GOLF ROUNDUP

TREE TROUBLE: Plenty of balls get stuck up trees in what can be the frustratingly fickle game of golf but you don’t see too many get embedded in trunks. Or do you? Over the past few weeks there have been two such incidents on both city courses. The first of those was at Poverty Bay before Christmas when John Pittar’s ball (see the following picture in this gallery for a view of the embedded ball) ended up in the trunk of a pine tree on the 15th hole. The second was at Electrinet Park on Sunday when Steve Phillips’ ball took one bounce and got jammed in a tree on the 11th hole. Both men ignored the predictable “tree-iron” advice. Pictures of the balls were posted on Facebook.

UMA Chambers started his 2022 golfing year by breaking 80 for the first time in over seven years.

Chambers won the stableford on Sunday with 78-19-59 for a whopping 48 points.

His previous foray into sub-80s territory was a 79 in November of 2014.

Karauria Ruru was also in fine form, carding 75-10-65, for 41 points.

SUNDAY — Stableford: U Chambers 48, K Ruru 41, P Wainui 40, E Wynyard 38, T Ruru 36, I Ruru 35, C Ruru 33.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, Summer Cup, round 1.

DWAYNE Russell teed off the new year in sub-par form.

Russell headed a group of players all on net 70 on Sunday.

He shot 1-under 69 off a +1 handicap to win the senior division on countback from Peter Johnston, Hamish Harris and John Neilson.

The junior division scoring was a touch warmer. Gary “Bubba” Watson won with 89-23-66.

Graeme Holland won't forget his last round of 2021 — an outstanding 85-24-61 that gave him a runaway victory in the net competition on December 27.

SUNDAY — Men's net, senior division: D Russell 70, P Johnston 70, H Harris 70, J Neilson 70.

Junior division: G Watson 66, G Holland 67, C Kirkpatrick 68, H Pomana 68.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: B Cameron 22, T Brodie 22, S Robertson 21, M de Luze 21, P Maloy 20 on c/b.

Junior division: B Tietjen 22, H Humble 21, G Watson 19, J Tietjen 18, P Briant 18 on c/b.

MONDAY (Dec 27) — Net: G Holland 61, B McKenzie 66, H Harris 67, J Blair 67, S Pittar 67.

SUNDAY (Dec 26) — Net: J Blair 66, S Pittar 66, B McKenzie 66, H Pomana 67, J Neilson 68.

Twos: H Pomana, J Blair, P Kerekere.

Jackpot: J Blair.

FRIDAY (Dec 24) — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: D Russell 19, J Brown 19, P Summersby 19, L Maynard 19, G Brown 18.

Junior division: C Kirkpatrick 22, H Pomana 19, D Skudder 19, C Brown 19, B McKenzie 18.

FORMER Gisborne golfer David Solomann made an almost winning return home for the Christmas break.

“Solly” shot 2-over 74-4-70, for 38 points, to place second behind Spud Murphy (39pts) in the division 1 men's stableford on Thursday, December 23.

“Solly” learned the game growing up in Gisborne and went on to represent Poverty Bay-East Coast at all levels, including masters in recent years while based in Auckland.

He won the 1995 Poverty Bay Open at the age of 18.

Solomann, now 45, is a member of Whitford Park and the men's president of Auckland Golf.

Son Glenn is following in his fairway steps. He also played on December 23 and was third in division 2 with 87-16-71, for 37 points.

THURSDAY (Dec 23) — Men's stableford, division 1: I Murphy 39, D Solomann 38, B Colbert 37.

Division 2: G Clapham 37, D Atkins 37, G Solomann 37.

Twos: A Reedy 2, T Goldsmith, M Dodgshun.

The Gisborne Thistle AFC and Waikanae Beach Top10 Holiday Park Golf Day is at Electrinet Park on Sunday, January 16.

There is a two-tee start from 7.30am to 9am. Competition includes men's and women's gross, net and stableford sections, along with the Judy O'Rourke Memorial Trophy and Jennings Putting Trophy, Carters Hole-in-one Mystery Prize and non-golfers' section.

Start sheets are available at the Park Golf Club, phone 867-9849.