DEADLIEST DUO: Freida Brown (left) and Rebecca Walford with the Benson Cup pairs matchplay trophy they won at Gisborne Park on Sunday. They beat Jean Foot and Francie Hutton in the final. It is a third Benson Cup success for Walford and the first for Brown. Picture by Jo Kerr
Tolaga Bay
NEIL Hansen won’t win a second King of the Coast men’s open title this weekend, but watch out for him in the second 16.
Hansen’s 6.9 handicap is too high to make the championship 16 for the Ray Scragg Motors (RSM) KoTC
He warmed up for his shot at the second 16 honours with a stableford-winning 72-7-65, for 39 points, at Tolaga Bay on Sunday.
Another former KoTC winner, Dion Milner, who is also likely to be in the second 16, was second on 37.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: N Hansen 39, D Milner 37, M Watts 36, T Higgs 35, J Hale 35.
Twos: T Higgs, R Pomana.
The RSM King of the Coast men’s open is at Tolaga Bay on Saturday and Sunday. Report at 7.30am for 8am tee-off. The field is — J Rangihika, A Rangihika, Z Rangihika, C Wana, N Amoamo, T August, J Reedy, W Boyd, R Fenn, C Tiriana, R Bowen, D Trombshoe, R Shields, D Thompson, C Newbrook, A Carswell, R Sewell, P Kerekere, J Scvafhansen, E Brown jr, B Watson, S Skudder, G Porawiti, J Wyllie, W Brown, T Akroyd, T Tawera, K Tawera, T Hawea, N Hansen, G Hawea, B Cortesi, K Cortesi, G Cortesi, W Cortesi, N Cassidy, P Anderson, B Colbert, C Taewa, H Douglas, A White, L Gunther, R Callaghan, A Hindmarsh, G Brown, B Rothschild, D Cook, D Young, P Harrison, M Steele, Wayne Wesche, Wade Wesche, C Wesche, B Crowley, J Murphy, P Bremner, A Higham, M Watts, D Milner, W Robinson, Taine Lincoln, N Thomas, Jason Devery, B Johnson.
Reserves: M Grant, R Hindmarsh, S Cranswick, R Lincoln.
Poverty Bay
PETER Kerekere sent a warning to the King of the Coast contenders by equalling his low round at Poverty Bay this week.
Kerekere shot 6-under 66 on Tuesday — the fourth time he has posted that score at the Bay.
The reigning King of the Coast champion started on the 10th hole and when he made bogey-5 on the 14th to go 1-over the card, 66 looked a long route away.
He changed gear two holes later. Consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th were followed by a birdie on the fourth, eagle on 5 and birdie on the eighth as he played the last 12 holes 7-under.
Kerekere’s hot round followed a flawless 4-under 68 on Sunday — four birdies and 14 pars — that won him the men’s division 1 stableford with 41 points.
His handicap will reduce from 0.9 to +0.1 for the KoTC men’s open at Tolaga Bay over the weekend, which will give him the No.1 seeding.
Former KoTC champion, Tini Hawea, put his hand up as a challenger in winning the division 1 men’s stableford on Saturday with 72-4-68, for 40 points.
Kenny White had a successful weekend. The 15-handicapper won the division 2 stableford on Sunday with 38 points and was second behind Steve Palmer (40pts) in the div 2 stableford on Saturday with 39.
Alex Kirkpatrick won the Thursday Throne men’s par last week with a +4 effort of 77-10-67.
Mary Allan went close to her best round of the year in winning the women’s medal on Tuesday. She shot 90-22-68 — a shot shy of breaking 90 for the second time in 2017.
WEDNESDAY — Burke Cup President’s team v Captain’s team: Captain’s Team 4.5 President’s Team 2.5.
Tuesday — Women’s medal, 3-putt fine: M Allan 90-22-68, V Fletcher 99-30-69.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: P Kerekere 41, T Goldsmith 39, A Higham 39, J Situ 39.
Division 2: K White 38, R Johnstone 38, R Young 38, M Karalus 38.
Twos: A Reedy, G Morley, T Hawea, M Armstrong, A Higham.
Approach: G Morley.
SATURDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: T Hawea 40, J Situ 39, D Jenkins 38, P Clayton 38, G Burnside 38.
Division 2: S Palmer 40, K White 39, D Wright 38, M Smith 36.
Twos: D Pirimona, P Clayton.
Approach: P Clayton.
THURSDAY (July 20) — Thursday Throne men’s par: A Kirkpatrick +4, P Mullooly +3, R Kelly +2, B Proudfoot +2, J Williams +1, D Bush +1, D Mettrick +1.
Twos: P Graham.
Approach: G Brown.
GisbornePark
AGE may have decreased her distance and increased her handicap but there’s still class to appreciate in Rebecca Walford’s game.
Some of that was on display on Sunday as Walford and Freida Brown won the Benson Cup women’s pairs final.
Now in her 80s and playing off a 23-handicap, Walford and partner Brown (26) beat Jean Foot (20) and Francie Hutton (33) 5 and 4.
Walford said it was “touch and go” to start with, including seven halved holes on the trot, but they finished strongly to claim one of the more popular women’s trophies.
It was the third Benson Cup win for Walford, who, in her heyday, played off a 3-handicap and was among the region’s top players.
She and Margaret Alley won it in 2011 and 2012.
Hot off his Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs victory, Anthony Pahina was back in the winner’s circle on Saturday.
Pahina shot 80-14-66, for 42 points, to win the men’s stableford.
Steve Phillips was second a point back and was runner-up the next day as well, carding a +3 round in the men’s par won by Bo Huhu (+4).
Electrinet Park results, SUNDAY — Men’s par: B Huhu +4, S Phillips +3, A Pahina +2.
Twos: D Craven, S Phillips, B Huhu.
Approach: B Huhu.
Men’s best second shot: J Glassford.
Women’s stableford: P Johansen 35 on c/b.
Women’s drawn two: P Johansen.
Electrinet Benson Cup women’s pairs matchplay final: R Walford/F Brown def J Foot/F Hutton.
SATURDAY — Women’s stableford: J Foot 37.
Women’s drawn two: C Pipi.
Men’s stableford: A Pahina 80-14-66, 42; S Phillips 81-14-67, 41.
Twos: S Phillips, G Hill.
WEDNESDAY (July 19) — Peter Hatwell and Milligan Salver women’s competition, round 2: J Foot 93-20-73.
Drawn twos: M Marino.
WEDNESDAY (July 5) — Peter Hatwell and Milligan Salver women’s competition, round 1: C Pipi 94-20-74.
Mahia
ELAINE Westwood and Ali Maru are the President’s women’s four-ball best-ball champions after a final that went all the way on Sunday.
Westwood and Maru beat Colleen Wesche and Marae Wesche 2-up.
Clay Wesche won the men’s stableford with 41 points while Lee Steel’s square effort was good enough to win the Harwood women’s par.
Harwood women’s par: L Steel all square, A Maru -1, J Edwards -2, M Wesche -4, C Wesche -5.
Men’s stableford: C Wesche 41, P Bremner 35, W Wesche 33, G Pitman 33, B Maher 31, T Powdrell 30, T Hema 30.
Patutahi
SHELLEY Robertson claimed one of the club’s major trophies — the McKeague Cup women’s matchplay title — on Sunday.
Robertson defeated Helen Humble 2 and 1 in the final.
She also won the women’s stableford with 35 points while Ashley Hindmarsh’s 40 points was best of the men.
After being shut for several days because of rain, Patutahi reopened on Friday for the meat pack nine-hole stableford.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: A Hindmarsh 40, J Blair 39, B McKenzie 39, S Pohatu 38.
Women’s stableford: S Robertson 35.
McKeague Cup women’s matchplay final: S Robertson from H Humble.
Twos: T Green.
FRIDAY — Meat pack nine-hole stableford, senior division: C Parker 22, C Beattie 22, O Willimott 22, T Green 20.
Junior division: M Smith 22, A Hindmarsh 21, I Tietjen 21, G Maude 19.
Te Puia Springs
GEORGINA Brown continued her trophy-winning run with victory in the Morrow Cup women’s 27-hole competition on Sunday. She totalled net 105.5 to head off Iritana Ngarimu (108) and defending champion Robyn Ngatai.
SUNDAY — Busby Tray men’s pairs: B Clarke/N Truman def H and W Rasmussen, D Cook/JForrester def G Summersby/N Dewes.
Men’s stableford: P Ngarimu 40, P Harrison 39, H Rasmussen 38, J Devery 37, B Clarke 37, N Dewes 35, D Cook 35.
Morrow Cup women’s 27-hole net: G Roberts 105.5, I Ngarimu 108, R Ngatai 126.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, haggle, 12.30pm tee-off; SUNDAY, Aug 6, Busby Tray men’s matchplay round 2, Captain’s competition round 3, LGU, putting.
Waikohu
AUDREY Tamanui was in a class of her own as members took on a backwards version of the course on Sunday. The 54-handicapper won the women’s net with 52 — 21 shots clear of runner-up Ella Wynyard and seven better than men’s winner Percy Milner.
Sunday — Course backwards net, men: P Milner 59, J Baty 60, L Green 65, DJ Baty 66, T Smith 67, U Chambers 69.
Women: A Tamanui 52, Ella Wynyard 73, Valerie Grace 73, Margy Tuapawa 80.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, men’s par/stableford, women’s handicap singles.