News, results from Gisborne and East Coast golf clubs: Semifinal showdowns in Park men’s club champs

Gisborne-Tairāwhiti was well represented at the New Zealand Eagles junior 54-hole tournament hosted by Cromwell Golf Club last week. From left are Vegas Lawler, Josie Keast and Watene Brown. Patutahi member Brown won the Under-17 boys' Stableford with a total of 109 points (39, 38, 32), one point ahead of the runner-up. Poverty Bay's Keast, with only a handful of 18-hole rounds behind her, was second overall in the U17 girls' net with 207 (72, 64, 71). The Gisborne-Tairāwhiti trio were third overall in the team Stableford on 303. Southland won on 328 from Northland on 308. Keast's father Hayden, who travelled with the side, said they were challenged by cold and windy conditions on day one and strong winds, fast greens and even hail on day two, but "showed great character" and "represented our district proudly".

Electrinet Park

It’s semifinals time in the long-running 2024 edition of the Park men’s club championships.

Sunday will see the top four in each of the four divisions come together to decide who will contest finals day next month.

Senior men’s top seed Daniel Collier remains on track for a fifth crown after a 7 and 6 dismantling of Matt Henwood in the quarter-finals. Collier went on a stretch of seven wins in eight holes and was 2-under when they shook hands.

His semi opponent is Zach Rolls, who came from 3-down with seven holes to play to beat Ian Loffler on the 18th – a Rolls birdie on the 17th proving the difference.

The battle of the besties – Zane Boyle v Brad Reynolds – was one-way traffic. Reynolds described his 5 and 3 loss as “a belting”.

Boyle next meets Jason Devery, who parred his way home after trailing 2-down at the turn to defeat Pete Stewart 3 and 1.

The intermediate division features a grudge semi between Mike Christophers and James Witika, who ousted Christophers last year. The winner will play the victor of a potential thriller between Anthony Pahina and Kelly Spring.

The junior semis pit Warren Muir against Luke Hayes and Paul Wellard against Tony Leggett.

Youngster Kymani Tamatea takes on Lindsay Hunt in one of the endeavour semis, while Josh Taylor does battle with Stephen Johnson in the other.

Finals day is Sunday, November 3.

SUNDAY – Women’s Stableford: J. Foot 85-19-66, 43.

Twos: J. Akuhata-Nickerson, J. Foot.

Tolaga Bay

William Aupouri is trending the right way.

Aupouri’s 76-10-66 last Sunday continued an improvement in his scoring over the past four rounds – 85 (at Patutahi), 83 (Poverty Bay), 81 (Patutahi), 76 (Tolaga Bay).

His 38 points also won the Stableford.

SUNDAY – Stableford: W. Aupouri 38, R. Pomana 36, J. Sheridan 35, T. Higgs 34.

Twos: T. Adamson.

Approach: P. Stevenson.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, Three-club competition.

Waikohu

The Green Machine and Super Marg stood tall as the rest fell around them in the annual shootout finals on Sunday.

Green put 10 challengers in pine boxes in the men’s final while Waikohu stalwart Tuapawa proved you can’t beat experience as she gunned down six title hopefuls.

Tipi Ruru was the last to fall of the men. Audrey Tamanui-Nunn was the women’s bridesmaid.

SUNDAY – Men’s shootout final, overall winner: Larry Green.

Order of elimination: Karauria Ruru, Sonny Ritchie, Richard Reeves, Claude Ruru, Spud Te Rito, Tom Smith, Percy Milner, Kahu Tamanui, Tama Brown, Tipi Ruru.

Women’s shootout final, overall winner: Marg Tuapawa.

Order of elimination: Andrea Reeves, Penny Rutene, Cheryl Te Rito, Valerie Grace, Ella Wynyard, Audrey Tamanui-Nunn

COMING UP: SUNDAY, interclub challenge at Ōpōtiki, assemble at clubhouse at 9am.

Te Puia Hot Springs

James Junior Forrester has waved goodbye to a 50-handicap forever.

Forrester took another chunk out of his handicap in winning the men’s division on Sunday with 110-47-63, for 39 points - a par on the sixth hole the highlight.

Robyn Ngatai warmed up for Poverty Bay’s Lucy May/Bays Bronze women’s annual interprovincial clash with Hawke’s Bay in Napier by winning the women’s division with 35.

SUNDAY – Women’s Stableford: R. Ngatai 35, H. McClutchie 30.

Men’s Stableford: J. Forrester Jr 39, J. Forrester Sr 37.

Patutahi

Tairāwhiti has a monarchy and it’s got nothing to do with the British.

Dwayne Russell and Shelley Robertson ascended to the golfing throne as the King and Queen of the Country champions were decided on Saturday.

Russell won the men’s overall gross and with it the crown, after a round that featured as much drama as an episode of Game of Thrones.

His 18 holes included an eagle-2 on the 18th where he put a 7-iron on the green then sank a length-of-the-green putt; five birdies, including a two on the ninth; and two double bogeys.

Robertson’s triumphant round was a little less exciting – 89 – which she followed up on Sunday with a more headline-grabbing women’s net-winning 83-16-67.

Other winners on Saturday were Hamish Harris (net 69); Whakatāne and former Tolaga Bay member Mickey Grant (35 Stableford points); Ashley Hindmarsh (gross 80); Wayne Tuapawa (net 67); Jason Phillips (38pts); Watene Brown (gross 90); Cecil Brown (net 70); Ruie Bridge (35pts); Abbie Davis (net 75); and Andrea Reeves (29pts).

SUNDAY – Men’s net, senior division: A. Hindmarsh 68, S. Pohatu 69, T. Green 70, P. Molloy 70.

Junior division: M. Broad 65, S. Pittar 66, M. de Luze 68, P. Summersby 68.

Women’s net: S. Robertson 67, H. Pomana 71.

Twos: H. Brown, C. Brown, J. Brown.

Eagle on 1: H. Brown.

Jackpot: H. Brown.

SATURDAY – King and Queen of the Country open tournament, men’s overall gross and King of the Country champion: Dwayne Russell 69.

Women’s overall gross and Queen of the Country champion: Shelley Robertson 89.

Men’s +6-11 division, gross: D. Russell 69.

Net: H. Harris 69.

Stableford: M. Grant 35, E. Brown Jr 34, W. Aupouri 34, R. Pomana 34, M. Bond 33.

12-17 division, gross: A. Hindmarsh 80.

Net: W. Tuapawa 67.

Stableford: J. Phillips 38, M. Humphries 37, B. McKenzie 36, T. Green 35, P. Summersby 35.

18+ division, gross: Watene Brown 90.

Net: C. Brown 70.

Stableford: R. Bridge 35, P. Puha 35, L. Bates 35.

Women’s division, gross: S. Robertson 89.

Net: A. Davis 75.

Stableford: Andrea Reeves 29, K. Torrez 29, V. Grace 29.

Long drives: William Brown, K. Harrison-Allen, C. Brown, M. Wesche, A. Reeves.

Approaches: W. Aupouri, T. Green, Watene Brown, S. Robertson.

Twos: T. Green, A. Nimmo, H. Brown, D. Russell.

Eagles: D. Russell, H. Brown.

FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, senior division: T. Green 24, P. Varey 21, Blue Toa 20, A. Brodie 20, S. Pohatu 20.

Junior division: R. Evans 26, G. Roadley 21, C. Newman 21, C. Harris 20, W. Stevens.

Women’s division: S. Gardner 21.

Poverty Bay

The flag flew at half-mast last week at Poverty Bay’s Awapuni Links course following the death of retired fisherman and quality golfer Ian Dudley.

And a fitting golfing tribute was paid to “Duds” by family members.

Duds, a member of Gisborne Park and Poverty Bay over the years, had a swing that wasn’t exactly copybook but proved successful as it got him to low single-figure status in his prime.

He could bang it out, including a famous incident at Park where he drove his ball through the 310-metre-plus 18th green and out of bounds into the neighbouring Rugby Park.

A family group played nine holes on Sunday before a gathering at Duds’ and wife Pam’s unit.

Birdies on the third and fourth holes, and nearly another on the fifth, by Murray Campbell was fitting while on Friday, Carl Carmody could feel an impressed Duds looking down on him after he holed his second shot on the par-4 13th with a 5-hybrid club for a career-first eagle.

Duds was a serious golfer and hated it when someone would exclaim “get in” or “it’s in” when his ball was rolling towards the hole.

“Shut up [or some other choice words]; don’t you talk to my ball,” he would shout.

There were several instances of those among “Sunday School” players at the weekend and those who knew Duds well all stared upwards and apologetically smiled.

Duds will be missed. A good bloke taken too early.

The random nature of golf was highlighted last Thursday.

Richard Owen won the division 2 men’s Stableford with 85-19-66, for 42 points, his round featuring four-point birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.

Brent Colbert did not feature with his 32 points but when he and fellow Thursday schooler Owen played each other in a match off their cards, it ended up square despite the 10-point difference and Colbert dishing out 11 shots.

Colbert’s eight on the 16th to Owen’s three was the defining hole.

Stalwart course volunteer Ray Farmer put away his tools on Tuesday and put his clubs to great use instead. He won the veteran men’s Stableford with 90-25-65, for 43 points.

Pauline Zame was in warm form last Wednesday, winning the LGU bronze II section with 108-41-67.

TUESDAY – Veteran men’s Stableford: R. Farmer 43, C. Dean 39, V. Richardson 36, P. Rickard 36, B. Morrissey 36, K. Goldsmith 36.

SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: D. Pirimona 39, B. Anderson 39, R. Gibson 39, S. Andreassen 38, C. Simpson 38.

Division 2: G. Clapham 42, P. Rickard 39, K. Love 39, A. Putnam 38.

Approach: P. Anderson.

SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: M. Henwood 38, D. Jenkins 37, S. Francks 36.

Division 2: D. Bush 41, C. Christie 37, W. Thompson 37.

Twos: M. Jefferson.

Approach: D. Jenkins.

THURSDAY (Oct 10) – Men’s Stableford, division 1: P. Butler 39, S. Jeune 39, T. Sherratt 38, J. Bryden 37, D. Wilson 37.

Division 2: R. Owen 42, S. Bridge 38, K. Goldsmith 38, B. Allen 37, P. Humphreys 37.

Twos: D. Wilson, S. Andreassen, N. Mackie, C. Christie, T. Goldsmith.

Approach: D. Wilson.

WEDNESDAY (Oct 9) – 18-hole LGU, silver division: M. Colebourne 90-16-74.

Bronze I: Viv Bell 90-21-69.

Bronze II: Pauline Zame 108-41-67.

9-holers, division 1: L. Daniels 51-15-36.

Division 2: R. Dymock 60-23-37.