Blast from the past ... Tony Akroyd putts on the 12th green while watched by Brian Morrissey in the championship 16 final of the 2000 East Coast Open at Te Puia Hot Springs Golf Club. Morrissey went on to win the title and Akroyd won it nine years later. Entries are being taken for the 2025 edition of the ever-popular two-day tournament, first held 75 years ago. Photo /Paul Rickard
Blast from the past ... Tony Akroyd putts on the 12th green while watched by Brian Morrissey in the championship 16 final of the 2000 East Coast Open at Te Puia Hot Springs Golf Club. Morrissey went on to win the title and Akroyd won it nine years later. Entries are being taken for the 2025 edition of the ever-popular two-day tournament, first held 75 years ago. Photo /Paul Rickard
Ngāti Porou East Coast rugby past met Ngāti Porou East Coast present in one of the feature clashes of the King of the Coast men’s open at the weekend.
Ian Logan, who wore the Sky Blue jersey in the 2004 and 2005 seasons and also played 32 gamesfor Poverty Bay and one for Manawatū, faced off with B.J. Sidney, who was this week named in the Ngāti Porou (NPEC) squad for the 2025 Heartland Championship.
They were the last two standing in the Ūawa Handicap third 16 and Sidney, who will be part of the Kaupoi campaign for a ninth season, proved too good in Sunday’s matchplay final – winning 6 and 5.
Patutahi were well represented over the two days and on Sunday lunchtime, the club was still in the running for glory in the championship and second 16s.
Reigning champion William Brown crushed the hopes of the Tahi’s Hukanui Brown 8 and 6 in the championship decider, but Regan Hindmarsh flew the flag high in the Cook Handicap second 16.
Hindmarsh defeated Selwyn Lloyd, one of a group of members from Rotorua club Springfield who have been supporting the tournament for many years, 3 and 2.
En route to the final, Hindmarsh dismissed three-time King of the Coast champion Dion Milner (Tolaga Bay) 7 and 5 in the first round, fended off home-course player Tim Adamson 2-up in the quarter-finals, then pureed clubmate Neil Hansen 8 and 7 in the semis.
The Hauiti Handicap fourth 16 final was an all-visitor affair. Kawerau’s Max Ratana beat Springfield’s Richard Sewell.
Flight: Peter Bain (Carterton) from John Hale (Tolaga Bay).
Plate: Dave Waihaki (Mahia).
Consolation: Ross Hickman (Hutt Park).
Carol Wells (left) and Sue McLaughlin (right) with sponsors representative Birgitt Whyte after the Koco Classic 2x9-hole women's pairs tournament at Poverty Bay Golf Club over the weekend. Wells and McLoughlin were the overall winners with a best-ball net of 63 for the tournament which pairs an 18-hole player with a 9-holer. Players had a lot of fun under glorious Gisborne sun over the two days.
Poverty Bay
The scene is set for history to finally repeat 63 years later in this year’s Emerre and Hathaway Poverty Bay Men’s Open.
Springfield golfer Mark Smith will be vying for a third consecutive Keiha Cup championship 16 title from September 25 to 27 on the Awapuni Links course.
Success would elevate him alongside the most successful player in the tournament’s 94 years – Frank T. Gordon.
Gordon won it eight times between 1952 and 1969 including a run of three from 1960 to 1962 – the only player to have achieved that feat.
Younger brother Eric won three in four years (1964, 1965, 1967) as did Waka Donnelly (1989, 1990, 1992). Both won it seven times and Donnelly, who last won in 2010, will be back this year in another bid to equal Frank Gordon’s eight.
Before Saturday’s round, you had to go several pages back in Ross Morley’s World Handicap System scores to find the last time he officially shot 78 at Poverty Bay.
It was March 12, 2016 (off the blue tees) and more than 200 rounds later, he did it again to win the Division 1 men’s Stableford on Saturday.
Morley had birdies on the first, fourth and fifth holes and went on to shoot 78-13-65, for 43 points.
Marg Lane achieved what must be a rare feat on Monday ... her first two.
So what’s the big deal about getting a two? And why would it be rare? Well, Lane already has a hole-in-one to her name, but until Monday had never had a two. That ended with her birdie on the 117m par-3 second.
TUESDAY –Veterans’ Stableford: D. Niven 40, P. McKenzie 36, C. Hensley 35, G. Hawea 34, D. Bush 34, J. Jenner 34.
Hidden hole (18th): D. Niven.
MONDAY – Women’s Stableford: G. Young 36, D. Kirkpatrick 36, J. Muir 35.
Twos: M. Lane.
SUNDAY – Koco Classic women’s four-ball best-ball pairs net (2x9 holes over two days): C. Wells/S. McLaughlin 1st; S. Kemp/N Johnson and M. Allan/C. Mackie 2nd=; L. Holmberg/L. Brown 4th; C. Nelson/L. Lautmann 5th; J. McCafferty/A. Matthews 6th.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, August 24, Release the Roughy Farewell to Dave Keown open tournament, assemble at 9am for 9.30am shotgun start, pre-paid entries, enter at pro shop, wear orange or red.
Patutahi
A par on the 18th highlighted first-season member Frances Tupara’s handicap-slashing, women’s net-winning round on Sunday.
Tupara was the star of the day with 103-41-62 and responded to her handicap being cut by three by shooting 103 again on Tuesday.
With the club championships teeing off this Sunday, players are fine-tuning their games in preparation.
Pat Hokianga, the intermediate men’s champ in 2023, won the men’s Division 1 net on Sunday with 78-9-69.
Defending junior men’s champion Korban Harrison-Allen won Division 2 with 88-17-71 – his best 18-hole score in several months.
The first qualifying round of the 2025 champs is on Sunday. The reigning champions are Hukanui Brown (senior men), Pat Molloy (intermediate men), Harrison-Allen (junior men), Chris Kaa (endeavour men), Denise Johnston (senior women), Abbie Davis (intermediate women) and Charlie Holland (junior women).
SUNDAY – Men’s net, division 1: P. Hokianga 69, M. De Luze 73, P. Johnston 74, S. Pohatu 75.
Division 2: K. Harrison-Allen 71, P. Briant 74, M. Smith 76, T. Sharp 76.
Women’s net: F. Tupara 62, D. Johnston 70, S. Gray 73.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, division 1: M. Smith 18, P. Summersby 18, L. Jamieson 18. G. Hawea 17, D. Pohatu 17.
Division 2: B. Tietjen 20, J. Tietjen 18, H. Humble 17, D. Tarry 17.
COMING UP: Club championships, qualifying on August 3 and 10, matchplay from August 17, finals on September 7; SUNDAY, September 14, Ruka Tupara Memorial Tournament, Canadian mixed pairs; SATURDAY, September 20, open closing day, men’s and Canadian mixed pairs sections.
Te Puia Hot Springs
The East Coast Amateur Championship and Handicap Tournament is being held on November 15 and 16.
Entries are limited to the first paid 64.
The format is matchplay in four divisions. There will also be a Stableford practice round on Friday, November 14.
Inquiries to Mark Higham – m.higham@xtra.co.nz or ph 021-038-4364.
SUNDAY – Women’s net: H. McClutchie 94-21-73, P. Summersby 100-23-77, I. Ngarimu 106-28-78.
Men’s Stableford: R. Smith 82-16- 66, 36; P. Ngarimu 92-24-68, 34.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, round 1 Makarika Cup men’s competition, round 1 of Women’s Handicap Cup.
Waikohu
Tom Smith and Ella Wynyard warmed up for the club championships with Stableford victories on Sunday.
Smith won the men’s competition with 96-26-70, for 36 points, while Wynyard rode a rollercoaster of scoring – from five 3s to a couple of quintuple 9s – in topping the women with 94-19-75, for 35.
The first round of the club champs is this Sunday.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: T. Smith 36, S. Ritchie 35, R. Reeves 31.
