Jason Hona's not hanging up the rugby boots but reckons he's got the up-and-unders sorted for next season's ITM Cup after coming within a couple of decent hits of taking out the national long drive championship at Christchurch's Clearwater Resort.
Hona stunned the collection of long drive experts and golfprofessionals by ripping the second-longest drive of the four-day competition, a 314m snorter, to win his quarter-final, before tanking in the semifinal with one of his worst efforts of the week, bowing out to mate and former national champion Sheridan Vining.
Vining lost the final to Otago University science student Cameron Grant by nine metres (270m to 261m) but had bragging rights, with his 322m effort, the longest drive of the tournament.
Hona, a 10-handicapper who plays out of the Tauranga club, was at Clearwater watching professional Jared Pender and Bay of Plenty's No1 amateur Brad Kendall at the New Zealand Open, although neither made the cut. He combined the trip south with a crack at the long drive championship.
Hona, a left wing/midfielder for the Bay of Plenty Steamers, arrived in Christchurch minus his driver after snapping it in practice.
He ended up borrowing a driver from Vining when he got to Christchurch.
He qualified fourth for the quarter-finals with a 304m blow and then eliminated Arrowtown assistant golf director Mark Shepherd 314m to 302m with his final hit after his first five balls landed outside the tight driving grid.
Hona said he was panicking slightly by the time he reached down to tee up the last of his six quarterfinal balls.
Hona's 314m boomer set up a semifinal showdown with Vining but both golfers struggled. "It was there to be taken but me and Sheridan had shockers and struggled to get it out to 260."
