Battle of the Bays ends 1-all

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

HONOURS were shared in a classic battle of the bays women’s Lucy May-Bays Bronze representative golf encounter at Waipukurau.

Poverty Bay won the Lucy May silver matchplay tie 13-11 while hosts Hawke’s Bay reversed the score in the Lucy May silver tie.

So close was the annual clash that Golf Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay women’s president Gayle McLennan pointed out that the combined scores were 24-apiece.

Snow on the surrounding ranges and a frost greeted Poverty Bay’s two squads on a heavy Waipukurau course with little run.

The hosts dominated the top of the order in the Lucy May morning singles, winning all of the top-five matches.

PB picks up the pointsPB, however, picked up points in the numbers six to nine matches, with victories to Julie Coker (Waikohu), Blanche Walker (Gisborne Park), Wiki Morrissey (Park) and Shelley Robertson (Patutahi).

Wins to Tina Duncan (Wairoa), Noeleen Grace (Park) and June MacKinnon (Poverty Bay) saw PB trail 8½-7½ heading into the afternoon foursomes.

The PB women showed their ability to combine, losing just one of the eight matches.

Karen Hay and Jo Kerr bounced back from their singles defeats with a win. Walker/Morrissey, Jean Foot (Park)/Jett Pohatu (Patutahi) and Duncan/Grace also had wins.

Trena Smith/Fairlaine Wesche (both of Mahia), Robertson/Margot Shanks (PB) and Viv Bell (PB)/MacKinnon halved their matches.

PB’s Bays Bronze squad lost 10-6 in the singles but fought back in the foursomes to fall narrowly short.

Alvie Hale (Tolaga Bay), Patricia Joseph (Park), Kylie Johnson (Tahunga), Diana Murphy (PB), Mihi Marino (Park) and Letty Poananga (Tolaga Bay) won their singles matches.

Foursomes wins went to Carney Pipi (Park)/Sally Spence (PB), Ann Ward (PB)/Hale, Taina Paku (Wairoa)/Jan Ewart (Pat), Theresa Lewis (PB)/Patricia Corson (PB) and Marino/Poananga.