Getting to know Jack Lewis

MYSTERY MAN: Most locals had no idea who Jack Lewis was but the home course member revealed himself as a fine golfer in yesterday's qualifying rounds of the Poverty Bay men's open. He fired 70, 76 to qualify fourth in the top 16. Picture by Paul Rickard

JACK who?

That was the response from the local golf fraternity after fellow member Jack Lewis introduced himself in spectacular fashion at the Poverty Bay Open yesterday.

Lewis, who had 36-hole strokeplay qualifying rounds of 70, 76 to qualify fourth in the championship 16, is a member at the Poverty Bay course but went into yesterday's play as a relative unknown.

Not now.

Lewis, 25, has been in Gisborne about two years and is a civil engineer with Civil Project Solutions.

He's also a damn good golfer, although only those who have played nine holes with him know that. His record on the Golf NZ handicap website shows that in 2022 he has played only nine-hole golf.

Lewis has also played club rugby for Ngatapa during his time here — he's a fullback — but injuries have curtailed both his rugby and his golf.

Lewis was born in Wairoa, and his family shifted to Southland when he was a boy. He played a lot of golf at St Clair, Dunedin, before making his way to Gisborne.

In yesterday's qualifying, Lewis was superb. He had six birdies in his morning 2-under 70, including the feat of making birdies on the Bay's triangle holes (13th, 14th, 15th), then backed it up with 76 in the afternoon.