Hamish Harris emerged victorious in this year's men's shootout final at Pātutahi Golf Club on Saturday. Photo / Pātutahi Golf Club Facebook page
Hamish Harris tends to fly under the radar.
He’s not one of Patutahi’s elite players, but he’s certainly got game.
And on Anzac Day, Harris fittingly had the fortitude to go with it as he emerged the sole survivor of battle in the 2026 men’s 18-hole shootout final.
Harris consigned men’s club captain George Brown to another close but no victory cigar finish.
They were the last two standing on the 18th tee ... 16 others having clocked out via various causes, predominantly of their own making.
An 18-hole shootout final starts with 19 qualifiers teeing off the first and one player being exterminated on each hole until only one remains ... the champion.
This year’s final started on the second, as one player failed to front, and first to go was Lindsay Jamieson in a chip-off.
The player with the worst net on each hole exits the competition, but if there is more than one player on that net score, a chip-off or putt-off is held to decide who exits stage left.
The dominos fell from there ... Tom Brodie (No 3); Jonny Priestley (No 4); Rocky Pardoe (No 5 - four holes further than the 2025 final); Watene Brown (No 6); Gary Watson (No 7); and Tom Hindmarsh (No 8).
Wily veteran Cecil Brown was vying for a third consecutive shootout final crown. His bid ended on the ninth hole.
Simon Pittar was next to go (No 10), Pat Molloy fell on his blade in a five-man putt-off on the 11th and Mike de Luze lost a chip-off with Dwayne Russell - the lowest handicapped player in the field - on the 12th.
Joe Blair was ejected on the 13th, followed by Ashley Hindmarsh (No 14), Butch McKenzie (No 15), then Russell after three-jacking on the 16th.
Golf’s four-letter word - “shank” - entered the head space of Andy Nimmo, who imploded on the 17th, leaving Harris and George Brown to duke it out for glory.
Harris, off an 8-handicap, didn’t need a haymaker punch. He popped his second on to the par-4 18th green to about 5m from the flag and watched as Brown banged his approach out of bounds and out of contention.
“I think it’s about the fourth time I’ve gone out on the last [hole],” he later told Golf Roundup.
Kudos, though, for getting that far and Brown was the first to compliment Harris’s mettle under diamond-producing pressure.
“Well played and congratulations on a fine performance, Hamish.”
Harris backed it up on Sunday with 77-8-69, sharing the honours in the haggle.
MONDAY - Voucher Day men’s Stableford: A. Brown (Greymouth) 39, L. Anania 38, S. Gavin 38.
Women’s Stableford: S. Robertson 32.
SUNDAY - Division 1 Stableford: R. Mottart 69, H. Harris 69, R. Hindmarsh 70, S. Toa 70, P. Hokianga 72.
Division 2 Stableford: K. Torrez 64, A. Zame 69, M. Pohatu 70, M. Murphy 71, Z. Norris 72.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: W, MacLellan 21, H. Harris 20, L. Anania 19, K. Harrison-Allen 18, D. Dodgshun 18.
Division 2: D. Maloy 19, R. Evans 19, P. Briant 19, M. White 18.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, club day; SUNDAY, ER Black Cup interclub Canadian foursomes.
Darren Patumaka is a good player.
So it is perhaps a little surprising not to see more sub-80s out of him.
This year, though, could be different after his stableford-winning display on Sunday.
Patumaka won Division 1 by the length of the straight, shooting 77-11-66, for 42 points. It was his first 70s score since October of last year and best official round since a 77 in February of 2022.
Greater consistency like he showed on Sunday - 13 pars and five bogeys - will see more of the same.
A brilliant back nine almost got Mike Lewin into rare sub-80 territory. Lewin shot 1-over 37 in his 80-13-67, for 41 points, to win Division 2.
The par-5 12th hole lived up to its No 1 stroke off the men’s championship blue tees last Thursday.
Of the 34 players who entered the pro’s competition, only five managed to par it - Vance Richardson, Allan White, Mike Lewin, Stu Harbottle and Glen Udall.
It averaged double-bogey seven among both divisions, with scores ranging from par to the poor schmuck - a Division 1 player - who had a 10.
The Poverty Bay team for the ER Black Cup Canadian foursomes interclub at Pātutahi on Sunday are - Lynne Holmberg/Peter Hakiwai; Rochelle Taewa/Alister Jennings; Pen Wanklyn/Richard Foon; Andy Hayward/Suze Hayward; Amanda Matthews/Stephen Francks.
WEDNESDAY - 9-holers’ LGU, putting: S. Hayward 14, R. Pettigrew 15, L. Brown 15, N. Johnson 16.
TUESDAY - Veterans’ Stableford: G. Marchbank 39, T. Goldsmith 38, L. Foster 38, G. Pellett 38, D. Pirimona 38, D. Maloy 37, N. Jones 37.
Twos: G. Pellett, P. McKenzie.
Hidden hole (No 9): R. Farmer net 2
SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: D. Patumaka 42, B. Brown 36, J. Willoughby 36, B. Morgan 36.
Division 2: M. Lewin 41, P. Rickard 40, C. Smith 39, A. Daube 39, L. Pollitt 38, R. Chalmers 37.
Twos: A. Reedy, K. Houkamau, P. Rickard, A. Hayward.
Nearest to pin: B. Morgan.
SATURDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: P. Anderson 39, G. Brown 37, W. Donnelly 37.
Division 2: C. Simpson 33, R. Richards 32.
Twos: D. Pirimona, W. Donnelly.
Nearest to pin: W. Donnelly.
THURSDAY (April 23) - Men’s Stableford: B. Colbert 36, I. Murphy 34, W. Mortleman 34.
Division 2: N. Mackie 36, M. Dodgshun 36, D. Atkins 35.
Twos: K. Goldsmith, R. Owen, S. Jeune, D. Keown, W. Mortleman.
Nearest to pin: M. Gemmell.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, May 23, Enterprise Motor Group Open Foursomes, 18 holes, men’s, women’s and mixed pairs.
Men’s handicap cup matchplay action continued over Anzac weekend.
Several intermediate division matches were played. Josh Hayes beat Mike Christophers on the 17th, Shaun Pahina knocked over Derek Craven on the 18th and Glen McKinnon beat Junior Akurangi.
Bailey Matoe defeated John Collier Jnr in a senior match.
The club raised $250 from its three-person ambrose competition on Saturday. The money was donated to Gisborne RSA.
The Village Butchery Meat Treat Open Day women’s tournament is on Saturday. There will be 18-hole and 9-hole sections. Report at 9am for a 9.30am shotgun start. The closing date for entries is April 30. Post-entries will be accepted.Inquiries to Carney Pipi 021897739 or Sue Maisey 8688811 or 0210671313.
The tournament will also feature round 5 of the Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants.
The Electrinet Park team for the ER Black Cup interclub competition at Pātutahi on Sunday are - Ed Pirini/Raukura Chesley; Chris Fox/Carney Pipi; James Witika/Min Vette; Luke Hayes/Stephanie Hayes; Mike Christophers/Emma Hayes.
COMING UP: SATURDAY/SUNDAY, May 30-31, Treemarkables Men’s Strokeplay 54-hole Open, first round and first nine holes of second round on Saturday, from 9am and 1.14pm, second-nine of second round and final round on Sunday, from 9am and 11.45am, prizegivings on both days, inquiries to (06)8679849 or admin@gpgolfclub.co.nz
Mark Watts’ best round of the year was accordingly rewarded on Sunday.
Watts won the Stableford with 79-14-65, for 39 points.
SUNDAY - Stableford: M. Watts 39, P. Tuapawa 34.
Twos: J. Hale, T. Higgs.
Approach: BJ Sidney.
SUNDAY (April 19) - Stableford: T. Adamson 34, M. Watts 32.
Approach: T. Adamson.
Twos: T. Higgs, T. Adamson.
Golf was secondary to a stunning East Coast day at the Springs on Sunday.
“What a beautiful day it was, we had the bluest skies,” said club member Hiria McClutchie, adding the golf “wasn’t flash”.
James Forrester’s 35 points won the men’s Stableford while Denise Pearson was the best of the modest scoring among the women.
SUNDAY - Women’s Stableford: D. Pearson 27, P. Summersby 26, R. Ngatai 26.
Men’s Stableford: J. Forrester 35, R. Smith 34, P. Ngarimu 33.