enough for Brown to retain the title and pocket the $900 first prize.
Mike de Luze, who top qualified in 2024, only to go out on the fourth hole, made it to the third this time.
This year’s No 1 qualifier, Phoenix Nickerson, managed to get to 10 before his demise, while brother Lucian, who qualified second, took family bragging rights in surviving until the 16th.
Green said a couple of players hit wrong balls (Joe Blair and Pete Johnston) while Pat Molloy was ejected in gloriously disastrous style on the fifth.
A three-man chip-off on the 17th saw Chris Kaa’s title bid end, leaving Brown and Skudder to duke it out on the 18th.
Brown returned the next day to win the division 2 men’s par competition and shout the bar.
SUNDAY — Men’s par, division 1: R. Moleta +4, M. Smith +3, S. Toa +2, D. Pohatu +2, W. Brown +2.
Division 2: C. Brown +2, T. Newby +1, S. Williams +1, S. Fookes +1, D. Kahukoti -2.
Order of elimination: Rocky Pardoe No 1; Tom Hindmarsh No 2; Mike De Luze No 3; Garth Tattersfield No 4; Pat Molloy No 5; Butch McKenzie No 6; Joe Blair No 7; Pete Johnston No 8; Simon Pittar No 9; Phoenix Nickerson No 10; Ashley Hindmarsh No 11; Michael Broad No 12; Pete Summersby No 13; Jason Phillips No 14; Pat Hokianga No 15; Lucian Nickerson No 16; Chris Kaa No 17; Selwyn Skudder No 18.
FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, division 1: M. Broad 20, M. Smith 20, S. Toa 20, P. Summersby 20, L. Owen 20.
Division 2: H. Humble 21, D. Bentley 21, G. Roadley 20, D. Quinn 20, G. Holland 20.
Cecil Brown won Patutahi Golf Club's 19-man shootout final for the second year running on Saturday.
Electrinet Park
There are shots golfers never forget.
For Beau Toa, a long-range iron on the ninth hole last Thursday will be forever etched in his memory — a shot that set up victory in the Thursday twilight stableford shootout final.
Toa made birdie on the par-5 ninth to knock out last-gasp qualifier Craig Christophers and pocket the $1000 first prize in the grand finale to the 2024-2025 weekly twilight competition.
Christophers watched as Toa played a superb second shot around a tree from what his opponent estimated was about 200 metres out to short of the green, then chipped to 30cm for an all but tap-in birdie and victory.
It was deserved. Toa, off a 15.9 index, avoided any major trouble and played excellently from the first hole where the 10 finalists teed off.
Christophers had to survive a chip-off with Steve Phillips to make the 10. It was the first of a few putt-offs and chip-offs he had to overcome, including the sixth hole where he drove out of bounds only for his ball to bounce off a shed roof and back into a hazard.
Dan Collier went out of bounds on the same hole but made birdie with his second ball for bogey-5 only to lose a putt-off with Christophers.
Waiti Tamatea was the first to be knocked out, followed by Rueben Maynard, top qualifier Kymani Tamatea, Anthony Pahina, Josh Adams, Collier, Junior Akurangi, Shaun Pahina and Christophers.
Waikohu’s Marg Tuapawa was the star of two shows at the Mahia Ladies Open on Saturday.
Tuapawa won the overall net with 67 and anchored the Waikohu team to victory in round 5 of the Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants held in conjunction with the open.
Clubmate Cheryl Te Rito backed up Tuapawa in winning the junior stableford with 34 points.
Locals were also in good form. Lee Steel won the senior net with 72, Renee Hiko the senior stableford with 37 points and Susie Adam the junior gross with 101.
Electrinet Park member Karen Hay added another 2025 open senior gross title to her collection with 86.
Patutahi’s Charlie Holland won the junior net with 73.
Doi Ormond lucky cards: J. Foot (visitor), J. Thompson (local).
Twos: T. Paku.
Poverty Bay
The late Ronnie Low will always be known to his golfing mates as “the Pro”.
But one of them is staking a claim for that nickname and, on Sunday, could further push his case when he defends the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout.
Former Gisborne Herald chief photographer Paul Rickard is living the golfing dream at Awapuni Links these days. He’s playing several times a week, hence his 15.4 handicap index, which was as high as 17.5 in December.
On Sunday, “Rick” once again joins forces with Brad Morgan as they attempt to make it back-to-back-to-back Awapuni Shootout crowns in a tournament that honours a Poverty Bay club stalwart famous for his “Texas wedge” play.
To do that, they will have to negotiate three different formats of play over 27 holes — best-ball, Canadian foursomes and ambrose net.
As of Wednesday, 38 pairs had entered, including players from Mahia, Electrinet Park and Patutahi, and entries were still being taken at the pro shop.
The subsidiary titles to the Reynolds Cup men’s handicap matchplay have been decided. Dave Pirimona beat Warwick Thompson in the Low Bros Cup final on Saturday, while Alex Kirkpatrick defaulted to Willie Mortleman in the Willock Cup final.
WEDNESDAY — Women’s par: A. Gemmell +3, G. Young +3, J. Utting +, M. Allan +2, R. Willock +1.
A change of venue for the 2025 edition of the E.R. Black Cup interclub proved triumphant for the club that took up the hosting reins.
Mahia proved too strong on their home track after replacing Tahunga as the venue, adding to the history of a tournament dating back to 1958.
They finished with a Canadian mixed foursomes aggregate stableford total of 189 points, with Te Puia Hot Springs second on 182 and Electrinet Park third on 176.
Reigning champions Poverty Bay were fourth on 172, Patutahi fifth on 169 and Waikohu sixth on 157.
Tolaga Bay and Tahunga were unable to field teams in this year’s tournament.
