It was a tough day out weather-wise for those involved in the three finals at Poverty Bay's Liquorland men's club championships on Saturday. Enjoying the comfort of the 19th were (from left) intermediate champion Darryl Grant, junior champion Kymani Tamatea and intermediate second 16 winner Kit Goldsmith.
An “unstoppable” young lad looks to have made Poverty Bay history in his first full season with the club.
While it is not officially confirmed, 11-year-old Kymani Tamatea is almost certain to be the youngest winner of a Poverty Bay club champion title.
And perhaps fittingly, it is a driving force behind the youngster – father Waiti – who he beat to get his name in gold lettering on the honours boards.
Kymani defeated Waiti 4 and 2 in their 18-hole matchplay final played in at times horrible wet weather.
“I’ve played a lot of golf with Kymani recently ... but that day I hadn’t seen him play so well,” Waiti said. “He really wanted to beat dad.”
There was a “bit of banter” leading up to the match, including a “mini-wager”.
Campion College year 7 student Kymani responded with some memorable golf, including a birdie on the fourth hole, an excellent third shot from the rough on the tough ninth hole to set up a par and an outstanding up and down from the right-hand pot bunker on the 16th for another par and victory.
“He was unstoppable,” Waiti said.
Kymani joined a list of young players to have won the junior crown this century – Hamish Payne (2004), Calvin Foss (2007) and Danny Gibbs (2008) – but is significantly younger than they were.
Darryl Grant has two Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs titles to his name, but on Saturday did it all on his own in winning the intermediate men’s title.
Grant went one better than his 2020 final defeat to Neil Mackie to beat Dirk Bullivant 3 and 1 in the 36-hole final.
“It was a pretty hard day ... tough conditions,” he said. “When it rained, I played poorly. When it stopped, I played well.”
Grant led 1-up at the halfway stage, then got to 5-up in the third nine, but Bullivant would not go away.
“He came back ... I think he won four holes in row [before] I stopped the rot on the 13th [31st hole].”
He paid tribute to Bullivant – describing their match as “really enjoyable” – and was delighted to clinch a title he had been targeting “for quite a while”.
Kit Goldsmith beat Jacob Leaf in the intermediate second 16 final.
The senior men’s 36-hole final between Waka Donnelly and Gisborne Boys’ High student Marcus Gray is being held on Saturday.
Donnelly will go into it on the back of a victory at the Bay of Plenty Masters strokeplay at Whakatāne Golf Club last weekend.
Donnelly won the 55 years-plus division with a 36-hole score of 7-over 147 (75, 72), two strokes ahead of Otago’s Andrew Hobbs. His score was third-best in both the 55yrs+ and 40-54yrs age groups.
Another Poverty Bay member, Hayden Keast, was 23rd in the 40-54yrs division with 163 (77, 86). Whakatāne’s Steve Heberley won on 143 (67, 76).
WEDNESDAY - Women’s net: S. Spence 72, G. Young 72, R. Taewa 73.
Longest putt: J. Muir.
TUESDAY - Veterans’ Stableford: M. Devery 43, B. Read 42, G. Pellett 37, C. Poole 36, K. Travers 36, N. Jenkins 36, K Ellison 36.
Twos: D. Bullivant, J. McGregor, R. Fletcher, C. Poole.
MONDAY - Women’s Stableford: G. Young 34, S. Spence 32, P. Wanklyn 32.
Twos: M. Colebourne, F. Bagley.
SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: A. White 38, D. Pirimona 38, D. Croskery 37.
Division 2: B. Marshall 43, N. Jones 42, L. Hurlstone 38.
Twos: M. Norman, M. Jefferson, R. Norman, D. Pirimona
Approach on 6: M. McMenamin.
SATURDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: R. Morley 38.
Division 2: L. Hurlstone 32.
Approach on 6: T. Goldsmith.
THURSDAY (Sept 4) - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: C. Poole 36, B. Colbert 35, P. Clayton 35.
Division 2: W. Thompson 38, P. Gretton 37, C. Morton 36.
Twos: N. Mackie, M. Dodgshun, K. Goldsmith.
Approach on 6: M. Dodgshun.
Hukanui Brown closed in on Patutahi legend status in booking his place in yet another senior club championship final on Sunday.
Brown closed in on his seventh consecutive senior honour, and eighth in all, after winning a high-quality semifinal against Dwayne Russell.
“Fats [Brown] made two mistakes, I made three and that was the difference,” Russell said of his 2 and 1 defeat.
Both men birdied the 18th to complete their rounds - Brown shooting 2-under 68, Russell 71, including four birdies apiece.
Should Brown go on to win, he will equal the senior club championship record of Tony Burns from the mid-70s to early-80s.
His opponent was yet to be decided as of earlier this week, with the semi between Shayde Skudder and Regan Hindmarsh still to be played.
Michael Broad’s brave run from the 16th and bottom qualifying rung ended in the intermediate semis. He lost on the 17th to Jon Priestley, but showed fighting spirit in coming back from 4-down.
Tom Hindmarsh needed an extra hole to suppress Pat Hokianga in the other semi.
Octogenarian Joe Blair has a third club championship title in his sights - he was intermediate champ in 2008 and junior champ in 2009 - after ousting top seed Tony Sharp.
Standing in his way is reigning champion Korban Harrison-Allen, who made short work of Chris Kaa.
John Tietjen advanced to the endeavour final at the expense of Dave Quinn while Chris Harris had a walkover win over Maff White.
With the senior (Denise Johnston v Shelley Robertson) and intermediate (Kennedy Sarich v Sheree Gray) women’s finalists already sorted, attention turned to the junior division.
First-season player Frances Tupara, who has joined the list of ex-hockey players to convert successfully to swinging a different “stick”, beat club stalwart Helen Pomana in one semi.
Sisters were doing it for themselves in the other semi, with Kim Torrez earning family bragging rights in defeating sibling Charlie Holland.
All finals are on Sunday. The senior and intermediate finals are over 36 holes; junior and endeavour finals are over 18.
SUNDAY - Women’s Stableford: D. Johnston 33.
Men’s Stableford, Division 1: D. Russell 35, J. Priestley 35, T. Green 35, W. Baty 35, E. Brown Jnr 35.
Division 2: K. Harrison-Allen 36, P. Johnston 35, D. Kahukoti 34, C. Harris 33, M. De Luze 33.
Twos: J. Neilson 2, H. Brown, D. Kahukoti, D. Russell.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, division 1: T. Hindmarsh 23, M. Broad 19, D. Johnston 19, D. Pohatu 18, G. Brown 17.
Division 2: S. Gavin 20, D. Quinn 19, D. Dodgshun 18, C. Kirkpatrick 17, J. Blair 16.
COMING UP: Saturday, September 20, open closing day, men’s and Canadian mixed pairs sections, Ruka Tupara Memorial; Saturday, October 4, Birdies for Boobies Women’s Pink Ribbon tournament, pairs 3x6-hole, novelty prizes and raffles, cup of tea at 8.30am, 9.30am tee-off, wear pink and be in to win. Email ladies.patutahigolfclub@gmail.com or text Charlie on 0273442224.
Brad Reynolds is in the mix in two club championships.
Reynolds is still alive in Tolaga Bay’s version and last weekend advanced to the quarter-finals of Electrinet Park’s 2025 edition.
Michael Bond proved a stubborn opponent before Reynolds got across the line 2 and 1.
Matt Henwood also progressed to the last eight with a 5 and 4 win over Duane Mauheni.
The intermediate division featured two play-in matches to sort out the last 16. Steve Phillips beat Steve Rolls and Tom Reynolds knocked out Luke Hayes.
Shaun Frame, who joined Park in July, defeated Mason Emery to complete the quarter-final field for the juniors. He faces top seed Mat Greeks.
Most quarter-finals are on Sunday.
Penny Rutene and Sonny Ritchie were the best of the bunch in Waikohu’s open closing tournament on Saturday.
The Rutene-Ritchie combo racked up 42 points to win the mixed pairs Stableford by one point from Terry Reeves and Alexine Reeves.
An annual tournament that pays tribute to a popular figure of Waikohu past - the Terry Rutene Memorial 4x9-hole matchplay - is running over this weekend.
SATURDAY - Waikohu open closing tournament, mixed pairs Stableford: P. Rutene/S Ritchie 42; T. Reeves/Alexine Reeves 41; T. Smith/C. Holland 40; M. Tuapawa/T. Ruru 36; C. Te Rito/K. Tamanui 35; Andrea Reeves/R. Reeves 34.
Twos: K. Torrez/D. Reeves, A. Tamanui-Nunn.
Long drives: K. Torrez, Andrea Reeves, S. Ritchie, T. Reeves.
Approaches: M. Wesche, P. Milner.
Best second shot: Andrea Reeves/R. Reeves.
COMING UP: Saturday/Sunday, Terry Rutene Memorial 4x9-hole matchplay tournament, 10am tee-off both days, Sunday also features 18-hole competition; Sunday, Sept 21, AGM from 9.30am, Baty Cup drawn mixed pairs.
Mark Higham is a win away from Makarika Cup glory.
Higham beat James Forrester 1-up in their semifinal to book his spot in the title decider.
Kahu Waitoa ejected Daryl Goldsmith in another 18-hole battle to move into the semis.
SUNDAY - Stableford: P. Takarua 39, M. Arupa 38, D. Goldsmith 34.
Tim Adamson ended Dion Milner’s hopes of adding another senior men’s club championship title to his collection in quarter-final action on Sunday.
Their match was one of four played. Danny Boyle beat Peewee Tuapawa in an intermediate clash while Gary McLean ousted Pete Stevenson and Dan Matai eliminated Watene Reedy in junior duels.
Jeremy Murphy’s 85-20-65 won the net.
SUNDAY - Net: J. Murphy 65, G, McLean 69, D. Maitai 70.
Twos: B. Yates, R. Pomana, D. Maitai.
Approach: B. Yates.