BOP golf professional Troy Ropiha takes out Waitangi Pro-Am Title

Winning team at the NZPGA's Northern Swing, Ali Baba's Flying Carpet & Barfoot and Thompson Real Estate Kerikeri, from left, Hayden Clark, Colin Taylor, Jackie Thompson (manager of Ramada Resort), Troy Ropiha and Alistair Hargrove.

Bay of Plenty professional golfer Troy Ropiha has taken the final leg of the NZPGA's Northern Swing, winning the Ramada Resort by Wyndham Reia Taipa Beach – Waitangi Pro-Am Title.

Prior to last Thursday's tournament there had been some very low scores at the previous tournaments held on Northland Courses during the past week, however, higher than predicted winds helped protect the Waitangi Course from some of the best pro-golfers New Zealand has to offer.

Ropiha' s 6-under 66 was one shot better than a chasing trio of Denzel Ieremia - Waikato, North Harbour's Mark Hutson and another Waikato Pro, Luke Toomey.

Winning Professional at the NZPGA's Northern Swing Troy Ropiha with Jackie Thompson, Manager of Ramada By Wyndham Resort. Photos / Les Feasey

If the wind wasn't enough, each of the 25 professionals playing were teamed up with three amateur players alongside them with Ali Baba's Flying Carpets and Barfoot & Thompson Real Estate – Kerikeri winning the bragging rights as the Ramada Resort by Wyndham Reia Taipa Beach Waitangi Pro-Am Team Champions for 2019.

Many local businesses sponsored holes and entered teams in the event which not only puts up the prize purse for the professionals competing but also goes towards a new Waitangi Club Junior Golf Programme that started this year. Raffle draws and an auction for golf at Kauri Cliffs and stays at Ramada By Wyndham Resort properties saw the programme benefit by more than $2200.

The top 10 teams were the combined entry of Ali Baba's Flying Carpets & Barfoot and Thompson Real Estate Kerikeri; Nerdy's Computers; Fell Engineering; NZME; Bonno's Boys; Stiff Shafts; Northland Forestry Nurseries; Pioneer Waterfront Apartments; Korowha Catering Ltd and David Reid Homes.

Some accurate tee shots among the amateurs on Waitangi's Par Three holes saw Nearest the Pin Prizes taken home by Ellen Wright on the Edgewater Palms Apartments sponsored hole 6 while Fell Engineering awarded Bronson Silveira a prize for accuracy at hole 9.

Penny Boles went closest at No. 10 and took home a prize courtesy of Fullers GreatSights with Phil Snell being the most accurate at the 16th where Pioneer Apartments provided the prize.