Gisborne greenkeeper eyeing fourth King of the Coast golf crown

William Brown has a title three-peat in his sights at the King of the Coast men's open being held at Tolaga Bay Golf Club this weekend. Photo / Paul Rickard

Poverty Bay head greenkeeper William Brown will join an exclusive club if he successfully defends the King of the Coast men’s open crown at Tolaga Bay this weekend.

Brown is vying for a third consecutive KotC title - a feat that has been achieved only once in the 53-year history of the matchplay tournament.

The only man to do that was the legendary Peter Rouse, the KotC’s most dominant figure.

Rouse won the title 11 times - the first of those in 1974, the last in 1999. It included three on the trot from 1984 to 1986.

Brown, who beat Dan Collier 2 and 1 in the 2023 final, also has the chance this weekend to add to the two players to have won it four times or more - Rouse and Gisborne Park’s Ross Bignell (1972, ′73, ′75 and ‘90).

Standing in Brown’s way is a quality field that includes Collier and the only other person in the field to have won the championship 16 crown - Poverty Bay member Tony Akroyd, the 2001 King.

Former Bay of Plenty representative Marcus Lloyd - a member of Murupara who has been playing his golf at Rotorua’s Springfield course lately - is a name that stands out among the visitors.

Sixty-four players, split into four groups of 16, will tee off on Saturday morning. Semifinals are on Sunday morning and finals are in the afternoon.