Omanu's Jordan Golding blasts out of a bunker on the 18th hole yesterday. Photo/George Novak
Omanu's Jordan Golding blasts out of a bunker on the 18th hole yesterday. Photo/George Novak
Compton Pikari blazed around the picturesque Te Puke Golf Club in 8-under par to easily take out the strokeplay section at the 77th NZ Maori Golf Championships.
The New Zealand rep from Te Awamutu shot successive rounds of 68 over the last two days in the senior men's section tofinish well ahead of Jordan Rangihika (Kawerau, even), Sam Howe (Opotiki), defending champion Jordan Golding (Omanu, +2) and John Schaafhausen (Wainuiomata, +4).
Pikari heads into the first of four rounds of matchplay over the next three days as the tournament's red hot favourite but defending champion Golding can not be discounted.
He played well tee to green but his putting touch has momentarily deserted him.
"My putting was the issue - big time. The greens are a little bit slow but are better than what they were. I just couldn't get the pace," Golding said.
"I am still feeling comfortable about defending my title. Whatever happens, happens, so we will just wait and see. It would be pretty cool to win it back-to-back as not many people have done that."
If he did manage to win the title again, Golding would follow in the footsteps of Te Puke golf professional Nicholas Davey, who won it in 2000 and 2001.
"There are a lot of big names that have won this tournament before. My coach James Cooper won in 1980, Kapi Tareha from Napier, Michael Campbell and Phil Tataurangi, who won it three times," Davey said.
"When I was growing up as a kid I thought, wow, I would love to play in that tournament.
"It is a national event and it is very rare for [Te Puke] to host a national event so we are really fortunate and over the moon about it. We are up for the challenge at the moment because the greenkeeper has done a great job at getting the course ready.
"We are getting great feedback about the course layout and it is due to our volunteers as well. The greens are right there for tournament golf and are getting faster every day. He didn't want them quick to start off with and it is a tough time of the year to get them quick because of the heat."
The senior women are also playing at Te Puke with the intermediate and junior grades at Omanu.
Defending champion Kate Chadwick from Napier also found the Te Puke course to her liking, shooting two solid par 72s to finish the strokeplay section two shots ahead of Opotiki's Tyla Kingi with Te Rongopai Clay four shots further back.
