BG Cup CHAMPIONS: Peter Clayton (left) and Mark Hunt added their names to the list of Barns-Graham Cup men's pairs champions at Poverty Bay Golf Club on Sunday. Clayton and Hunt defeated brothers Tene and Kit Goldsmith 3 and 1 in the handicap matchplay final. Picture by Paul Rickard
Peter Clayton and Mark Hunt turned talk into title in winning the 2022 Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men's pairs on Sunday.
Clayton and Hunt beat brothers Kit and Tene Goldsmith on the 17th hole of the handicap matchplay final to join an elite list of players who have won what is regarded as one of the club's premier men's honours.
It was the first time they had played in it together. Clayton said they had talked about it before and finally got around to doing it this year.
The Barns-Graham, as it is simply referred to, has been part of club history since first presented by John Barns-Graham in 1951.
Its status grew over the years into arguably the club's most popular men's competition. At its peak there were well over 100 pairs vying for one of the 64 qualifying spots (nowadays it is 32).
To win it, a pair first have to qualify, then make their way through a minefield of matches. It takes skill, an ounce of luck, a touch of the Houdini and teamwork.
Which is what Clayton and Hunt delivered, particularly in their Saturday semifinal when they came from 2-down with three holes to play to defeat Bernie Rothschild and Ray Farmer.
Clayton gave the credit to Hunt for that one. He won the 16th hole, halved the 17th then won the 18th to send it to sudden-death.
A Clayton par on the 19th sealed their comeback victory.
The Goldsmiths beat Nick Whyte and Tim Williams on the 17th in their semifinal.
The tale of the tape for Sunday's final was Clayton off a 5-handicap, Hunt and Kit on 16 and Tene on 9.
Wins were traded early on but when Clayton made his fifth consecutive par to put them 1-up, they kept their noses in front for the rest of the match.
Hunt won the seventh with a par to go 2-up and Tene pulled one back with a par getting a shot on the ninth.
Clayton and Hunt both birdied the 10th to restore their 2-up advantage and they also won the 13th (a Clayton birdie), 16th and 17th, while the Goldsmiths had wins on the 11th and 15th holes.
Referee Duncan Bush witnessed first-hand the action and made a point of highlighting Hunt's performance on the superb Bay greens.
He sank four putts ranging from 15 to 35 feet for wins or halves, and made a miracle par on the sixth hole for par after hitting the giant pine on the right of the hole with his tee shot.
That's what it often requires to win the BG.
Clayton, whose personal-best 69 off the stick on June 30 highlighted his recent form, provided a rock-steady foundation throughout the series.
The Bryan Cup subsidiary final was a cage fight between Glenn Morley and Gray Clapham and John Van Helden and Stu Harbottle, all four of who play in the Sunday and Thursday “schools”.
JVH had $100 riding on the match — backing himself and Harbottle after they were eliminated from the BG.
A bunch of pars from Clapham as Morley dropped just two shots along the way had JVH reaching into his wallet courtesy of a 3 and 2 defeat.
The BG Plate final was supposed to feature the only two combinations who failed to make the BG Cup 32.
Bruce Talbot and Glen Udall's opponents were a no-show, meaning all they had to do was tee off for the win.
Udall collected his first Poverty Bay silverware virtually without having to swing a club. He was unable to play in qualifying — leaving Talbot to do it alone — and the plate was a straight final.
SUNDAY — Men's stableford, division 1: B Morgan 41, N Richardson 36, B Brown 36, R Gibson 36.
Division 2: G Hawea 36, A Baldwin 34, H Williams 34, P Grogan 34.
Twos: D Patumaka, M Norman, A White, G Hawea.
Approach: G Hawea.
SATURDAY — Barns-Graham and Bryan cups men's pairs semifinals, approach: P Goodwin.
THURSDAY (July 14) — Men's par, division 1: A Abrahams +3, A White +2, S Andreassen +2, C Poole +1, V. Richardson +1, G Morley +1, M Higham sq, B Allen sq.
Twos: G Morley.
Approach: D. Mettrick.
Ian Loffler sent a clear message to his Te Kanawa Cup men's pairs final opponents and junior men's club championship rivals on Sunday.
Loffler and Steve Webb are yet to play their Te K Cup handicap matchplay decider against Shannon Toa and son Beau after the final was postponed.
No doubt Loffler wished it could have been played on Sunday. He won the stableford with 83-16-67, for 41 points, off the championship tees.
More importantly the 83 was also his qualifying round for the club champs, and was a loud statement of intent as he bids for the junior crown.
A good-sized field competed on Sunday on a heavy course made even longer off the blue tees.
Craig Christophers was second on 38 points on countback from Zane Boyle.
Matt Henwood's 36 points won the Saturday stableford.
The finals of the Te K and Turanganui subsidiary cup are to be held this weekend.
TUESDAY — Veteran pairs' stableford: J Muir/H Schreiber 69, P Wellard/C Brown 66, D Te Maro/E Parkin 66, W Brown/S Mohlmann 65.
SUNDAY — Men's stableford: I Loffler 40, C Christophers 38, Z Boyle 38, R Moore 37.
Twos: D Pilitati, I Loffler, R Moore, M Henwood.
Saturday — Men's stableford: M Henwood 36.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Lowe Brothers Cup team of four competition, shotgun start at 9.30am.
Patutahi members Terry Reeves and Dwayne Russell zipped down the highway to Waikohu and won in the all-in men's competition on Sunday.
Reeves had three birdies and an eagle-3 in his net-winning 72-5-67 while Russell's gross-winning 72 featured an eagle.
They were among a group of Patutahians who visited Waikohu.
Ike Ruru (35 points) won the men's stableford and Audrey Tamanui-Nunn (35) the women's stableford.
Russell said they had a great day and the course was in “awesome condition”.
Sunday — All-in men's competition, gross: D Russell 72.
Net: T Reeves 67.
Stableford: I Ruru 35, K Ruru 35, E Reeves 34.
Women's stableford: A Tamanui-Nunn 35, V Grace 31.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition.
Matchplay, stableford and appearances by the reigning East Coast Open champion and the Higham brothers complemented a fine winter's day on the Springs on Sunday.
There is still plenty of water around after recent rain but the members have got on with it.
Sunday golf featured matchplay trophies for men and women.
Georgina Roberts and Hazel Miratana had wins in the second round of the Women's Handicap Cup.
Ian Sykes and Ian Logan won their first-round matches in the Makarika Cup men's handicap competition.
Roberts also won the women's stableford with 34 points and had a two while Peter Ngarimu's 79-16-63, for 39 points, topped the men's stableford.
The club welcomed a visit from East Coast Open champion and Tairāwhiti Golf president Anaru Reedy, who shot an even-par 66, including two twos.
Brothers Andrew and Aaron Higham, who learned their golf at the Springs, also made an appearance.
SUNDAY — Women's Handicap Cup, second round: G Roberts def R Ngatai, H Miratana def I Ngarimu.
Makarika Cup men's matchplay, first round: I Sykes def K Waitoa, I Logan def J Puha.
Women's stableford: G Roberts 88-19-69, 34; H Miratana 93-21-71, 32; H McClutchie 95-24-71, 32.
Men's stableford: P Ngarimu 79-16-63, 39; P Harrison 89-24-65, 37; D Goldsmith 86-18-68, 34; H Rasmussen 34, J Forrester 33, I Logan 33.
Twos: G Roberts, D Goldsmith, P Harrison, A Reedy 2.
Wainui Golf Club member Nathan Maher showed up the locals in the Sunday stableford.
Maher carded an impressive 72 off the stick, including a two, to win with 42 points — eight clear the local chasing pack.
Results — Sunday stableford: Nathan Maher 42, R Bremner 34, A Steel 34, D Bremner 33, T Smith 32.
Twos: N Maher.
Stevenson women's net-minus-stableford: E Westwood 75-33-42, L Steel 79-31-48
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Aces and Bluck putting competitions.
Wayne “Peewee” Tuapawa won the net on Sunday with 80-16-64 as Mark Watts' name echoed throughout the prize-giving.
Watts was second with 67, won the approach and the putting (23), and had a two.
SUNDAY — Net: P Tuapawa 64, M Watts 67, M Yates 67, B Yates 69.
Approach: M Watts.
Putting: M Watts 23.
Twos: M Watts.