Golf: Youngster shines as putts sink in dark

Young Te Puke golfer Harry Hillier (left), and club pro Nick Davey finished their 117 hole fundraiser in the dark on Monday. Photo / Supplied

Imagine playing 115 holes of golf in one day on foot without a golf cart to ride in.

That is the battle of endurance Te Puke Golf Club professional Nick Davey and outstanding 16-year-old club member Harry Hillier went through on Monday to raise $3186 towards a new fairway mower at the Te Puke course.

The two golfers began at 6.30am and holed the last putt 12 hours later in pitch darkness to a rapturous ovation from club members. For Davey it was the third year he has been involved in the fundraiser and he was left lost for words by the scoring feats of Hillier.

The younger brother of top-class amateur Charlie Hillier shot rounds of 72, 67, 65, 66, 67 and 71 and was even par for the final seven holes for a phenomenal combined total of 24 under par.

The young golfer had just returned from an impressive performance at the 2015 Australian Boys' Amateur Championship held in South Australia where he finished 25th and top Kiwi ahead of Whakatane golfer Henry Spring (35th) and Omokoroa's Tyler King (36th).

Harry made 36 of the 62 birdies he and his partner achieved, plus two eagles.

Davey, 38, shot a combined +1 total with rounds of 76, 71, 75, 68, 72, 70 which is a fine effort but pales into insignificance compared to Hillier's efforts.

Davey has played the same 12-hour fundraiser with Charlie Hillier, who was 11-under par, but his younger brother's performance stunned Davey.

"It was just phenomenal. He is so aggressive and just goes for everything," Davey said. "He just putted unbelievably well on a slower surface here. He hits another 30 metres off the tee than me. He is just unbelievably long. I am in awe of the guy. I am just an old club pro plodding along playing par golf and getting annihilated by this young 16-year-old.

"This is the third time I have done it. It is just a good idea for a fundraiser and good PR for our club but also a chance for our juniors to give back to the club. Out here we only have one green keeper and the golf club is all about its members just giving."

Davey thanked Trevor Smith, Jim McCrone and Dave Glasgow for driving their clubs around the 117 holes and club members, chairman Steve McManaway and green keeper Michael Homer for their support.