Gisborne - East Coast golf roundup

SHOOTOUT CHAMPS: Skylah Pohatu and Hukanui Brown with the spoils of winning the Patutahi Golf Club shootout finals on Saturday. Picture supplied

PatutahiTHE two lowest-handicapped players in the fields dodged all bullets to win the Patutahi shootout titles on Saturday.

Hukanui Brown, off a 2-handicap, won the men’s final while Skylah Pohatu, off 8, won the women’s crown.

Brown fended off a gallant challenge from Brian Wallace after the pair went to the 17th tee the last two standing.

Brown made birdie on the 214-metre par-4 18th while Wallace’s putt for birdie, which would have forced a chip-off/putt-off for the title, was a roll short of going in.

Butch McKenzie was the first to fall in the 19-man hole-by-hole net elimation final. He was followed by Simon Pittar (No.2), Wayne Baty (No.3), Tony Cave (No.4), Peter Johnston (No.5), top qualifier Hamish Harris (No.6), Ashley Hindmarsh (No.7), Joe Blair (No.8), Mike de Luze (No.9), Selwyn Pohatu (No.10), Pat Malloy (No.11), Cecil Brown (No.12), George Brown (No.13), Whata Brown (No.14), Rios Moleta (No.15), Tony Green (No.16), Garth Tattersfield (No.17) and Wallace.

Skylah Pohatu won a nine-player women’s final that started on the 11th.

The field was whittled down to Pohatu and Colleen Wesche, Pohatu slotting a two-metre putt for birdie on the 18th to be the last woman standing.

Rae Burgess fell on the first hole (the 11th), followed by Shelley Robertson, Helen Humble, Helen Pomana, Denise Johnston, Lorraine Haisman, Materoa Philip and Wesche.

Gary “Bubba” Watson and Colleen Wesche won the Ruka Tupara Memorial mixed pairs title on Sunday. They had 43 stableford points for a two-point win.

Regan Hindmarsh announced his recent return to Patutahi in style with a sub-par score in the men’s stableford. Hindmarsh had five birdies in his 2-under 68-6-62, for 44 points.

SUNDAY — Ruka Tupara Memorial, Canadian mixed pairs stableford: G Watson/C Wesche 43, J Ruru/J Neilson 41, Hukanui Brown/M Philip 41, H Pomana/T Brodie 41.

Junior division: M Broad 21, C Brown 19, G Maude 19, B Tietjen on c/b.

Men’s stableford: R Hindmarsh 42, G Brown 41, M Farmer 41, W Brown 40.

Twos: S Pohatu, S Robertson/C Brown, J Ewart/S Mohlmann (eagle on 18), P Hokianga, D Maloy, A Hindmarsh.

Jackpot: R Hindmarsh.

Free sub draw: S Pittar.

FRIDAY — Meat pack nine-hole stableford, senior division: M Smith 25, J Brodie 22, J Neilson 21, S Pohatu 20 on c/b.

Gisborne ParkTE Kanawa Cup fever is building.

One of Gisborne Park’s premier titles, the men’s pairs event tees off on Saturday with the first of two weekends of qualifying.

Defending champions Tony Leggett and Brad Reynolds will be back and keen to reinstate themselves as the Park’s deadliest duo — particularly after last year when they beat lone soldier Butch Atkins 3 and 2 after partner Wayne McHugh was unable to play in the final.

Due to the start of both men’s interclub pennants competitions and the E.R.Black interclub at Tolaga Bay, pairs have the choice of one round of qualifying this weekend or the next.

John Collier looks in good touch for the Te K. He won the men’s stableford on Sunday with 84-17-67, for 41 points.

Evan Parkin went as close as he could to breaking 80 for the first time since March of last year. He won the veteran men’s stableford last Tuesday with 80-14-66, for 42 points.

SUNDAY — Women’s national teams’ net: S Maisey 75.

Team for national teams competition: M Marino, R Walford, B Walker, J Foot. J Kerr and L McFlinn reserves.

SATURDAY — Women’s net: L McFlinn.

WEDNESDAY (March 27) — Women’s stableford: Women’s net-minus-stableford: T Ford 40.

TUESDAY (March 26) — Veteran men’s stableford: E Parkin 42, B Lumsden-Nicholls 40, J McGann 38, A Nairne 36, H Schreiber 36, E Morley 35, P Koorey 35, P Mitchell 35.

Twos: P Mitchell, W Donnelly, B Lumsden-Nicholls.

COMING UP: SATURDAY, women’s foursomes, report at 9.30am for 10am start, Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs qualifying round; SATURDAY/SUNDAY, APRIL 20-21, Summit Forestry NZ Ltd 36-Hole Easter Tournament, start sheet at office.

Te Puia SpringsJOHN Babbington-Welch followed up victory in round 2 of the Jo Hale Memorial with round 3 success on Sunday.

Welch added 83-24-59 to his net 58 the previous weekend to win by two shots from Nehe Dewes, who struck the jackpot of two twos in his 75-14-61.

SUNDAY — Jo Hale Memorial, round 3, net: J Babbington-Welsh 59, N Dewes 61, G Roberts 63, D Goldsmith 64, B Clark 65, K Waitoa 65, H McClutchie 65, P Ngarimu 66, H Puha 67, P Harrison 69, I Sykes 69.

Jackpot: N Dewes.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club haggle.

Tolaga BayDAN Maitai has only played four 18-hole rounds this year and the latest easily topped those.

Maitai shot 77-15-62, for 42 points, to win the stableford — one point ahead of Peter Stevenson.

Tolaga Bay will be buzzing this Sunday when it hosts the E R Black mixed pairs interclub.

The host club will be represented by Doreen and Mark Watts, Ginger Watts and Taine Lincoln, Thelma Waru and Maitai, Sheree Dever and Tere Lincoln, and Shelley Robertson and Joe Lincoln.

Waikohu are the defending champions.

SUNDAY — Stableford: D Maitai 42, P Stevenson 41, M Grant 40, Taine Lincoln 39, J Murphy 37, B Yates 37, Tere Lincoln 37.

Twos D Maitai, P Stevenson, Taine Lincoln, Tere Lincoln.

Coming up: SUNDAY, E.R. Black interclub, report at 10.30am for 11am start.

WaikohuSUMMER Cup champion Tipi Ruru was back in winning form on Sunday.

Ruru, a one-shot winner of the men’s Summer Cup two weekends prior, won the stableford with 81-14-67, for 39 points.

There is no club comp on Sunday.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: T Ruru 39, T Brown 34, K Tamanui 34, U Chambers 33, E Wynyard 31, V Grace 29.

Twos: L Green, V Grace.

Poverty BayIT’S down to four in the Reynolds Cup men’s matchplay.

Mark Stewart locks clubs with Bruce Talbot in one semifinal this weekend while Thomas Donvan will do battle with Alan Baldwin in the other.

The Willock Cup subsidiary is also into the semifinal stage and Andy Hayward looks to be the man to beat.

Hayward had a personal best round of 76-12-64, for 44 points, to win the division 1 men’s stableford on Sunday.

Standing in his way in Saturday’s semifinals is another Handy Andy — Andy Abrahams. Cyril Payn’s golfing renaissance continues. He faces Darryl Grant in the other semi.

Jim McGregor and Colin Christie will decide the Low Bros Cup.

Hayward posted the most points on Sunday but the round of the weekend arguably came from Mark Jefferson — a personal-best even-par 72-6-66, for 42 points. Jefferson had 16 pars, a bogey on the 13th and a birdie on 14.

Peter Clayton struck the jackpot of two twos in his division 1 men’s stableford-winning 74-6-68, for 40 points, on Saturday.

The recent Eastland Rescue Helicopter fundraising ambrose tournament raised $11,000, which included proceeds from another successful auction. The winning team were Jags, comprising Paul Rickard, Dudley Meadows, John van Helden and Lee Pollitt on net 53.75.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: A Hayward 44, M Jefferson 42, D Situ 39, B Morgan 37, P Anderson 37.

Division 2: B Pratt 39, P Rickard 37.

Approach: C Christie.

Twos: D Situ, J Jenner.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: P Clayton 40, A Abrahams 40, J Situ 38, N Richardson 38.

Division 2 : B Talbot 38, P Goodwin 38, A Baldwin 37.

Approach: P Clayton.

Twos: P Clayton 2, N Mackie, T Donovan.

Jackpot: P Clayton.

THURSDAY (March 28) — Men’s stableford, division 1: A White 39, T Donovan 36, J van Helden 35.

Division 2: P Goodwin 39, C Christie 36, M Thomas 35.

Approach: A White.

Twos: T. Donovan 2.

Jackpot: T Donovan.

MahiaKELVIN Ellison led the way as the men warmed up solidly for this Saturday’s opening round of the Poverty Bay-East Coast Endeavour interclub series.

Ellison won the men’s net with 69, heading off Bernie Crowley on 70 and Bruce Maher 71.

Mahia are hosting the pennants.

Trina Smith and Jackie Thompson won the Nancy McCormick women’s 36-hole foursomes on Sunday with a net 154.

Viv Kyle and Lee Steel were second on 158.

SUNDAY — Men’s net: K Ellison 69, B Crowley 70, B Maher 71.

Putting: B Crowley 27.

Nancy McCormick women’s 36-hole foursomes: T Smith/J Thompson 154, V Kyle/L Steel 158.

SUNDAY (March 24) — Men’s stableford: R Bremner 38, Wayne Wesche 37, A Steel 35.

Women’s stableford: L Steel 33, V Kyle 33.

Twos: Wade Wesche, B Maher, M Wainohu.

SeniorsA SMALL contingent of players made their way to Te Puia Springs for the latest Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers Society’s competition.

Only 15 — the lowest turn-out for a vets’ tourney for some time — headed north on Tuesday, the forecast perhaps putting off others.

There was light drizzle but only for a couple of holes.

Springs member Peter Ngarimu was easily the best on the day. He won the stableford with 78-18-60, for 42 points.

Long-time Te Puia member Brian Morrissey, now at Poverty Bay, was second on 36 on countback from clubmate Glenn Burnside and host course member Peter Harrison.

The Bay’s Ray Veall was next on 35 from another Poverty Bay player, Murray Smith, on 34.

The vets were grateful to the club and Eileen Harrison and her team for, as one player put it, “attending to our dietary needs”.

The next event is the Kiri Te Kanawa vets’ open — a new competition on the programme — at Poverty Bay on Friday, April 12.

All players, men and women, will tee off the yellow tees and handicaps will be adjusted accordingly.

Play starts at 9am. There are 18 and 9-hole divisions.