Wynton Rufer, of Ngāti Porou descent and closely connected to the East Coast through mother Anne, competed at the East Coast Open on the Te Puia Hot Springs course last weekend. The Oceana football Player of the Century is pictured at his induction into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame at the 2005 Halberg Sports Awards. Photo / Wayne Drought
Wynton Rufer, of Ngāti Porou descent and closely connected to the East Coast through mother Anne, competed at the East Coast Open on the Te Puia Hot Springs course last weekend. The Oceana football Player of the Century is pictured at his induction into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame at the 2005 Halberg Sports Awards. Photo / Wayne Drought
Te Puia Hot Springs
Waka Donnelly returned to where his golfing career began to be crowned the 2024 East Coast Open champion for the first time on Sunday.
Donnelly defeated Ōpōtiki’s Micky Huriwaka 1-up in the championship 16 final of the Te Puia Hot Springs Hotel-sponsored event.
He beat teenager and defending champion Apirana Ngarimu also on the 18th in the semifinals while Huriwaka knocked out Poverty Bay’s Neil Hansen on the same hole.
More to follow on Donnelly’s victory in Saturday’s Gisborne Herald.
In an all-Poverty Bay duel, Dirk Bullivant beat Mark Norman 2 and 1 in the second 16 final; Roland Waru defeated Tolaga Bay clubmate Rongo Pomana for the third 16 title; local Eruera West downed Tolaga Bay’s Maioha Waru in the fourth 16 decider; and home-course player Daryl Goldsmith won the bottom group of 8 from Waikare member Blair Cooper.
Meanwhile, the tournament featured some sporting royalty and former Wyoming High School star linebacker Andrew Putnam got to spar with a couple of them.
Poverty Bay member Putnam was knocked out in round 1 of the Waipiro Bay fourth 16, which put him into a flight clash with 27-test All Black Joe Stanley - a regular at the tournament.
Stanley won, which then dropped Putnam into a plate clash with All Black great Ian Kirkpatrick, who conceded their Sunday morning match.
Putnam’s “victory” subsequently advanced him to the consolation flight final against none other than Oceania Footballer of the Century Wynton Rufer, of Ngāti Porou descent and closely connected to the Coast through mother Anne (nee Campbell).
On his way to defeating Putnam, Rufer took great pride in showing him the Te Puia Springs hole he sponsors - the 13th, with its glorious view of Waipiro Bay.
And if a couple of AB legends and an All Whites superstar wasn’t enough, the field also featured East Coast stalwart and three-test All Black Andy Jefferd, who won the Ruatoria Handicap group of 8 flight.
Te Puia Hot Springs Golf Club's 13th hole is sponsored by New Zealand football great Wynton Rufer, who got to view firsthand the sign when he played at the East Coast Open over the weekend.
SUNDAY - Te Puia Hot Springs Hotel East Coast Open, East Coast championship 16, overall winner: Waka Donnelly (Poverty Bay) from Micky Huriwaka (Ōpōtiki).
Third: Apirana Ngarimu (Judgeford).
Flight: Simon Jeune (PB).
Te Puia Springs Handicap 2nd 16, overall winner: Dirk Bullivant (PB) from Mark Norman (PB).
Ruatoria Handicap group of eight, overall winner: Daryl Goldsmith (Te Puia) from Blair Cooper (Waikare).
Flight: Andy Jefferd (Te Puia).
Plate: Watene Reedy (Tolaga Bay).
Poverty Bay
Debbie Kirkpatrick produced her best 18-hole score since March 2021 to top the Bronwyn Kay-sponsored Poverty Bay women’s Christmas tournament last week.
Kirkpatrick won the overall stableford with 90-24-66, for 44 points. Only one point back was Pauline Zame, with club president Miggles Shanks third on 40.
Jenny Newman’s 24-point haul was best of the 9-holers.
Jo Kerr had an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole.
After winning the men’s shootout final the previous weekend, Mark Jefferson continued from where he left off on Saturday.
Jefferson had a front-nine holes of 2-under 34 in his 1-over 73-5-68, for 40 points, which won him the division 1 men’s stableford on Saturday.
Willie Mortleman bounced back from his early exit (the third hole) in the shootout to win the division 1 men’s stableford last Thursday with 74-7-67, for 41.
Reeves made it another winning weekend with a personal-best 73-11-62, for 44 points, to win the men’s stableford with Mahaki Buckley second on 93-29-64, for 42.
Terry Reeves remains the best player in the whānau and reinforced that with his 1-under 69-1-68, for 38 points. But the gap is closing.
Ella Wynyard underlined the “class is forever” phrase with her best round since January 2022 - 86-18-68, for 40 points - to win the women’s stableford.
The locals are looking in ominous form for this weekend’s Christmas Cheer open tournament.
SUNDAY - Men’s stableford: R. Reeves 44, M. Buckley 42, T. Reeves 38.
Women’s stableford: E. Wynyard 40, Andrea Reeves 37, C. Te Rito 36.
Dangerous trees from storm damage resulted in the club having to drop to what has essentially been a nine-hole course for several months as tree removal work has gone on.
Club captain Mike Christophers said they were on track to be back to a full 18 holes by as early as the first week of December.
It would remain that way over summer and would then be reassessed, he said.
That means the Park’s annual Christmas tournament is likely to be held on the 18-hole course. The open tournament is on Sunday, December 15.
Christophers himself has found some form. He won the men’s stableford on Sunday with 73-10-63 on the par-68 course, including three twos.
Christophers also won the combined pairs net with Heath Tupara with a 129 total, three ahead of Ian Loffler and Anthony Pahina.
