A birdie blitz from Barry Brown jettisoned him to Bull Cup glory in the annual men's teams' competition over the weekend.
Brown, hot off being Poverty Bay's best scorer in the Wharerata Shield interclub the week before, carried that momentum into the Bull Cup team aggregate stableford.
“Brownie” had five birdies in his 78-11-67, for 41 points, and according to teammate Mark Norman was unlucky not to have a couple more.
He birdied the fifth and eight holes and bounced back from a double bogey on the 11th with birdies on 12, 13 and 14.
Brown and Norman (39 points) anchored their team's winning performance. Allan White added 35 and Dudley Meadows 31 as the four amassed 146 on Sunday morning.
They won by four points from two teams — Colin Simpson, Kim Travers, Andy Putnam and Peter Goodwin (who also played on Sunday); and Richard Foon, Dave Jenkins, Brian Morrissey and Don Wright (who played on Saturday).
Simpson could count himself a little unlucky, having posted the top individual round of the weekend — 79-13-66, for 43 points, which won him the division 2 stableford.
Bull Cup, however, is all about team. Sometimes you're only as good as your weakest link as the likes of Pete Hakiwai (40 points), Collin Jeffrey (39) and Glenn Morley experienced.
Morley played in two teams over the weekend but his 72, 71 for 37 and 38 points respectively was dragged into the mire of also-rans by those around him, in particular on Saturday when the other three contributed 81 points at a average of 27.
Darren Patumaka was also in good form over the weekend, his 77-10-67, for 41, pipped by Brown for top honours.
Teresa Lewis won both women's competitions this week — the stableford on Monday with 34 points and the net yesterday with 72.
Monday — Women's stableford: T Lewis 34.
Wednesday — Women's net: T Lewis 72.
Sunday — Men's stableford, division 1: B Brown 41, D Patumaka 41, M Norman 39, B Talbot 38, G Morley 38.
Division 2: C Simpson 43, C Carmody 39, P Goodwin 37, M Karalus 35.
Twos: M Callaghan, G Morley.
Approach: J Kerekere.
Saturday — Men's stableford, division 1: P Hakiwai 40, C Jeffrey 39, B Morrissey 38, J Kerekere 37, G Morley 37, A Hayward 37.
Division 2: D Wright 38, K Travers 37, D McFadyen 35, B Simpson 34, H Woollett 34.
Twos: B Talbot.
Approach: C Jeffrey.
Thursday (Feb 17) — Men's stableford, division 1: I Murphy 39, M Higham 36, V Richardson 36, A White 36.
Division 2: J Pittar 35, R Veall 35, D Bush 35, G Clapham 34.
Twos: B Colbert 2, S. Harbottle, T Goldsmith, J.Van Helden, C Dean, V Richardson, M Higham.
Approach: N Mackie.
Jackpot: B Colbert.
It ain't over ‘til it's over.
So Lenny Kravitz sang and so James Witika proved in a character-defining fightback in men's Handicap Cup matches.
Witika could see the colour of defeat's eyeballs at 4-down after 12 holes in his intermediate division quarterfinal match against Danny Boyle.
But the white flag stayed furled as he turned on par golf to wipe the deficit and win on the 18th in what was predictably hailed “a Boyle-over”.
Witika's reward was a semifinal match against Matt Henwood while Phil Nepia and Wayne Carpendale will decide the other berth.
In the senior division, Pete Stewart and Anthony Pahina will lock swords in one semi while Anaru Reedy and Rodney Moore do battle in the other.
The junior semis pit Glyn Williams against Dave Harrison and Ray Grace against Jordan Coppen.
The women are into round 2 of their Handicap Cup. Still alive are top seed Jean Foot, who had a first-round bye, Kino White, Min Vette, Rose Taiapa, Barb Woods, Pat Johansen, Di Webb and Kath Papuni.
Luke Hayes owned the men's stableford on Sunday. His 94-32-62, for 47 points, was 11 clear of second-placed Witika.
SUNDAY — L Hayes 47, J Witika 36 on c/b.
Twos: A Reedy 2, G McKinnon. J Witika.
Women's stableford: S Paku 36.
Twos: T Ford.
SATURDAY — Men's stableford; H Schreiber 390, P Wellard 35.
THURSDAY (Feb 17) — Digg It Gizzy twilight, stableford: M Brouwer 24 from D Harrison.
Non-golfers division: S Brown.
Approach: P Stewart.
Long drives: C Fox (men), M Marino (women).
WEDNESDAY (Feb 16) — Women's stableford: K Hay 82-8-74, 35.
Round 2 of the Women's Handicap Cup is on SATURDAY. The draw is — No.1 tee, 9am: J Foot v K White, M Vette v R Taiapa. 9.06: B Woods v P Johansen, D Webb b K Papuni.
Flights, 9.12: C Pipi v T Ford, C Carpendale v M Marino. 9.18: T Aramakutu v J Akuhata-Nickerson.
Selwyn Pohatu produced his best round since May of last year in winning the senior net on Sunday.
Pohatu carded 73-7-66, which included a two.
Dave Quinn beat Simon Pittar on countback to win the junior net. Both returned 65s.
Shelley Robertson dominated the women's net on Tuesday with 82-14-68.
TUESDAY — Women's net: S Robertson 82-14-68, J Ewart 98-25-73, L Haisman 99-25-74.
SUNDAY — Net, senior division: S Pohatu 66, G Brown 67, J Blair 67, H Brown 69, D Johnston 70.
Junior division: D Quinn 65, S Pittar 65, M Wiersma 66, D Skudder 67, L Jamieson 67.
Twos: C Beattie, J Brown, D Quinn, S Pohatu.
Jackpot: S Pohatu.
FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: J Neilson 21, B McKenzie 20, C Brown 20, P Summersby 19 on c/b.
Junior division: P Jex-Blake 22, B Williams 18, C Kirkpatrick 18, D Dogshun 18, G Maude 18.
Tom Smith and Ella Wynyard racked up 41 points to win the Canadian mixed pairs stableford on Sunday.
Waikohu's open opening day tournament is on Sunday.
SUNDAY — Canadian mixed pairs stableford: T Smith/E Wynyard 41, P Milner/C Te Rito 39, S Te Rito/M Tuapawa 32.
Men's stableford: A Coker 36, K Ruru-Poharama 29, C Ruru 28.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, Waikohu open opening day tournament, Canadian foursomes and men's sections, cup of tea at 10.30am, tee-off at 11.30am, all players must present their vaccine pass, note club does not have eftpos facility; SUNDAY, club choice.
Watene Reedy surged to victory in the stableford on Sunday with an impressive 82-22-60, for 45 points.
Dan Maitai had to settle for second with 74-13-61, for 43, although iced that fine effort with a two.
Peewee Tuapawa completed the top three with a 40-point performance.
SUNDAY — Stableford: W Reedy 45, D Maitai 43, P Tuapawa 40.
Twos: Joe Lincoln, D Maitai.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, working bee; SUNDAY, March 6, Tolaga Bay open opening day.
Te Puia Springs
BREAKING his age is becoming a habit for popular Springs member Nehe Dewes.
The 84-year-young kaumatua did it again on Sunday in winning the first round of the Jo Hale Memorial series with 80-16-64.
Dewes has either broken or equalled his age six times this year on his home track, which has a par of 66.
He did it plenty of times last year as well, including a 78 in April at the age of 83.
SUNDAY — Jo Hale Memorial round 1, net: N Dewes 80-16-64, H Rasmussen 83-17-66, K Waitoa 80-13-67, P Ngarimu 84-16-68.
Women's net: I Ngarimu 92-23-69, G Robertson 89-19-70, H McClutchie 95-22-73.
Twos: P Ngarimu, D Goldsmith.