Golf roundup

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

ELECTRINET PARK

Karen Hay and Jo Kerr won’t forget the last time they met in a club championship final.

It was two years ago and it took 37 holes before Hay sealed her 19th senior women’s crown in what Kerr described as “one of the best matches I’ve played in”.

The pair lock horns again on Saturday (9am), with Hay out to add to her legendary Park status by making it 21 titles.

Hay had a big win last year over Kino White to make it 20 senior honours over six decades. She won’t be expecting another cruise against an opponent who has also won the senior title multiple times.

Saturday’s 36-hole matchplay final has all the makings of that 2021 thriller right down to the fact only 0.1 separates them in handicap.

Jean Foot and Jacque Akuhata will do battle for the intermediate title over

27 holes on Saturday (9.06am).

History is definitely on Foot’s side. She is gunning for a seventh crown and fourth on the trot.

Kath Papuni and Di Webb meet in the junior final over 18 holes on Sunday (10am).

The finalists have been confirmed for the Te Kanawa Cup and associated trophies men’s pairs.

Top qualifiers Tom Reynolds and Darrel Gregory face father and son Anthony and Shaun Pahina for the Te K title.

Dave Harrison and Glen McKinnon are up against James Witika and Steve Phillips in the Fletcher Cup (first-round losers) final.

It’s father versus son in the Turanganui Cup (no-qualifiers) final, with John Collier Jr and Damian Pilatati taking on John Collier Sr and Duane Mauheni.

Witika goes into his pairs final on the back of the upset of the men’s club championships so far.

The 16th and bottom qualifier in the intermediate division, Witika (who carded 95 in qualifying) stunned No.1 seed Mike Christophers (who shot 80) 2 and 1.

Witika faces Phil Nepia in the quarterfinals.

Others through to the last eight as of yesterday were Ian Loffler, Bailey Matoe, Craig Christophers, Te Ariki Pomana and No.2 seed Tom Reynolds who disposed of 2022 champion John Collier Jr 5 and 4.

Phillips was the first player to book a spot in the junior men’s semifinals.

In the seniors, Jason Devery beat Pete Stewart and Matt Henwood beat Anthony Pahina to complete the quarterfinals line-up.

WEDNESDAY —  GRC women’s stableford, round 3: C Carpendale 40.

Twos: K Hay.

GRC Cup overall winner (best two rounds of stableford): C Carpendale 74.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford: G McKinnon 41, M Henwood 39, P Stewart 38.

Twos: M Christophers.

POVERTY BAY

Gay Young remembers her victories but she won’t forget her defeat in the semifinals of the women’s club championships yesterday.

In a bittersweet day, Young lost on the 18th to Lynne Holmberg in the senior women’s semis after making a career-first ace on the second hole.

It was one of two holes in one. Carnie Nelson also recorded her first perfect shot on the same hole as Young (story on both to follow).

Holmberg, staring down the barrel, won the 17th and 18th to snatch a 1-up victory and book a place in her second senior final.

Awaiting her is the woman who beat her in that first final, Jan Utting, who defeated Ann Witters 2 and 1 in their semifinal to move a win away from a fourth senior crown.

Sally Spence and Maxine Francois will contest the intermediate final. Spence eliminated Janet Muir in the semis while Francois knocked out top seed Marg Colebourne.

The junior finalists are Sarah Eriksen and Vonnie Fletcher. Eriksen ended Vicki Fraser’s hopes of successive junior titles. Fletcher defeated Marg Lane.

Lesley Daniels and Sue McLaughlin are the 9-holers’ finalists.

Jenny French beat Wendy Linton in the 9-holers’ consolation.

All finals are on Wednesday of next week.

A “Campbell brother takeover” is the plan for the quarterfinals of the senior men’s club championships on Saturday.

Marcel Campbell and younger brother Henri will be in the same four, setting up the prospect — albeit against the odds — of the pair meeting in the semis.

Marcel, who ousted Collin Jeffrey 2 and 1 in Round 1, faces 2015 champion and No.2 seed Simon Jeune, a 3 and 2 victor over Nick Richardson.

Henri, who put on a short-game clinic in disposing of new grandfather Willy Mortleman 4 and 3, will take on Glenn Morley, who brushed aside No.3 qualifier Pete Anderson 5 and 4.

There’s no arguments as to who is the man to beat.

Top seed William Brown, vying for three senior crowns in succession, put David Situ to the sword 6 and 5.

Hayden Keast has the chance to achieve “giant-killer” status after getting past Brent Colbert 1-up.

Quin McPike and Mark Jefferson also went to the 18th in their Round 1 matches and will face off in the last eight. McPike’s distance off the tee had opponent Peter Clayton shaking his head in awe while Jefferson aws blunt in assessing his win over Stefan Andreasson . . . “it wasn’t pretty”.

Club captain Andy Hayward would have footed it with most of the seniors in his intermediate men’s Round 1 win over Dean Robertson. Hayward was 6-up at the turn after firing even-par 36, including birdies on both the par-5s.

It set up what could be the match of the quarterfinals — the battle of the Andys.

Andy Abrahams scraped into the top 16, thanks to sinking a 15-foot putt on the 18th of qualifying, but beat third seed Don Griffin to stay in the mix.

Top qualifier Alex Kirkpatrick survived a huge fright against Shannon Rimene-Albrett. Kirkpatrick won the 17th and 18th holes to force sudden death, and won on the 20th.

The “dark horse” of a Melbourne Cup-like field could be Vance Richardson, who is starting to find his mojo after a hip operation. He put away recently crowned Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs champion John Van Helden 5 and 4.

Stephen Francks produced his best performance at the Bay in a 3 and 2 defeat of 2013 intermediate champion Pete Hakiwai.

Three-time champion Neil Mackie remained on track to make it four intermediate titles in six years with an 18th-hole win over Glen Udall — their match featuring only two halved holes.

The quarterfinal between Mackie and Kirkpatrick could be a classic.

Craig Christophers, hunting intermediate titles at Poverty Bay and Electrinet Park, eliminated No.2 qualifier Darren Patumaka.

The Chinese Kiwi duel went the way of Jimmy Situ 4 and 3 over  Richard Foon.

Bill Simpson and Don Wright won their Round 1 junior matches to join the six who had byes.

WEDNESDAY — Women’s 18-hole stableford: O Thompson 38, T Lewis 38.

9-holers’ net: N Johnson 54-19-35, T Allan 61-24-37.

Hole-in-one on 2: C Nelson and G Young.

Twos: S Spence.

MONDAY — Mutt and Jeff women’s stableford on par-3s and par 5s: G Young 32.

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: C Taewa 40, A Battistella 34, G Morley 33.

Division 2: B Talbot 42, R Chalmers 41, K Houkamau 37.

Twos: C Taewa.

Approach: D Pirimona.

Saturday — Men’s stableford, division 1: S Francks 40, N Richardson 38, J Situ 38.

Division 2: C Poole 39, C Christie 38, G Clapham 38.

Twos: P Clayton, N Mackie, S Rimene-Albrett, C Simpson, M Christophers, N Richardson, A Abrahams.

Approach: A Abrahams.

Liquorland men’s club championships, matchplay round 1, senior division: W Brown def D Situ, H Keast def B Colbert, Q McPike def P Clayton, M Jefferson def S Andreassen, S Jeune def N Richardson, M Campbell def C Jeffrey, G Morley def P Anderson, H Campbell def W Mortleman.

Intermediate: A Kirkpatrick def S Rimene-Albrett, N Mackie def G Udall, S Francks def P Hakiwai, J Situ def R Foon, C Christophers def D Patumaka, V Richardson def J Van Helden, A Abrahams def D Griffin, A Hayward def D Robertson.

Junior: D Wright def R Young, B Simpson def K Collier; K Marshall, C Hensley, H Williams, C Christie, S Boyd, S Hihi had first-round byes.

ThursdaY (aug 17) — Men’s stableford: N Mackie 41, V Richardson 38, P Clayton 36, A White 36, W Mortleman 34.

Division 2: R Murphy 41, R Owen 39, M Smith 37, B Allen 36, P Graham 35.

Twos: S Rimene-Albrett.

Approach: I Murphy.

The second round of the men’s club championships is on SATURDAY. The draw is — No.1 tee, 11.15am: C Dean v K Summersby, D Grant v K Goldsmith. 11.23: C Taewa v G Clapham; T Goldsmith v J McGregor. 11.31: K Marshall v D Wright, G Hensley v H Williams. 11.39: C Christie v B Simpson, S  Boyd v S Hihi. 11.47: A Kirkpatrick  v N Mackie, S Francks v J Situ. 11.55: C Christophers v V Richardson, A Abrahams v A Hayward. 12.03pm: W Brown v H Keast, Q McPike v M Jefferson. 12.11: S Jeune v M Campbell, G Morley v H Campbell.

PATUTAHI

Tom Brodie and Rocky Pardoe are taking the longer route in their quests for intermediate club championship glory.

Both had Round 1 matches to negotiate on Sunday to join the six others who had byes into the quarterfinals.

Brodie not only knocked out Charlie Taylor in persistent rain, he also won the stableford with 79-12-67, for 39 points.

Pardoe disposed of Butch McKenzie to set up a quarterfinal clash with No.1 seed Hamish Harris.

John Tietjen defeated Pat Tinnelly to complete the endeavour quarterfinalists. Top qualifier Steve Fookes awaits him.

Gerry Maude was in hot form in Friday’s meat pack stableford. His 42-13-29 earned him 24 points and victory in the 9+ handicap section.

SUNDAY — Stableford: T Brodie 39, R Pardoe 37, J Brown 37, D Waihaki 37, A Davis 37.

Twos: J Brown, Wayne Wesche.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, up to 8: P Varey 21, J Neilson 20, P Johnston 18, R Pardoe 17, M Smith 17.

9+: G Maude 24, M White 20, M Bond 19, D Somerton 19, C Newman 19.

TUESDAY (Aug 15) — Women’s stableford: J Ewart 36, J Smith 32.

TOLAGA BAY

Peewee Tuapawa followed up the previous weekend’s second place with victory in the net on Sunday.

Tuapawa won with 81-14-67, three strokes ahead of Dion Milner.

SUNDAY — Net: P Tuapawa 67, D Milner 70, Joel Lincoln 72.

Approach: M Watts.

Putts: M Watts 27.