IN FORM: Tessa McDonald won both of her matches for Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay at the national women’s interprovincial golf tournament in Christchurch yesterday, an eagle on the last hole clinching victory over the Northland No.1. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell
GOLFCliff Poole yesterday won his group in the Sean Shivnan Pharmacy Gisborne East Coast senior men’s open.In a few weeks he will be pulling the bag of granddaughter Tessa McDonald at the national women’s interprovincial in Christchurch.In a memorable few days for the family, McDonald started the week with her
selection at No.1 in the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay team for the matchplay interprovincial on the Waitikiri course.Her grandfather added to the family celebrations yesterday with a 4 and 3 win over Basil Payne in the Group 2 final of the senior open on his home Poverty Bay course.McDonald, who has played in multiple national interprovincials, was rapt to be given the chance to spearhead a HBPB side that nearly did not happen.Officials were on the verge of not entering a team due to depleted available numbers at the higher end but decided to go ahead.McDonald’s selection was confirmed in an email this week and she is joined in the side by veteran Janie Field (Napier), Haena Soel (Napier), Samantha Carroll (Napier) and Fiona Ellis (Hastings), with Rahira Ellison (Hast) travelling reserve.McDonald is excited about facing the cream of the country’s amateurs at the top of the order, saying it would push her and be good for her golf.Meanwhile, Poole was one of eight group winners in a successful GEC senior open that featured a large number of outside golfers — the mobile home “commune” in the Poverty Bay carpark over the week testament to this.Other winners were Des Chitty of Mangawhai Golf Club (Group 1); Roger Kelly of Poverty Bay (Group 3); Howard Symons of Cambridge (Group 4); John Aitchison of PB/Mahia (Group 5); Warwick Thompson of PB (Group 6); Dallas Atkins of PB (Group 7) and Jack Campbell of Ruakaka (Group 8).l?
