Ngarimu EC Open champ at 13

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Wellington schoolboy Apirana Ngarimu upstaged the heavyweights to win the East Coast Open championship at Te Puia Hot Springs Golf Club on Sunday.

Ngarimu, 13, defeated William Brown — the head greenkeeper at Poverty Bay Golf Club and a member of Waikohu and Te Puia Springs — 1-up in the championship 16 matchplay final.

A member of the Wellington Golf Talent Development Programme, Ngarimu defeated Te Puke’s Craig Van Der Nagel 3 and 1 in the semifinals while Brown knocked out Poverty Bay’s Glenn Morley 6 and 5.

It was the first time Ngarimu had played in the tournament while younger brother Mutu, at just 12, was also in the top 16 and won the plate section,

Other division winners were  Paul Smith (second 16) of Tauranga; Stu Harbottle (third 16) of Poverty Bay; Murray Yates  (fourth 16) of Tolaga Bay; and Peter Harrison (bottom eight) of Te Puia Springs.

Stalwart member Harrison and Mutu Ngarimu had eagle-twos during the tournament — Ngarimu on the first, Harrison the 17th.

Twenty clubs from as far south as Christchurch to as far north as Muriwai were represented at the annual tournament postponed from earlier in the year due to the damage done by  Cyclone Gabrielle.

Full story, results to follow.