GOLF ROUNDUP

Wairoa breezed to victory in gale-force winds in the annual Wharerata Shield interclub at Poverty Bay on Sunday.

Seven of their 20-strong team played to handicap or better in challenging Cyclone Dovi-affected weather as Wairoa averaged 33 stableford points.

Hemi Tahuri, Sylvia McRoberts and John Davidson anchored the win, each returning 39 points. Tony Olsen posted 38, Kent Birrell and Bev Jury 37 apiece and Taina Paku 36.

Poverty Bay were second on 30.80 points but produced the individual round of the day — Barry Brown's 79-12-67, for 41 points. It was his first sub-80 score since July of last year.

Peter Goodwin (37pts) and Paul Rickard (36) were the only others of the 30-man Poverty Bay team to equal or better handicap.

The Bay team could have been renamed PB Sunday School as all 30 were from the weekly “Sunday School” contingent.

Mahia brought up the rear on 29.61. Maria Wesche (36) was the best of their team of 13, with son Wade next on 33.

The powerful winds tested players in every facet, including the greens — one poor mug, who shall not be named out of pity, 10-putting the sixth.

Heath Woollett and Glenn Morley posted impressive rounds off the championship tees on Saturday.

Woollett won the division 2 men's net with 87-20-67 while Morley had 14 pars in his even-par 72-3-69 which topped division 1.

Mark Higham broke a sub-80 drought at the Bay dating back over a year in winning the division 1 men's stableford last Thursday with 79-11-68, for 40 points.

Paul Rickard's performance on the 18th hole on Friday was so memorable The Herald was contacted soon after by an eye-witness.

“Rick” pulled his second shot and his ball ended up ricocheting off concrete edging and finishing on the left fringe of the practice putting green.

Unable to see all of the 18th green, Rick attempted to hit over the edge of the clubhouse deck only to skin his shot — his ball striking the bottom of the deck and rebounding almost back to his feet.

It's not the first time Rick has had 18th-hole clubhouse problems (he's had a few adventures on the 19th as well). One of Rick's many stories over the years involved him pitching over the clubhouse and taking a huge divot, which he had to walk upstairs to retrieve from the veranda.

Poverty Bay women teed off their season with a 9-hole ambrose on Monday.

Sally Spence, Leigh Fletcher and Ishbel McKinnon won with net 27.

Maxine Francois won the Lotto stableford on Wednesday with 38 points.

WEDNESDAY — Women's Lotto stableford: M Francois 38, L Fletcher 37, T Lewis, J Utting 34, M Allan 33, D Kirkpatrick 32.

Summer golf women's results, eclectic winner: L Holmberg.

Stableford winner: D Kirkpatrick.

MONDAY — Women's 9-hole ambrose: S Spence/L Fletcher/ I McKinnon 27 from A Witters/K Shaw/B Dickson.

SATURDAY — Men's net, division 1: G Morley 69, R Foon 70, D Jenkins 72, D Patumaka 72, M Jefferson 72, J Situ 72.

Division 2: H Woollett 67, J Kerekere 74, D Mettrick 75, K Travers 75.

Twos: G Morley.

Approach: D Wright.

Thursday (Feb 10) —Men's stableford, division 1: M Higham 40, J Van Helden 38, W Brown 36.

Division 2: T Williams 37, J Pittar 35, C Dean 35.

Twos: C Dean.

Approach: G Morley.

An eagle-inspired back nine holes propelled Tony Green and Helen Pomana to glory at Patutahi's open opening day tournament on Sunday.

The deadly duo won the Canadian mixed pairs stableford with 41 points, pipping Rios Moleta and Skylah Pohatu by one point.

Green and Pomana had 18 points for their front nine holes but stormed to 23 on the homeward half.

The highlight was an eagle-2 on the 276-metre 14th hole where Green smashed his drive to the fringe of the green and Pomana chipped in.

The field was tested by strong winds so those in the men's stableford who managed to play to or near their handicap did extremely well.

Jon Priestley won division 1 with 37 points while Pete Summersby won division 2, also with 37.

SUNDAY — Patutahi open opening day, Canadian mixed pairs stableford: T Green/H Pomana 41, R Moleta/S Pohatu 40, C Taylor/S Robertson 39, C Beattie/J Winiata 37, V Grace/L Green 37, H Humble/J Blair 37, M Tuapawa/S Te Rito 37, I Ruru/E Wynyard 35.

Men's stableford, division 1: J Priestley 37, D Russell 34, D Pohatu 34, J Brown 33, G Brown 32, P Stewart 30, T Reeves 30.

Division 2: P Summersby 37, M Smith 35, A Nimmo 35, R Pardoe 35, T Smith 34, C Brown 33, S Skudder 32.

Long drives, men: J Brown (div 1), C Taylor (div 2), B Tietjen (div 3).

Women: D Johnston (div 1), V Grace (div 2).

Approaches, men: A Hindmarsh.

Women: S Pohatu (div 1), H Humble (div 2).

Twos: B Pohatu.

Eagle on : T Green/H Pomana.

FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: N Whyte 21, A Nimmo 21, J Neilson 19, J Blair 19, R Pardoe 19 on c/b.

Junior division: D Bentley 22, S Fookes 21, L Jamieson 19, D Quinn 19, M White 18.

New golfer Luke Scragg introduced himself to the club with a stableford-winning 40 points on Sunday.

SUNDAY — Stableford: L Scragg 40, J Sheridan 36, G Watts 36, Joe Lincoln 34.

Two: P Tuapawa.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, committee meeting, 10am.

Te Puia Springs

MAKITA Puke and Peter Ngarimu were the Sunday competition winners.

Puke won the women's net with 71 while Ngarimu was out on his own in the men's stableford — his 35 points five clear of the chasers.

SUNDAY — Women's net: M Puke 71, H Miritana 73.

Men's stableford: P Ngarimu 35, R Smith 30, R Walker 29.

Twos: N Dewes.

Jean Foot earned a pass into round 2, thanks to a top qualifying effort in the Women's Handicap Cup on Sunday.

Foot's 88-18-70 earned her the No.1 seeding in the 15-player field.

The other 14 went into round 1 of matchplay scheduled for this Sunday.

One of those matches was played yesterday, with women's club captain Barb Woods beating Carolyn Carpendale.

Foot's qualifying round also won her the women's net while James Witika had three birdies in his men's stableford winning 80-11-69, for 39 points.

The race for a place in the Digg It Gizzy twilight shootout final is heating up.

As of last Thursday, seven players had posted the required five qualifying scores from the pre-Christmas period and five from the post-New Year period.

Leading that group is Mike Christophers at an average of 17.90.

Hot on his heels are Anthony Pahina, Shannon Toa, Pete Stewart and 2021 winner Steve Phillips.

But there are several players certain to come into the mix when they register the required number of qualifying scores — Matt Henwood, who has been leading the way all summer, Dave Rameka and Craig Christophers the most prominent of them.

The top 10 will contest the shootout final. The winner pockets $1000.

SUNDAY — Women's net: J Foot 88-18-70.

Twos: K White, T Aramakutu.

Women's Handicap Cup top qualifier: J Foot.

Men's stableford: J Witika 39, D Mauheni 37, P Nepia 35.

Twos: M Emery, D Mauheni 3, A Reedy 2, G McKinnon.

Saturday — Men's stableford winner: A Nairne.

Twos: A Nairne.

Women's net: B Woods 98-25-73.

Thursday (Feb 10) — Digg It Gizzy twilight stableford: D Gregory from C Christophers on c/b.

Long drives: M Henwood (men), P Johansen (women).

Approach: S Nepe.

Wednesday (Feb 9) — Women's net: J Muir 91-22-69.

Saturday (Feb 5) — Women's net: J Foot 88-18-70.

The draw for the Women's Handicap Cup on SUNDAY is — No.1 tee, 10am: B Walker v K White, M Vette v C Pipi. 10.06: T Ford v R Taiapa. 10.12: P Johansen v M Marino, T Aramakutu v D Webb. 10.18: J Akuhata v K Papuni.