Rare feats in Wi’s sights

William Brown has been a loyal servant to Poverty Bay-East Coast and now Tairāwhiti golf for over half his life. He completed his 15th consecutive national interprovincial tournament yesterday including a win in the morning at No.1 in the team. Picture by Paul Rickard

Tairāwhiti No.1 William Brown is on a mission to play at  the national interprovincials in every New Zealand golf province.

And he’s well on track to achieving it.

Brown ended his 15th consecutive national tournament yesterday in Wellington and at 30 years of age has in his sights that milestone as well as a rare feat that would put him among elite company — a century of matches at the annual teams’ matchplay championship.

His six matches on the Paraparaumu Beach and Waikanae courses this week took him into the 90s, so  he would join the hundred club in the 2025 edition.

And all going well for the head greenkeeper at the Awapuni Links course, he will continue to add to a record dating back to his debut in 2009 at the tender age of 16.

Brown, known to his mates as Wi or Breezy, kicked off his national interprovincial career with a win back then and yesterday morning, at Paraparaumu Beach, he chalked up his second win of the 2023 tournament.

Brown is captain of the historic first Tairāwhiti national interprovincial side after the Poverty Bay-East Coast Golf Association was reconstitutionalised earlier this year.

He defeated Otago counterpart William McLauchlan and saved his side from a third consecutive whitewash in a 4-1 team loss in the morning round.

No.2 Dan Collier lost 6 and 4 to Ryan Bellamy; No.3 Hukanui Brown lost 5 and 3 to Hamish Ireland; No.4 Marcus Gray lost 6 and 5 to Callum Judkins; and No.5 Shayde Skudder lost 4 and 3 to Phil Bungard.

That ended any hopes of Tairāwhiti lifting themselves off the bottom of their eight-province section.

But with Aorangi also sitting on zero team points in the other section, there was the matter of the unwelcome wooden spoon for 15th and last placing overall.

Tairāwhiti faced Northland in their final clash yesterday afternoon.

The tie was still going when The Herald went to print.

Hukanui Brown, at No.2, turned on what teammate Collier  described as “a masterclass in putting” to put his side on the board with a

3 and 2 defeat of Michael Brodie.

However, Northland were ahead in the other four matches with only a few holes remaining.

It was a day to forget for Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay women at the women’s national interprovincial tournament yesterday as their Division 2 title hopes were dashed.

Gisborne’s Tessa McDonald, playing No.2 in the five-strong side, lost both her matches on the  Waikanae course.

HBPB were beaten 3-2 by Otago in their final Division 2 points clash yesterday morning, then were eliminated 4-1 by Waikato in the afternoon semifinals.

A 3-2 win over Aorangi on Thursday afternoon — including a 3 and 2 triumph for McDonald — confirmed HBPB’s spot in the semifinals.

Yesterday morning’s clash with Otago was all about their position for the semis. The loss dropped HBPB to fourth, meaning a semi match-up with Waikato, who beat them in Round 1.

Against Otago, McDonald lost 5 and 3 to Yoonae Jeong.

Veteran Janie Field, at No.3, won 1-up and No.4 Martha Manaena won 5 and 3.

It put HBPB fourth on three team points and 11½ match points. Waikato finished top on four team points and 17½ match points. Northland were second on 3½ and 14½, followed by Otago on three and 12½.

In the do-or-die semi, McDonald faced Waikato’s Gemma Towers, who beat her 2 and 1 in Round 1. History repeated with Towers winning by the same margin.

HBPB No.1 Kayla Van De Ven was their only victor, thumping Suwanna McPhee 6 and 4.

Waikato dominated the other three matches and faced Northland in today’s final.