Husband and wife Andy and Suze Hayward were the overall mixed pairs winners at the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 3x9-hole net tournament held at Poverty Bay Golf Club on Sunday. Shaw's daughters, Bianca Shaw (left) and Lisa Osler attended the prizegiving. Photo / Chris Taewa
An annual Poverty Bay minivan pilgrimage to Tahunga will once again take place ... this time with a new trophy in tow.
Over the years, the Tahunga Men’s Open has become a must-do for a hardcore crew of PB choppers led by Brent Colbert.
Golf is almost secondary to the social occasion, particularly if the weather gods smile over the picturesque nine-hole track famous for its signature par-three bridge hole.
Former scrap metal dealer “Colby” is a long-time sponsor of the tournament and 25 years ago presented a unique American bourbon bottle trophy he made himself, which is presented to the gross winner.
This Saturday, for the 2026 edition, another trophy will be added to the tournament’s illustrious history as a tribute to the connection between the Poverty Bay boys and Tahunga.
The trophy, designed by Poverty Bay’s Brad Morgan, features a giant pine cone on a heavy piece of wood, with a club head and ball also mounted on it.
The pine cone was literally tripped over by one of the PB motley crew when he veered off the beaten fairway on the par-five seventh hole last year.
Marvelling at the sheer size of it, he weightlifted it on to his trundler and took it home with the trophy idea in mind.
Poverty Bay head greenkeeper Rowan Clark, also a Tahunga trip regular, provided the piece of wood from the Awapuni Links course, and Morgan happily volunteered to put on his creative cap and make something of it.
That something is the Tahunga Pinecone Pairs trophy which, to be fair to all, will be decided in a drawn pairs format.
One of the PB boys, Ross Chalmers, will be keen to get his hands on it. He has already won the gross and net titles over the years. Winning the PP would be a history-making treble.
COMING UP: SATURDAY - Tahunga Men’s Open, morning tea from 10.30am, tee-off 11am, gross, net, Stableford, inquiries to Ross Langlands 0226460899 or email tahungagolfclub@gmail.com, note the club does not have eftpos.
Mike Allen was quick to divert the praise after winning the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout pairs crown on Sunday.
Allen’s cohort Hayden Anderson was unable to attend the prizegiving, leaving his mate to receive the applause and subsequent silverware on his own.
He wasn’t having any of that. While it was no one-man band performance, Allen said Anderson was the star of this show and his was a supporting role.
There’s no “I” in team, but there is a “mate” and Allen played his part as the pair set up victory with a brilliant best-ball nine holes in the 3x9-hole net tournament, which comprised nine holes of best-ball, nine of Canadian foursomes and nine of ambrose.
Anderson, off a 21-handicap, shot 42 (4-under his handicap) as the pair posted a net 28 for the best-ball, the top score of the 40-pair field.
They backed that up with the third-best Canadian foursomes score and the ninth-best ambrose for an overall winning total of 93.75.
Electrinet Park’s Mike Christophers and Bailey Matoe, having played two rounds of Tairāwhiti interclub pennants at Waikohu the day before, were second overall on 96.
Husband and wife Andy and Suze Hayward were the epitome of golfing domestic bliss as they won the mixed pairs section with 96.5 from Lynne Holmberg and Kit Goldsmith (98.25).
TUESDAY - Veterans’ Stableford: R. Davis 38, B. Morrissey 37, D. Pirimona 37, J. Kerekere 36, G. Marchbank 36.
Twos: D. Pirimona, G. Marchbank, L. Owen, P. Clayton.
Hidden hole (14th): P. McKenzie net 2.
SUNDAY - Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 3x9-hole pairs net tournament, overall winners: M. Allen/Hayden Anderson 93.75 from M. Christophers/B. Matoe 96 on c/b.
Mixed pairs winners: A. Hayward/S. Hayward 96.5 from L. Holmberg/K. Goldsmith 98.25.
Best-ball 9-hole winners: M. Allen/H. Anderson.
Canadian foursomes 9-hole winners: L. Holmberg/K. Goldsmith.
Ambrose 9-hole winners: A. Pahina/S. Pahina.
SATURDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: P. Clayton 39, S. Francks 34.
Division 2: K. Goldsmith 35, J. Aitchison 35, D. Mettrick 34.
Twos: G. Brown, J. Aitchison.
Nearest to pin: P. Clayton.
THURSDAY (May 7) - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: W. Mortleman 36, P. Clayton 36, P. Butler 34.
Division 2: J. Pittar 40, N. Mackie 40, G. Clapham 40, A. Kirkpatrick 38, B. Read 38, B. Croskery 37.
Nearest to pin: J. Pittar.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, May 23 - Enterprise Motor Group Open Foursomes, 18 holes, men’s, women’s and mixed pairs.
Father Shannon rules the Toa household when it comes to golf.
But there’s little separating his sons Blue and Beau, which was the case in the Friday meat pack nine-hole Stableford on Friday.
Beau, who has a 13.9 handicap index, won with 21 points - firing a 2-over 37 - and Blue, on 14.6, shot 38 for 20.
Shannon was in their slipstream after his 43, but remains the Toa whānau No 1 on a 9.9 ... for now.
John Tietjen was in the Friday money with his 19 points and stepped it up on Sunday to win the net with 93-25-68.
SUNDAY - McKeague and Te Kani Pere cups qualifying, net: J. Tietjen 68, T. Hindmarsh 69, P. Johnston 71, S. Robertson 71, B. McKenzie 71, S. Gray 72.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: Beau Toa 21, Blue Toa 20, T. Sharp 19, L. Jamieson 18, M. Owen 17 on c/b.
Division 2: M. White 22, A. Zame 22, K. Utting 21, J. Tietjen 19, D. Quinn 19 on c/b.
Muzza Yates did the treble in Sunday’s Stableford.
Yates won with 79-13-66, for 38 points, got the approach and had a two.
Youngster Leighton Aupouri went close to an ace the previous week, putting his approach to 15cm from the hole.
SUNDAY - Stableford: M. Yates 38, J. Hale 34.
Approach: M. Yates.
Twos: M. Yates, J. Hale.
SUNDAY (May 3) - Medal competition: L. Aupouri 68, G. McLean 72.
Approach: L. Aupouri.
Twos: L. Aupouri, W. Aupouri.
Tim Beattie has a beautiful singing voice, but it was his golf that was in fine tune as the men’s Handicap Cup champions were found on Sunday.
Beattie defeated Dave Rameka on the 17th hole in the Chrisp Cup junior final.
The Presidents Cup intermediate final went to the wire, with Glen McKinnon fending off Josh Hayes on the 18th.
Reuben Maynard powered to a 4-up lead after nine holes in the Holmes Trophy senior final and went on to beat John Collier Jnr 4 and 3.
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
Ella Wynyard equalled her best round of the year - 86-15-71 - to win the women’s Stableford on Sunday with 37 points.
Tom Smith cruised to victory in the men’s Stableford with 35.
SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford: T. Smith 35, P. Milner 31, K. Tamanui 31.
Women’s Stableford: E. Wynyard 37, T. Rutene 30.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition.
City boys Poverty Bay hold a tenuous lead heading into the deciding round of the Tairāwhiti Endeavour Shield men’s interclub pennants.
Electrinet Park will host that round on May 23 with a handful of the six-man teams in with a shot of glory.
Reigning champions Pātutahi (1) ate into Poverty Bay’s advantage in round 3 held by Tahi last weekend.
The hosts’ No 1 team picked up 16 points through matchplay wins to Tom Brodie, Antonio Zame, Tom Hindmarsh and Dom Wilson.
It lifted them to 44 points overall, just two behind Poverty Bay, who added 14 points to their tally from wins to Kelly Spring, Stu Harbottle and Jason Lloyd and a half to Peter Hakiwai.
Mahia are sitting third on 38, but only managed eight points in round 3, thanks to wins to Rusty Smith and Bruce Maher.
Tolaga Bay lost ground after pocketing eight points to move to 36 points - Mark Watts and Gary McLean their victors.
Pātutahi (2) enjoyed the home advantage. Their 16 points provided by wins to Mike De Luze, Pat Molloy, Dan Williams and Ben Cameron propelled them to 36.
Electrinet Park also had a good day - victories to Mat Greeks, Kurei Collier, Luke Hayes and James Witika advancing them to 36, alongside Tolaga Bay.
Waikohu are on 28 after Percy Milner and Blair Crawshaw had wins, while Te Puia Hot Springs remained bottom of the table on 24 although they did boost their total by 10 courtesy of wins to Peter Harrison and Ken Lewis and a half by Eru West.
The best Stableford scores of the day came from Watts and Smith, each on 39 points.
In the fourth and final round, Poverty Bay face Tolaga Bay, Pātutahi (1) play Te Puia Hot Springs, Mahia are up against Waikohu and Electrinet Park clash with Pātutahi (2).