A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
VeteransBRIAN Morrissey is the Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers’ Player of the Year.
Morrissey was among three still in contention for the honour going into GEC Vets’ last competition of the year — the Christmas Cheer at Gisborne Park.
However, none of the three — Peter Harrison and Glenn Burnside were the other two — made an impact in their last chance for points in the series.
Poverty Bay member Morrissey claimed the McGregor Trophy with 52 points from Te Puia Springs’ Harrison on 48 and Poverty Bay’s Burnside on 45.
The round of the day came from Park member Evan Morley, who equalled his best round of the year to win the men’s stableford with 84-21-63, for 45 points.
He headed a Park trifecta, with Roger McGann second on 40 and Glyn Williams third on 39.
The women’s competition was also dominated by the one club. Jenny Ruru won with a fine 103-38-65, for 44 points, from Patutahi clubmates Lorraine Haisman (42) and Shelley Robertson (40).
Wiki Morrissey produced the hole of the day, making eagle-3 on the par-5 10th.
A strong north-westerly and occasional shower tested the field of 36 men and 15 women.
“Thanks go to Gisborne Park for making us so welcome and presenting the course in great condition,” said GEC Vets’ president John Fricker.
“Blanche Walker put on a splendid buffet for players and a posse of members ensured we were well supplied with liquid refreshment.”
Fricker said it was “a great year” for vets, with increased attendance at tournaments and a rise in membership.
Results — Men’s stableford: E Morley 45, R McGann 40, G Williams 39, R Young 38, E Parkin 38, P Mitchell 37, B Lumsden-Nicholls 37, P Simpson 36, L Green 36.
Women’s stableford: J Ruru 44, L Haisman 42, S Robertson 40, C Wesche 40.
Twos: H White, B Morrissey, R Skuse.
Eagle on 10 (par-5 for women): W Morrissey.
Tolaga BayBRUCE Yates and Ginger Watts were best of the mixed pairs while Dwayne Russell flew the ’Tahi flag high at Tolaga Bay’s Christmas tournament on Sunday.
Home course duo Yates and Watts won the mixed pairs stableford with 44 points.
Patutahi’s Russell had 41 points to win the men’s stableford from Opotiki’s Hamish Maxwell and Tolaga Bay stalwart Joe Lincoln, both on 40.
Big-hitting Patutahi member Regan Hindmarsh had a lucrative day, picking up prizes for his 38 points, the men’s long drive and an eagle on the par-5 first hole.
SUNDAY — Tolaga Bay Christmas tournament, mixed pairs stableford: B Yates/G Watts 44, H Miratana/J Miratana 42, M Watts/D Watts 40, A Stills-Hindmarsh/Z Horomia 39, V Grace/L Green 39.
Men’s stableford: D Russell 41, H Maxwell 40, Joe Lincoln 40, M Jefferd 39, T Petro 39, B Pohatu 39, R Lincoln 38, R Hindmarsh 38, P Stevenson 38, P Hokianga 37, D Maitai 37, B McKenzie 37, B Huhu 37.
Twos: H Maxwell, G Brown, H Harris.
Eagle on 1: R Hindmarsh.
Long drives: R Hindmarsh (men), G Watts (women).
Approach: A Willock.
Gisborne ParkTHE temperature’s rising and so are the points hauls in competitions at Electrinet Park.
Ray Walford led the way last week in winning the Tuesday veterans’ stableford with 74-11-63, for 45 polints.
His mother, Rebecca Walford, posted a similarly impressive 43 points on Saturday although had to settle for second behind Alayna Watene’s excllent 92-28-64, for 45.
Ray Grace (42) and Jean Morley (40) were the Sunday winners and Evan Parkin (41) won the men’s comp on Saturday.
Electrinet Park results, SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: R Grace 42.
Approach: J Collier.
Men’s best second shot: G Hill.
Women’s stableford: J Morley 40.
Twos: J Akuhata-Nickerson 2, B Walker.
SATURDAY — Men’s stableford: E Parkin 41, P Hogan 40 on c/b.
Women’s stableford: A Watene 45, R Walford 43.
WEDNESDAY (Nov 27) — Women’s stableford: B Walker 42.
TUESDAY (Nov 26) — Veteran men’s stableford: R Walford 45, L Green 40, P Mitchell 40, E Parkin 39, B Lumsden-Nicholls 37, B Walker 37, D Tarry 37, I Stark 37, H White 36.
Poverty BayA DOUBLE bogey start did not deter Dave Pirimona as he stormed to victory in the division 1 men’s stableford on Sunday.
Pirimona shot 81-17-64, for 44 points, struck the jackpot of two twos and won the approach.
His efforts denied Mark Karalus, who was second with 43 points.
Vance Richardson ended a run of 14 rounds over 80 in style last Thursday. Richardson shot 3-over 75-10-65, for 43 points to win the division 1 stableford.
Son Nick made it a family double for the week on Sunday, winning the div 1 stableford with 78-10-68, for 40 points.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: N Richardson 40, D Patumaka 39, R Gibson 38, S Andreassen 38.
Division 2: D Pirimona 44, M Karalus 43, R Young 42, B Talbot 40.
Twos: D Pirimona 2, D Patumaka.
Approach: D Pirimona.
Jackpot: D Pirimona.
SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: M Hunt 38, P Butler 38.
Division 2: G Hawea 42, C Christie 42, R Fletcher 40, C Poole 38.
Approach: M Hunt.
THURSDAY (Nov 28) — Men’s stableford, division 1: V Richardson 43, C Christie 40, M Higham 39, N Mackie 38, G Morley 38.
Division 2: H Johanson 41, B Read 41, B Allen 39, P Humphreys 39 .
Twos: N Mackie, H Johanson, C Dean.
Approach: P Humphrey.
Te Puia SpringsPETER was always going to win the Makarika Cup men’s matchplay final on Sunday.
Which Peter was the question.
The honours went to 2018 runner-up Peter Harrison, who defeated Peter Ngarimu in the decider.
Jim Devery racked up 43 points to win the stableford on Sunday on countback from Kahu Waitoa.
SUNDAY — Makarika Cup men’s matchplay final: P Harrison def P Ngarimu.
Stableford: J Devery 43, K Waitoa 43, J Forrester 41, D Cook 36, I Ngarimu 34.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, McDowell Cup mixed pairs, partners picked on the day; SATURDAY, Dec 14, Cook’s Couriers Christmas tournament, men’s and women’s divisions, gross, net and stableford, rolling start from 10.30am to 12 noon.
PatutahiA SUB-80 score is in Sel Skudder’s sights after his junior division stableford win on Sunday.
Skudder fell one stroke short of his first score in the 70s since 2016 — 80-18-62.
Peter Johnston’s 79-14-65 won the senior division while Helen Humble’s 97-31-66 topped the women’s net.
SUNDAY — Men’s net, senior division: P Johnston 79-15-64, T Brodie 81-15-66, H Brown 69-2-67, M Stock 79-12-67, B Wallace 82-15-67.
Junior division: Sel Skudder 80-18-62, D Skudder 89-25-64, B Tietjen 92-27-65.
Women’s net: H Humble 97-31-66, D Johnston 84-17-67, J Ruru 101-34-67.
Twos: M Stock.
FRIDAY — Meat pack nine-hole stableford, senior division: S Skudder 23, C Beattie 23, O Willimott 20, P Hokianga 20, M Stock 20.
Junior division: R Shannon 25, D Dodgshun 22, P Briant 22, T Coutt s 22, C Brown 21.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, 10am, AGM.