Hosts Mt Maunganui, augmented by a first competitive ace from senior Warren Steward, have broken Royal Auckland's grip on the CEO's Trophy interdistrict club competition.
Mount came from behind in the gross stableford format, pipping Royal Auckland on the line to win by just eight points in the tightest finishin the competition's brief history. Royal Auckland had taken out both previous CEO's Trophy tournaments, which brings together the leading pennant teams from Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and North Shore.
And 58-year-old Bay of Plenty masters rep Steward had cause for double celebration after his six iron on the 140m par-three 4th hole tumbled into the cup for his first hole in one in competition golf, although he had aced the same hole during a casual nine hole round 20 years ago.
Steward's ace boosted him to a one-over par 73 and 35 gross stableford points, which greatly enhanced Mount's cause as they looked to close the six point buffer Royal Auckland opened up after the morning alternate shots foursomes.
Waikato representatives Hamilton were three behind on 129, with Mount and Akarana another three shots back.
Mount's lead-out players quickly cut into the lead, with Steward's 35, Dave Enright (33), Owen Kendall's 35 and 15-year-old Bailey Smith's one-under 71, which yielded 37 points, all bankers.
No 1 Brad Kendall had 27, compounded by an out of bounds on the 18th, but Mark Hughes (33) and Campbell Irvine (35) did enough between them to maintain the lead and close to an eight-point win over Royal Auckland, with Akarana (380) third. Bay of Plenty's second team, Tauranga, were fifth.
Smith's round - 17 pars and birdie on the long par-four 16th - was the fourth-best of the day, with Akarana's Jono Ratcliffe hitting the day's low, a 68.
Smith, who attends Mt Maunganui College, said the win capped off a good run for the Mount, who beat Tauranga in Taupo to win the Bay of Plenty championship pennant championship.
"I've been working with Robert [coach Robert Rookes] on making birdies, and even though it didn't really work today I made some really good par saves," he said.
"Knowing the course helped too though because I knew breaks that the other guys weren't seeing."
