The ER Black interclub champions for 2026 are Pātutahi, who won the Canadian foursomes aggregate Stableford title by just one point. From left are Sheree Gray, Ash Hindmarsh, Pat Hokianga, Frances Tupara, George Brown, Charlie Holland, Kim Torrez, Tom Hindmarsh, Kennedy Sarich and Dom Wilson.
A hair’s breadth, a sliver, a photo finish.
Any of those would be an apt description of possibly the tightest 2026 ER Black Cup interclub competition in history at Pātutahi on Sunday.
A mere two Stableford points separated the top three in the Canadian foursomes aggregate event involving six Tairāwhiti clubs.
Host club Pātutahi emerged the champions with a combined total of 162 points, one ahead of Electrinet Park, with Poverty Bay third on 160.
Waikohu were fourth on 145, Mahia fifth on 144 and Te Puia Hot Springs sixth on 132.
Ash Hindmarsh and Sheree Gray’s 37 points led Pātutahi to team glory, although it was more consistency across the board that gave them their minuscule advantage.
The other combos in the champion Tahi crew were Tom Hindmarsh and Charlie Holland, Dom Wilson and Kennedy Sarich, Pat Hokianga and Frances Tupara, and George Brown and Kim Torrez.
Electrinet Park duo James Witika and Min Vette were the stars of the day. Their 42 points was by far the best of all 30 pairs and their 75 off the stick was the top gross.
Stephen Francks and Amanda Mathews were top Poverty Bay pair, posting 36 points.
The other leading pairs for their respective clubs were Lawrence Green and Val Grace (34) for Waikohu; Wade Wesche and Jack Edwards (32) for Mahia; and Daryl Goldsmith and Robyn Ngatai (19) for Te Puia Hot Springs.
SUNDAY - ER Black Cup interclub results (Canadian foursomes Stableford), Patutahi 162: Ash Hindmarsh/Sheree Gray 37; Tom Hindmarsh/Charlie Holland 35; Dom Wilson/Kennedy Sarich 34; Pat Hokianga/Frances Tupara 30; George Brown/Kim Torrez 26.
Electrinet Park 161: James Witika/Min Vette 42; Ed Pirini/Raukura Chesley 32; Mike Christophers/Emma Hayes 31; Chris Fox/Carney Pipi 29; Luke Hayes/Stephanie Hayes 27.
Poverty Bay 160: Stephen Francks/Amanda Matthews 36; Alister Jennings/Rochelle Taewa 33; Peter Hakiwai/Lynne Holmberg 31; Andy Hayward/Suze Hayward 31; Richard Foon/Pen Wanklyn 29.
Waikohu 145: Lawrence Green/Val Grace 34; Tipi Ruru/Marg Tuapawa 33; Percy Milner/Audreny Tamanui-Nunn 29; TK Kaio/Ella Wynyard 26; Karauria Ruru/Toni Rutene 23.
Mahia 144: Wade Wesche/Jack Edwards 32; Bruce Maher/Elaine Westwood 31; Peter Premner/Renee Hiko 29; Bernie Crowley/Maria Wesche 27; Hira Campbell/Viv Kyle 25.
Te Puia Hot Springs 132: Daryl Goldsmith/Robyn Ngatai 31; Ian Logan/Francis McClutchie 30; Ken Lewis/Hiria McClutchie 27; Peter Ngarimu/Iritana Ngarimu 22; Bill Clark/Hazel Miratana 22.
SATURDAY - Net: H. Brown 69, R. Hindmarsh 69, B. McKenzie 70, L. Aupouri 71, L. Anania 71, T. Hindmarsh.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: R. Mottart 23, H. Harris 18, P. Molloy 18, S. Toa 18, A. Nimmo 18.
Division 2: D. Niven 20, G. Watson 20, R. Evans 18, C. Kirkpatrick 17, G. Roadley 17, H. Hughes 17.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, Endeavour men’s interclub pennants from 11am; SUNDAY, qualifying for McKeague and Te Kani Pere matchplay cups.
What could be the highest total in Kahlenberg Cup history earned Sally Spence and Jean Clayton the No 1 seeding in the women’s pairs competition at Poverty Bay Golf Club on Wednesday.
Spence and Clayton racked up a best-ball Stableford qualifying total of 52 points, having posted 47 on Monday.
Pairs were able to qualify on either Monday or Wednesday, or both, their best 18-hole score counting.
Most of the entries gave it a double shot and several big points tallies were compiled.
Janet Muir and Jaye McCafferty piled on 50 points to qualify second, and new member Kay Toon and Janet Steele were third with 49.
Reigning champions Miggles Shanks and Teresa Lewis had 40 points.
It’s first dibs for local golfers when entry opens on Monday for the 2026 Emerre and Hathaway Poverty Bay Men’s Open, to be held from September 24-26.
From 8am on Monday to Sunday, May 24, the club will be taking entries from Poverty Bay Club and Tairāwhiti association club members only.
It will then be opened up to outside players.
Entry can be done through the Early Bird Local Entry Form on the club’s website gisbornegolf.co.nz and through social media.
Sixty-eight pairs are confirmed for Take 2 of the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 54-hole pairs on Sunday. And the field will include a handful of mums after the tournament was postponed to Mother’s Day due to the weather.
WEDNESDAY - Women’s Stableford: J. Muir 41, K. Toon 40, J. Clayton 40, J. Steele 38, M. Colebourne 37.
Longest putt: M. Allan.
MONDAY - Women’s net: P. Gayford 67, J. McCafferty 70, S. Spence 73, G. Young 74, J. Clayton 77.
SUNDAY - Division 1: J. Situ 37, D. Patumaka 36, S. Andreassen 35, J. Willoughby 35.
Division 2: L. Pollitt 37, M. Thomas 36, R. Chalmers 36, M. Norman 35.
Twos: K. Marshall, R. Chalmers, A. White.
SATURDAY - Division 1: S. Francks 37, T. Akroyd 37, A. Hayward 36, T. Goldsmith 35, W. Mortleman 35.
Division 2: K. Goldsmith 39, B. Read 38, R. Richards 35.
THURSDAY (April 30) - Division 1: C. Dean 36, I. Murphy 35, A. White 34, N. Mackie 34.
Division 2: Reid Fletcher 36, R. Morley 36, D. Atkins 35, P. Gretton 35.
Twos: T. Sherratt, G. Clapham.
WEDNESDAY (April 29) - LGU 3, silver division: M. Colebourne 91-19-72.
Bronze 1: V. Bell 93-22-71.
Bronze 2: J. Steele 105-30-75.
Twos: J. Muir, M. Colebourne.
Coronation medal (silver): M. Colebourne 72.
Aotearoa Cup (bronze): V. Bell 71.
Veterans’ Cup net: V. Bell 71.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, May 23, Enterprise Motor Group Open Foursomes, 18 holes, men’s, women’s and mixed pairs.
Bailey Matoe and Craig Christophers have been brothers in arms over the Tairāwhiti interclub pennants series.
But that will all change as they become combatants for Diggit Gizzy men’s handicap cup glory.
Matoe and Christophers fill one semi-final of the Holmes Trophy senior division, while Chris Fox takes on Anthony Pahina in the other.
The Presidents Cup intermediate semis feature Kurei Collier against Glen “G Mack” McKinnon and co-sponsor Josh Hayes locking swords with Shaun Pahina.
In the Chrisp Cup junior semis, it’s Tim Beattie v Damian Pilitati and Matt Rofe v Dave Rameka.
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
Waikohu powered into title contention in round 5 as the Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants became a four-club race.
Electrinet Park hosted the fifth of seven pennants rounds as part of its Village Butchery Meat Treat open tournament on Saturday.
Waikohu earned the maximum 10 points with a matchplay whitewash of title contenders Pātutahi – picking up eight from their four individual wins and two for the team victory.
Jo Kerr, Ella Wynard, Audrey Tamanui-Nunn and Penny Rutene won their matches as Waikohu jumped to 31 points, just one behind joint leaders Mahia and Pātutahi.
Wairoa are lurking ominously in fourth on 30 points ... ominously because as hosts of round 7, they have the bye and get an automatic 10 points.
Round 6 at Poverty Bay on May 20 is going to be telling as Waikohu play Mahia and Pātutahi are up against Wairoa.
Round 5’s other team clashes ended in stalemates.
Mahia and Wairoa drew 5-all and that was also the score between Te Puia Hot Springs and Poverty Bay.
Results, Round 5 - Waikohu 10 Pātutahi 0 (Waikohu names first): Jo Kerr def Kennedy Sarich 4 and 3; Ella Wynyard def Frances Tupara 6 and 5; Audrey Tamanui-Nunn def Kim Torrez 5 and 4; Penny Rutene def Charlie Holland 1-up.
Mahia 5 Wairoa 5: Maraea Wesche lost to Louise Tana 6 and 5; Lee Steel def Tina Duncan 2 and 1; Paipan Denigan def Dardie Brown 2-up; Viv Kyle lost to June Underhill 4 and 3.
Te Puia Hot Springs 5 Poverty Bay 5: Hiria McClutchie lost to Janet Muir 1-up; Denise Pearson def Viv Bell 3 and 1; Robyn Ngatai lost to Jaye McCafferty 3 and 2; Hazel Miratana def Marg Colebourne 3 and 2.
Overall points: Mahia 32, Pātutahi 32, Waikohu 31, Wairoa 30, Te Puia Hot Springs 27, Electrinet Park 24, Poverty Bay 22.
The prestigious Johnny Jackson Trophy headed south after 36 players converged on the Awapuni Links for the Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers’ competition on Tuesday.
Mahia’s Peter Trow had one of his best-ever rounds to win the 18-hole net title. His 101-33-68 was one ahead of home-course member Cliff Poole’s 85-16-69.
Thirty-six veterans competed for the trophy, which used to be a matchplay series and has been won by many prominent GEC vets.
Results, Johnny Jackson Trophy overall net: P. Trow 68, C. Poole 69.
Stableford: P. McKenzie 38, Reid Fletcher 37, P. Clayton 37, R. Smith 37, J. Aitchision 37, D. Pirimona 37, R. Farmer 36, J. Jenner 36, K. Goldsmith 36, S. Gray 35, F. Ball 34.