Golf Roundup

Gisborne Park

BO Huhu can identify with the angst Geoff Hill suffered in falling at the last hurdle of the men’s shootout final on Saturday.

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contact The Gisborne Herald at 869-0633 or email sports@gisborneherald.co.nzNine-handicapper Huhu claimed his second shootout crown in four years after Hill crashed and burned on the 18th hole of the hole-by-hole net elimination finale.

A conservative bogey-5 was all Huhu needed as Hill was dealt a merciless blow — his wayward tee shot ending at the base of a tree, his second shooting across the fairway into the rough and his third finding the left-hand bunker.

Huhu, who has had a solid year of golf, including strong pennants performances and a senior club championship runner-up finish, was always in control from the middle of the fairway.

While he failed to make the green in regulation, he chipped his third to two metres of the flag and a simple two-putt was good enough as Hill made double bogey.

Huhu felt for Hill, who otherwise did remarkably well in the high-pressure circumstances.

In the 2012 shootout decider, Huhu suffered a similar fate on the 18th to bow out to Derek Craven. He came back to win in 2014 and was runner-up to Pete Koorey the following year.

Koorey’s hopes of a 2017 title to go with his 2013 and 2015 crowns ended in disastrous fashion on the 13th. He went to tap in with the back of his putter only to hit his ball into his foot, incurring a two-stroke penalty.

The shootout started on the second hole as only 18 players arrived to brave the inclement weather.

Steve Phillips was the first to exit. He was followed by Dave Harrison (No.3), John Charles (No.4), Zane Boyle (No.5), Jack Glassford (No.6), Mike Hutton (No.7), Tony Leggett (No.8), Barry Cox (No.9), Derek Craven (No.10), Tam Buckingham (No.11), Brad Reynolds (No.12), Koorey (No.13), Glen McKinnon (No.14), Ray Grace (No.15), Anthony Pahina (No.16), Mason Emery (No.17) and Hill (No.18).

n “ONE of those days” was how Carney Pipi’s women’s shootout victory on Sunday was described.

“She was just awesome,” co-organiser Karen McDonald said of the 20-handicapper’s win.

Pipi only needed a bogey-5 on the 18th to end Blanche Walker’s admirable run.

Walker hit a tree to the right with her drive and ended up with a double-bogey.

McDonald, though, couldn’t speak highly enough of Walker’s efforts.

“She’s been suffering back problems . . . but she’s just so determined.”

McDonald, a two-time winner of the shootout, also had plenty of praise for Pipi and the rest of the field who endured cold, squally weather throughout the final.

“Carney played brilliant. It was one of those days for her . . . it was her day.”

Sue Maisey got the elimination ball rolling when she went out on the first hole. The order of falling dominoes from there was Mihi Marino (No.2), Karen Hay (No.3), Freida Brown (No.4), Jean Foot (No.5), Frances Hutton (No.6), Rebecca Walford (No.7), Margaret Alley (No.8), Patricia Johnansen (No.9), Ann Richardson (No.10), Barbara Woods (No.11), Jo Kerr (No.12), Tracey Ford (No.13), Shirley Paku (No.14), Lil McFlinn (No.15), Wiki Morrissey (No.16), Jacque Akuhata-Nickerson (No.17) and Walker (No.18).

SATURDAY — Women’s shootout final, overall winner: C Pipi from B Walker.

Men’s shootout final, overall winner: B Huhu from G Hill.

FRIDAY (Nov 17) — Village Butchery nine-hole stableford: T File 21, T Leggett 21, B Cox 19.

WEDNESDAY (Nov 15) — Women’s net: R Walford 87-23-64.

Twos: A Richardson.

COMING UP: FRIDAYS, nine-hole stableford, 12 noon to 2pm, must be affiliated golf club member; SUNDAY, Nov 26, Electrinet Park Christmas tournament.

Poverty Bay

THE elements produced a new title for the men’s and women’s shootout finals on Sunday . . . Survivor Poverty Bay.

Probably the worst weather conditions in the long history of the event pushed players to the limits of their physical capacity, turning it into a battle of physical and mental survival.

After hours of culling the two fields of 19 players in the hole-by-hole net elimination grand finale, Roy Skuse and Jan Utting were the last standing.

“Just amazing” was how the affable Utting described adding a first Kevin Hollis Glass shootout title to a list of successes over her many years of golf.

“I was absolutely thrilled. The weather was blowing and carrying on, and somehow I ended up winning,” said 16-handicapper Utting after staving off the challenge of a shootout expert in three-time winner Marg Colebourne.

A bogey-5 on the 18th to Colebourne’s six was enough to seal the crown for Utting, who, surprisingly, did not face a chip-off or putt-off throughout the 18 holes.

The shootout final sees 19 players tee off the first hole and the player with the worst net eliminated each hole. If there is more than one player with the worst net, a chip-off or putt-off is held.

Utting said there were a few times where she had to “wait by the cart” of referee Karen Crosby only for a worst net than her score to be recorded.

The order of elimination was — Pauline Zame (No.1), Miggles Shanks (No.2), Tuppence Murphy (No.3), Gay Young (No.4), June MacKinnon (No.5), Vicki Fraser (No.6), Ishbel McKinnon (No.7), Pip Dymock (No.8), Kath Willis (No.9), Anne Witters (No.10), Marg Lane (No.11), Peri Gayford (No.12), Letty Poananga (No.13), Lynne Holmberg (No.14), Mary Allen (No.15), Viv Bell (No.16), Jan Steele (No.17), Marg Colebourne (No.18).

Shootout organiser Viv Bell said conditions were “awful” and gave credit to all participants.

“They all turned up. Not one pulled out on the day. All were very keen to see what they could achieve.”

Skuse, off a 17-handicap, showed his mettle under pressure as he parred the last two holes to claim a first men’s shootout crown.

Like Utting, his previous best finish was on 17.

Skuse and Colin Christie duelled for the title after Stefan Andreaasen’s meritorious exit on the 17th.

Shivering and exhausted after well over six hours on the course, Skuse slotted a four-foot par putt to Christie’s bogey.

He had earlier had a couple of chip-off scares on 11 and 12.

“I survived by about two inches on the 12th.”

His biggest fear, however, had been the 18th-stroke sixth hole – the only hole where he didn’t get a shot. He responded by making birdie-2.

Andreassen’s effort completed a successful few days of golf including winning the Peter Brown Memorial Tray for best overall gross (78) at the Gisborne Financial Services Golf Day on Friday. The Poverty Bay-East Coast masters representative won a chip-off shortly before the final to claim the 19th and last available slot.

Alan Baldwin was the first to go in the final after a first hole that took an eternity to complete.

Order of elimination from there was — Brian Hall (No.2), Don Wright (No.3), Murray Smith (No.4), Noel Absalom (No.5), Andy Abrahams (No.6), Alan Destry (No.7), Syd Liley (No.8), Anaru Reedy (No.9), Andy Hayward (No.10), Cliff Poole (No.11), Basil Payne (No.12), Thomas Donovan (No.13), Brad Morgan (No.14), Harvey Johanson (No.15), Dave Pirimona (No.16), Andreassen (No.17), Christie (No.18).

SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, division 1: R Morley 36, M Norman 35, K White 33, A White 28.

Division 2: L Hewson 38, M Armstrong 37, M Karalus 30, R Young 26, K Travers 25.

Twos: K White

Approach: L Hewson.

Saturday — Men’s stableford, division 1: S Andreassen 38, J van Helden 35, V Richardson 34, K White 33, C Poole 33, B Colbert 33.

Division 2: C Christie 35, D Mettrick 34, M Stewart 32, M Armstrong 31, B Read 30, B Jopson 28.

Approach: C Christie.

Thursday (Nov 16) — Men’s stableford, division 1: A White 40, A Kirkpatrick 39, T Donovan 39, I Murphy 38, N Mackie 37, M Mulrooney 37.

Division 2: J Aitchison 44, C Christie 40, J Pittar 40, R Owen 39, P Humphreys 38, B Proudfoot 37.

Twos: T Donovan, J Pittar, I Murphy, A Kirkpatrick.

Approach: T Donovan.

The Wharerata Shield interclub between Poverty Bay, Mahia and Wairoa, which was to be held at Wairoa on Sunday, has been postponed to a yet-to-be-confirmed date.

Patutahi

THE popular Friday meat pack nine-hole stableford resulted in plenty of hot scoring last week.

Ashley Hindmarsh topped the pile in winning the junior division with 26 points while Andrew Blakeman’s 23 took the senior honours.

Rhonda Maloy’s handicap is not far from entering the 30s. She won the women’s net on Tuesday with 105-41-64 to shave 1.0 off her index.

TUESDAY — Women’s net: R Maloy 105-41-64, M Philip 100-28-72, J Ewart 97-25-72.

FRIDAY — Meat pack nine-hole stableford, senior division: A Blakeman 23, T Hindmarsh 22, S Pohatu 21, M Stock 20, G Brown 20.

Junior division: A Hindmarsh 26, K Donovan 24, J Blair 22, P Harrison 22, D Johnston 22, B McKenzie 21, P Johnston 21.

Tolaga Bay

There was no play at Tolaga Bay on Sunday.

Play resumes this Sunday with a club competition from 12 noon.

The club’s AGM is being held tomorrow at 6.30pm.

Waikohu

AN alternative course proved no problem for Percy Milner and Ben Johnson in the Waikohu Christmas Cheer tournament on Sunday.

Waikohu member Milner won the men’s stableford with 48 points while Tahunga’s Johnson was a point back in second.

Valerie Grace won the women’s stableford with 39 points.

The tournament also featured the interclub challenge between Opotiki and Waikohu. The visitors went home victorious.

SATURDAY — Waikohu Christmas Cheer open tournament, women’s stableford: V Grace 39, H Pomana 36, A Tamanui-Nunn 35, A Cook 32, P White 31, A Haisman 31, L Haisman 31.

Men’s stableford: P Milner 48, B Johnson 47, Shane (Opotiki) 42, T Green 41, Lew (Opotiki) 38, R White 38, DJ Baty 38, D Cook 38, A Coker 38, S Mohlmann 38, K Tamanui 38, W Brown 38.

Twos: Wayne (Opotiki), A Tamanui-Nunn.

Approaches: Wayne (Opotiki), B Johnson, P White.

Waikohu/Opotiki Interclub Challenge winners: Opotiki.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition followed by AGM, all members to attend.