Golf roundup

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

POVERTY BAY

Stephen Francks and Steve Berezowski can look to the Champions Tour for inspiration when they start their 2023 Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs campaign on Saturday.

What’s in a name? Well, plenty, after 13 Champions Tour tournaments.

Eight of those 13 have been won by a player with the first name “Steve” — Steve Stricker (four times); Stephen Ames (three); and Kiwi Steve Alker (once).

That includes the past six tournaments.

And perhaps not surprisingly, the three Steves are No.1 (Stricker), No.2 (Ames) and No.3 (Alker)  on the  Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup money standings.

To have any chance of doing a “Steve”, Francks and Berezowski must first qualify for the BG Cup’s top 32.

Their chances are good.

As of yesterday 36 pairs had entered, meaning only four will miss out.

Saturday’s qualifying is, as the tradtion, best-ball stableford.

The field features several who have tasted BG Cup glory, including 2012 champions Duncan Bush and Colin Christie; and 2017 winners Neil Mackie  and Paul Mullooly.

But the name that stands out is Rowan Clark, who won the 1983 BG Cup with JR Grant and is playing in it for the first time in about 20 years — this time paired with William Brown.

Two players have the chance of achieving the rare feat of winning the premier men’s pairs titles at the Bay and fellow city course Electrinet Park — Craig Christophers and Zach Rolls.

Christophers has combined with Deevon Gray in the BG and is with Josh Adams in the top 16 of Park’s Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs.

Rolls and fellow Gisborne Boys’ High student Marcus Gray are in the BG, while Rolls is with father Steve in the TK.

Golf Roundup’s “Poison Pen” picks are Carl Carmody and Dean Robertson, and Frank Ball and Pete Hakiwai.

Mackie heads into qualifying on the back of a productive Thursday last week. His two twos for the jackpot earned him $250 and winning the approach pushed that over the $300 mark.

Stefan Andreassen, who has teamed with Brian Anderson for the BG, goes in on the back of stableford victories on Saturday (38 points) and Sunday (33) .

Sally Spence’s low round of the year so far was rewarded with double success yesterday.

Spence carded 96-24-72 to win the Audrey Kelly Salver net and the bronze I division of the LGU. She capped a good day with a two on the sixth.

WEDNESDAY — LGU, silver division: L Holmberg 91-16-75.

Bronze I: Sally Spence 96-24-72,

Bronze II: O Thompson 110-30-80.

Audrey Kelly Salver net: Sally Spence 72.

Twos: Miggles Shanks, Sally Spence.

Nan Carmine Cup 9-hole pairs top qualifiers: R Pettigrew/S McLaughlin.

9-holers’ net: S McLaughlin 34.

TUESDAY — Veteran men’s stableford: R Young 37, R Wells 37, K Marshall 35, N Jones 34, C Hensley 33.

Twos: R Young, R Wells, D Bullivant, C Christie.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: S Andreassen 33, S Boyd 32, K Summersby 28.

Approach: M Norman.

SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: S Andreassen 38, D Griffin 37, A Kirkpatrick 35, D Jenkins 35.

Division 2: C Poole 34, B Read 34, B Simpson 33, K Goldsmith 33.

Twos: G Morley, J Jenner, R Foon, D Jenkins.

Approach: R Foon.

THURSDAY (June 8) — Men’s stableford, division 1: P Graham 38, J Van Helden 34, C Dean 33, P Clayton 33.

Division 2: D Mettrick 36, T Sherratt 36, B Read 34, H Johanson 34.

Twos: N Mackie 2, H Johanson.

Jackpot: N Mackie.

Approach: N Mackie.

The qualifying round for the Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs is on SATURDAY. The draw is —

No.1 tee, 11.15am: M Gemmell/T Sherratt, A Hayward/M Stewart. 11.23: K Goldsmith/T Goldsmith, C Poole/S Rimene-Albrett 11.31: G Brown/D Griffin, L Hewson/C Taewa. 11.39: S Boyd/K Summersby, R Owen/J Van Helden. 11.47: C Dean/J Williams, G Kemp/R Fletcher. 11.55: N Mackie/P Mullooly, S Harbottle/A Abrahams. 12.03pm: W Brown/R Clark, D Gray/C Christophers. 12.11: G Morley/R  Young, C Carmody/D Robertson. 12.19: M Callaghan/M Jefferson, P Clayton/A Nother.

No.10 tee, 11.15am: P Butler/H Williams, L Pollitt/K Daniels. 11.23: P Graham/W Mortleman, C Christie/D Bush. 11.31: M Smith/B Read, S Francks/S Berezowski. 11.39: B Colbert/C Jeffrey, B Brown/R Gibson. 11.47: C Bauld/L Foster, R Chalmers/G Hawea. 11.55: P Allan/C Shaw, K Marshall/N Jones. 12.03pm: S Andreassen/B Anderson, M Gray/Z Rolls. 12.11: B Talbot/A Battistella, D Cook/D Grant. 12.19: C Hensley/P Goodwin, P Hakiwai/F Ball.

WAIKOHU

The Turanga Health Waikohu Men’s Open is on Saturday, June 17.

Turanga Health will be doing heart checks at the club from 9.30am to 10.45am, followed by tee-off at 11am.

Queries to Tama Brown, 027-449-3473.

SUNDAY — Stableford: T Ritchie 28; S Ritchie 27.

SUNDAY (June 4) — Bring a non-golfer day, Candian foursomes stableford over 12 holes: Shelly and Cameron 31; Jackie and Glenda 31; Terry and Alexia 29;  Ethine and Jaydus 28; Antony and Alisse 28; Sonny and Georgie 27;  Te Kotahi and Margy 26; Penny and Marge 26; Richard and Te Rauhuia 26;  Te Rata and Lordy 26.

TOLAGA BAY

Tim Adamson played fairly standard golf on Sunday bar one shot . . . the perfect one.

Adamson had a hole-in-one on the 134-metre 12th hole and went on to win the stableford with 76-8-68, for 36 points.

SUNDAY — Stableford: T Adamson 36, W Reedy 35.

Putting: B Yates 35, P Tuapawa 35.

Twos: P Tuapawa 2, J Sheridan, P Stevenson.

Hole-in-one on  12th: T Adamson.

Approach: J Sheridan.

PATUTAHI

The club is mourning the passing of life member Daphne Hindmarsh — a popular figure who contributed immensely to Patutahi over the years.

SUNDAY (June 4) — Men’s stableford, senior division: P Hokianga 40, H Brown 38, R Hindmarsh 38, C Parker 36.

Junior division: B McKenzie 38, W Brown 37, S Pittar 35, M King 34.

Women’s stableford: A Davies 35.

Twos: A Hindmarsh, J Blair, R Hindmarsh (eagle on No.1).

FRIDAY (June 2) — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: J Neilson 22, T Sharp 19, D Johnston 19, T Hindmarsh 19, H Harris 19.

Junior division: C Newman 20, N Bunting 19, R Nichol 19, W Stevens 18, L Jamieson 18

TE PUIA SPRINGS

Hiria McClutchie summed it up for those who decided to venture out with the ducks on Sunday . . . “wet, wet, wet”.

McClutchie said she, Robyn Ngatai and Pauline Summersby intended to play nine holes but ended up “quitting after 12”.

A small number of men decided to battle the elements , but with “water everywhere” there were no results . . . “just a practice in the marangai (bad weather)”.