A $600 carrot for first prize was dangling in front of them, and it got agonisingly closer with every hole.
Ratima had his share of dramas. He power-pulled his drive off the third tee into the rough on the 16th and had to hit over the lake before surviving a pressure-packed putt-off. He hooked another drive off the seventh tee on to the eighth fairway and was one of four in a chip-off. And after yet again driving off the beaten track on the 18th, he knocked out Patutahi octogenarian Kath McLatchie, the only woman to make the final, in a chip-off.
The Ratima rollercoaster ride continued on the ninth in a last-hole duel with the final’s Mr Consistency, Glen Hannah. Ratima smashed his drive into the nearby left-side trees, then launched a missile of a second to behind the right-hand greenside bunker, chipped over the trap and sank a 2m slider for par.
Needing to sink a 1.6m putt to stay alive, Hannah missed and had to settle for the $300 runner-up money.
Keith Marshall was the first to go on the par-five first hole. He was followed by Kim Travers on two, Pete Stewart on three, John Partington on four, Dave Quinn on five, top qualifier Daniel Williams on six and Murray Jones on seven.
It was a case of the Butler did it in the Reynolds Cup men’s handicap matchplay final on Saturday.
Pat Butler outgunned Tene Goldsmith four and three in the Reynolds Cup top eight decider.
“He was on fire,” said Goldsmith, who was dormie seven-down before mounting a mini-comeback.
Seven-handicapper Butler, giving a shot, went out in 39, and his round included the jackpot of two twos on the sixth and 11th holes. He also won the approach for the day, repeating his Thursday effort of winning nearest to the pin and getting a two.
Rochelle Taewa’s first 18-hole round of golf since breaking her ankle in three places over two years ago was a winning one on Wednesday.
Two-time senior women’s club champion Taewa won the Viv Swann Salver net title with 85-14-71, heading off Di Sherratt on countback.
The Poverty Bay team to defend the ER Black Cup interclub at Mahia on April 6 are Bill Simpson/Maxine Francois; Andy Hayward/Odette Thompson; Peter Hakiwai/Louie Kriel; Alex and Debbie Kirkpatrick; Kit Goldsmith and Theresa Lewis.
Wednesday – Viv Swann Salver women’s net: R. Taewa 71, D. Sherratt 71, C. Nelson 72, M. Colebourne 73.
The Poverty Bay team for the women’s national teams’ district tournament are Megan Allen, Maxine Francois, Mary Allan, Marg Lane. Reserves are Odette Thompson, Teresa Lewis.
Monday – Women’s 6x6x6 competition: J. McCafferty 40, J. Utting 41, G. Young 42.
Twos: C. Nelson, S. Spence.
Sunday – Men’s Stableford, division 1: A. White 37, C. Taewa 35, K. Marshall 34, G. Morley 34, B. Anderson 34, A. Hayward 34.
Division 2: P. Grogan 41, M. Lewin 39, G. Clapham 37, E. Wilson 35, J. Kerekere 35, M. Thomas 35, G. Marchbank 35, R. Richardson 35.
Twos: S. Andreassen, M. Lewin, G. Chalmers.
Approach: J. Kerekere.
Saturday – Men’s Stableford, division 1: M. Callaghan 38, S. Jeune 36, S. Francks 34, W. Mortleman 34, C. Palmer 34, P. Butler 34.
Division 2: K. Houkamau 34, M. Lewin 34, D. Bush 34, M. Allen 33, A. Abrahams 33.
Twos: J. Kerekere 2, P. Butler 2, M. Callaghan, S. Andreassen, S. Francks.
Approach: P. Butler.
Jackpot: P. Butler.
Thursday (March 27) – Men’s Stableford, division 1: A. Abrahams 37, N. Mackie 36, P. Butler 35, V. Richardson 35.
Division 2: D. Bush 39, H. Johanson 37, J. Williams 35, W. Thompson 35.
Twos: P. Butler
Approach: P. Butler.
Wednesday (March 27) – Twilight Stableford, women’s division: W. Babbington 21.
Men’s division: Blue Toa 23, T. Amess 21, C. Mangan 21, F. Tong 20, D. Collier 20, J, Williams 19, D. Mettrick 19, A. Hayward 19, M. Tong 19 from Beau Toa.
Nine-holers’ red tee Stableford, front 9: J. French 20.
Coming up: Sunday, April 13, Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 3x9-hole net open tournament (9 holes best-ball net; 9 holes Canadian foursomes; 9 holes ambrose), men’s, women’s and mixed sections, two-tee start 8am to 9am, enter at pro shop.
Patutahi
Cecil Brown will defend the men’s shootout title but there were beads of sweat on his forehead, before his place was confirmed in the 19-man field.
Brown qualified 17th with a best-four-nets score of 271.
Seventeen spots have been confirmed. The last two will be decided in a chip-off shortly before the final proper starts on Saturday at 8.30am.
If they all turn up, the chip-off will involve Mike de Luze, Hamish Harris, Tom Hindmarsh and John Neilson, all of whom ended qualifying on 272.
Phoenix Nickerson carries the No 1 seeding into the final, which sees 19 tee off and the player with the worst net axed each hole. If there is more than one with the worst net, a chip-off or putt-off is held to decide who is guillotined.
Nickerson totalled 258, with brother Lucian second on 260, followed by Chris Kaa 263, Peter Summersby 264, Butch McKenzie 266, Pat Molloy 266, Rocky Pardoe 266, Pat Hokianga 267, Peter Johnston 267, Jason Phillips 267, Simon Pittar 267, Selwyn Skudder 268, Joe Blair 269, Michael Broad 269, Ashley Hindmarsh 269, Garth Tattersfield 269 and Cecil Brown 271.
Sunday – Women’s Stableford: D. Johnston 38, K. Sarich 34.
Men’s net, division 1: S. Toa 69, D. Russell 69, T. Hindmarsh 69, J. Neilson 70, P. Hokianga 70.
Division 2: A. Brodie 63, B. Pohatu 65, G. Holland 65, D. Quinn 67, W. Brown 67.
Twos: T. Hindmarsh, E. Brown jr, D. Kahukoti, H. Brown (eagle on 7), D. Russell (eagle on 10).
Friday – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, division 1: P. Summersby 21, T. Sharp 21, G. Brown 20, A. Nimmo 20, S. Toa 19.
Division 2: D. Tarry 24, S. Fookes 22, G. Holland 22, D. Niven 21, N. Short 21.
Tolaga Bay
Rongo Pomana has added another victory to his purple patch.
Pomana won Sunday’s medal with 65 while Pete Stevenson had just 21 putts over the 18 holes to top the putting.
Sunday – Medal: R. Pomana 65, BJ Sidney 68, B. Yates 68, T. Higgs 68.
Putts: P. Stevenson 21.
Approach: T. Higgs
Te Puia Hot Springs
Daryl Goldsmith and Hiria McClutchie won an E. R. Black Cup preparation tournament on Sunday.
The pair totalled 37 Stableford points, with Robyn Ngatai and Nehe Dewes second on 34.
Club members head to Mahia on Sunday for the ER Black Cup interclub event.
Willie Mannering topped the men’s stableford with 93-28-65, for 37 points.
Sunday – Men’s stableford: W. Mannering 93-28-65, 37; R. Walker 86-19-67, 35; J. Forrester 85-16-69, 33.
Waikohu
Electrinet Park members Jo Kerr and Karen Hay fought out the gross honours at a Waikohu Ladies’ Open tournament,, from which the course came out on top on Saturday.
Scoring was modest with Stableford scores as low as 25 among the prizes.
Kerr, playing off a five handicap, compared with the eight at her home course, won the up to 20 division gross with 84. She was one ahead of Hay, off a 2.
The round of the day was home-course player Ella Wynyard’s 90-16-74, which won her the up-to-20 division net.
Waikohu players cleaned up the other sections. Val Grace (102) beat clubmate Andrea Reeves on countback for the 20+ division gross, Penny Rutene (77) topped the net and Marg Tuapawa (28 points) won the overall Stableford.
Sunday – Canadian mixed pairs Stableford: P. Milner/E Wynyard 37, K. Tamanui/C. Te Rito 36, S. Ritchie/P. Rutene 36, T. Ruru/M. Tuapawa 35.
Twos: P. Milner/E. Wynyard.
Saturday – Waikohu Ladies’ Open, up to 20 division, gross: J. Kerr 84, K. Hay 85.
Net: E. Wynyard 74, R. Hiko 76, E. Westwood 78.
20+ division, gross: V Grace 102 on c/b from A Reeves 102.
Net: P. Rutene 77, Charlie Holland 78.
Stableford: M. Tuapawa 28, C. Te Rito 26, K. Torrez 26, C. Pipi 26, K. Sarich 25, J. Underhill 25, M. Vette 25, I. Ngarimu 25, H. McClutchie 25.
Twos: E. Westwood, E. Wynyard.
Long drives: M. Allen, C. Holland.
Approaches: C. Pipi, T. Lewis.
Coming up: Sunday, free day.
Electrinet Park
Tairāwhiti representative Dan Collier powered down the home stretch to snatch a spot in the twilight nine-hole shootout final.
Collier went into last Thursday’s final chance of qualifying just off the pace, but fired a three-under par 33 for 20 points to lift himself into the top 10.
Those 10 converge on the Park course on Thursday in the hole-by-hole elimination final in which the winner will take home $1000 and runner-up $500.
Junior golfer Kymani Tamatea easily top qualified with a 10-round total of 209 points, 16 clear of Beau Toa and Junior Akurangi.
Tamatea’s competition includes his dad Waiti, and father and son Anthony and Shaun Pahina.
Steve Phillips sneaked into the 10 by way of countback over Craig Christophers.
The finalists are Kymani Tamatea 209 points; Beau Toa 193; Junior Akurangi 193; Anthony Pahina 192; Shaun Pahina 191; Waiti Tamatea 190; Rueben Maynard 189; Josh Adams 188; Dan Collier 184 and Stephen Phillips 183.
Josh Hayes and Holly Miller won the Lunken Cup Canadian mixed pairs net title at the weekend. They posted net 72, one better than James Witika and Carney Pipi.
The Lunken Cup was also a trial for the Park team for the ER Black Cup interclub at Mahia on Sunday. The team are Hayes and Miller, Witika and Pipi, Ed Pirini and Rau Chesley, Junior Akurangi and Ash Tuari, and Lionel and Min Vette.
Thursday (March 27) – Gordon’s Pharmacy twilight Stableford: J. Halley 20, D. Collier 20.
Men’s long drive: J. Halley.
Women’s long drive: S. Cameron.
Birdie Board: A. Ruru.
Monkey on the back: J. Foley.
Māhia
The Mahia Ladies’ Open is on Saturday.
Gross, net and stableford in junior and senior divisions.
Cup of tea at 9.30am; tee-off at 10.30am.
Open also features round 5 of the Tairāwhiti women’s pennants.
Open players (with player and club IDs) and pennants teams to register through Renee at reneeapril01@hotmail.com or 0273728682.
Women’s pennants
It wasn’t pretty, but it was winning golf as Waikohu put themselves into the title running with victory in round 4 of the Tairāwhiti women’s pennants on Saturday.
Waikohu proved just a little too good on their home track in the Waikohu women’s open, which also featured the latest pennants round.
Led by Val Grace, the host club compiled a four-woman aggregate Stableford score of 111, three ahead of Māhia, with Electrinet Park third on 105.
Patutahi were fourth on 101, Te Puia Hot Springs fifth on 85, Wairoa sixth on 81 and Poverty Bay seventh on 73.
Mahia are the overall leaders on 22 points, just one in front of Patutahi, followed by Waikohu 20½, Wairoa 15, Park 12½, Te Puia 12 and Poverty Bay 9.
Round 5 is at the Mahia Ladies Open this Saturday.
