A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Electrinet Park
Judy would have been impressed.
But she also might have fired out a couple of “bloody burglars” barbs after the Gisborne Thistle AFC Golf Day produced some of the best scoring in its history on Sunday.
Good weather, a short course, placing everywhere bar hazards and a free drop out of bunkers helped as the Park continues its recovery from multiple weather events.
Home-course player Ray Walford took full advantage. He shot his best round since February 2020 to win the main title at the annual tournament — the Judy O’Rourke Memorial Trophy (for best overall stableford) which honours the late Gisborne Park and Thistle stalwart.
Walford had one birdie — which happened to be a two on the second — in his 3-over par 75-13-62, for 46 points.
It was one of 13 scores in the 40s as the prize table went down to an impressive 37 points. You got jack squat for playing to your handicap.
Hot on Walford’s heels were a trio of women — Park members Penny Shaw and Jaye McCafferty, each with 44, and Patutahi’s Kim Torrez with 43.
McCafferty’s 98-33-65 was her first official sub-100 round.
More Park players followed. Darrel Gregory had 43, Kyle Tupara 43, Linda Brown 43 and Netball New Zealand president Tina Karaitiana 42.
Patutahi’s Hukanui Brown had five birdies in his 3-under 69 to win the men’s gross.
Tairāwhiti Golf president Anaru Reedy also had five birdies but all five came in his second nine of 32.
Park’s Kino White won the women’s gross with 86.
Craig Christophers won the Morley Trophy for best stableford by a player affiliated or connected with Thistle. The former Thistle first team player carded 74-7-67, for 41, having signalled he was in form the previous Thursday in winning the twilight stableford with a 2-under 34 for 24 points.
Thistle “last of the summer winners” Grant Thomson and Kieran Grealish shared the Thistle non-golfers’ stableford with 38 points apiece.
Sean O’Connor won the non-golfers’ section with 47 points.
SUNDAY — Gisborne Thistle AFC Golf Day, Judy O’Rourke Memorial Trophy for top overall stableford: R Walford 46.
Morley Cup (top stableford by Thistle-affiliated player): C Christopher 41.
Thistle non-golfers’ stableford: G Thomson 38, K Grealish 38.
Men’s gross: H Brown 69.
Women’s gross: K White 86.
Non-golfers’ stableford: S O’Connor 47.
9-hole gross, men: Z Turnbald 49.
9-hole gross, women: E Schollum 56, R Lolohea 64.
Stableford: P Shaw 44, J McCafferty 44, K Torrez 43, D Gregory 43, K Tupara 43, L Brown 43, T Karaitiana 42, H Tupara 41, A Pahina 41, C Christophers 41, R Grace 40, J Collier 40, W Muir 39, G Hawea 39, Wade Wesche 39, D Situ 39, L Hunt 39, T Donovan 39, B Reynolds 39, R Smith 39, B Morgan 39, J Lloyd 38, G McKinnon 38, M Wesche 38, C Fox 37, L Hayes 37, J Devery 37, R Moleta 37, J Van Helden 37, M Christophers 37, C Nepe 37, P Nepia 37, Beau Toa 37, R Chalmers 37.
Approaches: K White (women), D Collier (men).
Long drives: J Adams (men), J Kerr (women).
Twos: A Reedy 2, A White 2, R Walford, C Nepe, M Christophers, G Morley, C Carmody, D Collier, Wayne Wesche, N Jones, J Kerr.
THURSDAY (Jan 18) — Gordon’s Pharmacy twilight stableford: C Christophers 24, J McCafferty 24.
Non-golfers’ section: S Ratima.
Long drives: N Hansen (men), J Muir (women).
Approach: K White.
Birdie board: K Spring, C Christophers, C Fox, J Collier jr, P Stewart, W Muir, S Toa.
Monkey on the back: J Witika.
Poverty Bay
Andy Hayward didn’t know he had won the Summer Cup after Saturday’s fifth and final round.
It wasn’t until Sunday morning when told the cup format was the best three net scores of the five that the Gisborne Intermediate principal had a suspicion.
It can now be confirmed. Hayward is the 2023-2024 champion and, in the end, he did it fairly comfortably.
Hayward’s Saturday net of 73 off an 8-handicap was added to his 67, 71 for a total score of 211.
He finished five shots clear of Terry Loomis (72, 74, 70 - 216), who did not play in the fifth round, with Kit Goldsmith third on 219 (72, 72, 75).
Had all five rounds counted, it would have ended a three-way tie between Vance Richardson, Bill Simpson and Duncan Bush on 372.
Tairāwhiti men’s No.1 William Brown made his first 18-hole round on the Awapuni Links a memorable one last Thursday.
The head greenkeeper blazed a birdie trail to 6-under 66. He made birdies on the third to fifth holes, eighth to 10th, and 17th. His sole blemish was a bogey-4 on the 11th.
Brown subsequently won the division 1 men’s stableford while Cliff Poole’s 84-15-69, for 39 points, won division 2.
SATURDAY — Summer Cup men’s net series, round 5, twos: C Christophers, A Hayward, G Morley, V Richardson.
Approach: G Morley.
THURSDAY (Jan 18) — Men’s stableford, division 1: W Brown 40, G Udall 39, C Dean 35, J Van Helden 35.
Division 2: C Poole 39, R Owen 38, M Reynolds 37, K Goldsmith 37.
Twos: M Higham.
Approach: G Morley.
Patutahi
Ashley Hindmarsh and Helen Humble are the 2024 Summer cup champions.
A second-round net 69 on Sunday secured Hindmarsh the men’s honours after his hot Round 1 effort of 63.
Humble won the women’s title.
Hamish Harris (69), Mike Owenb (66) and 2023 Summer Cup champ Denise Johnston (69) were the Sunday competition winners.
SUNDAY — Summer Cup, senior men’s net: H Harris 69, J Neilson 69, G Brown 70, A Nimmo 70.
Junior men’s net: M Owen 66, J Blair 68, A Hindmarsh 69, K Harrison 69.
Women’s net: D Johnston 69.
Twos: J Neilson, D Russell.
Jackpot: J Neilson.
Summer Cup overall winners: A Hindmarsh (men), H Humble (women).
FRIDAY — Meat pack 9-hole stableford, senior division: Blue Toa 22, D Dodgshun 21, T Hindmarsh 21, T Brodie 21, G Brown 20.
Junior division: L Jamieson 22, H Humble 21, G Tattersfield 21, I Tietjen 20, J Tietjen 20.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Feb 11, Patutahi open opening day, 11am tee-off, Canadian mixed foursomes and men’s sections, contact George Brown 027-370-9869 or at horiboy1@xtra.co.nz
Te Puia Hot Springs
Te Puia Hot Springs led the way at the Bay of Plenty 5 Course Classic open tournament last week.
Iritana Ngarimu won the overall stableford and clubmate Pauline Summersby was second in the 337-player field who competed over five different courses — Omakaroa, Te Puke, Mount Maunganui, Omanu and Te Puke.
Ngarimu, off a 37-handicap, got off to a flying start with a 42-point haul in her Round 1 game at Omokoroa. She added 40, 33, 40 and 37 for an overall total of 192 points.
Summersby was only one point back after scores of 39, 36, 41, 40 and 35.
She led Ngarimu by one point going into the final round at Tauranga.
The tournament attracted players from North and South Island courses, and several based in Australia.
SUNDAY — Women’s par: H Miratana 85-24-71, sq; H McClutchie 92-21-71, -3.
Men’s par: E West 92-28-63, +3; K Waitoa 82-15-67, +2; J Forrester 78-15-63, +2.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Summer Cup fourth and final round.
Waikohu
Te Rata Ritchie and Penny Rutene dominated Round 2 of the Summer Cup series on Sunday.
Ritchie’s 65 easily topped the men while Rutene’s 66 was three clear of the next-best woman.
SUNDAY — Summer Cup, Round 2, men’s net: T Ritchie 65, S Ritchie 72, I Ruru 72, P Milner 74, S Te Rito 74.
Women’s net: P Rutene 66, A Reeves 69, E Wynyard 70, M Tuapawa 74.
Twos: E Wynyard.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, final round of Summer Cup.
Māhia
Māhia is holding a mixed foursomes and men’s stableford competition on Saturday, February 24.
Entry fee includes a meal.
Tee-off is 11am after a cup of tea from 10am.
Inquiries to Maraea 027-229-2342.