Luke Hayes survived the carnage to win the Electrinet Park men's shootout final on Sunday. He beat Pete Stewart in a putt-off for the title. Photo / Chris Taewa
Luke Hayes survived a putt-off on the first hole, two more later in the round and a pressure-filled 18th to win the Park men’s shootout final on Sunday.
Hayes won a putt-off with Pete Stewart after both players made nervous bogey-5s on the 18th.
It was the first shootout title for the co-owner of Digg it Gizzy and match convenor for the club.
The shootout features 19 players, who all tee off the first. The player with the worst net is eliminated each hole (the further they go, the more money they earn) until only one remains. If more than one player has the same worst net on a hole, a putt-off or chip-off is held to decide who exits.
Hayes was involved in a chip-off from the start of the final, refereed by life member Evan Parkin, but survived. Heath Tupara did not and had the dishonour of being the first victim of a seven-hour day.
The fall of the dominos from there was Shaun Pahina (No 2); Mat Downie (No 3); Anthony Pahina (No 4 and minor bragging rights as he lasted two holes more than his son); Mike Christophers (No 5); Bailey Matoe (No 6); Josh Hayes (No 7, Luke’s brother, so more bragging rights); James Witika (No 8); top qualifier Steve Phillips (No 9); Mat Greeks (No 10 and nine holes further than the 2024 final); Mike Bond (No 11); Craig Christophers (No 12); Josh Adams (No 13); Junior Akurangi (No 14); Brad Reynolds (No 15); defending champion Matt Henwood (No 16) and Ian Loffler (No 17) after a putt-off with Hayes and Stewart.
Stewart, who qualified 19th, was in the box seat on the par-4 18th after putting his second shot about 8m from the pin.
Hayes went right with his second and had to play a flop shot over the bunker – his ball rolling just through the green. He two-putted, then watched as Stewart, known to many as “Legend”, left his birdie attempt 2m short and missed the jackpot-winning putt.
Both had net 5s, so a putt-off followed. Hayes almost holed his effort and Stewart’s finished about 25 millimetres behind.
THURSDAY – Novus Glass twilight Stableford, Division 1: J. Collier jnr 19.
Division 2: A. Nanai 20, K. Tamatea 19.
Long drive: J. Devery.
Nearest the pin: L. Hayes.
Birdie board (No 11): B. Matoe, Beau Toa.
Monkey on the back: S. Frame.
Marc Paerata’s whānau will be tucking into a juicy ham at Christmas, thanks to his golfing skills.
Paerata had the round of the day, 77-18-59, to win the men’s net at the Four Square Ruatōria Ham Xmas Tournament on Saturday.
A field of around 40 competed in ideal conditions.
Tolaga Bay’s Bruce Yates warmed up for his club’s shootout final on Sunday by winning the men’s gross with 72.
Poverty Bay’s Carey Hensley won the men’s Stableford with 38 points.
Home-course players cleaned up the major prizes in the women’s division. Hiria McClutchie won the gross (88), Robyn Ngatai the net (67) and Aomihi Cook the Stableford (36pts).
SUNDAY – Women’s Stableford: H. McClutchie 87-22-65, 39; I Ngarimu 94-25-69, 35.
Men’s Stableford: W. Mannering 89-23-66, 36; B Clark 79-12-67, 35; P Ngarimu 91-24-67, 35.
SATURDAY - Four Square Ruatōria Hams Xmas Tournament (major winners) men’s gross: B. Yates 72.
Men’s net: M. Paerata 59.
Men’s Stableford: C. Hensley 38.
Women’s gross: H. McClutchie 88.
Women’s net: R Ngatai 67.
Women’s Stableford: A. Cook 36.
Long drives: M. Vette (women), W. Crowley (men).
Approaches: H. McClutchie (women), B. Yates (men).
Twos: B. Yates, M. Higham, C. Holland, A. Tamanui.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Chaffey Cup (net) and prizegiving.
Mark Watts is the 2025 shootout champion.
“Wattie” absorbed the pressure the best to be the last man standing in the hole-by-hole net elimination competition on Sunday.
He fended off Gary McLean on the 18th, while Bruce Yates was third.
Waikohu combo Audrey Tamanui-Nunn and Blair Crawshaw led scoring to match the summer weather in the recent Xmas Hams tournament.
Tamanui-Nunn and Crawshaw won the Canadian foursomes Stableford with an impressive 47-point haul, two points ahead of Te Puia Springs couple Dick and Aomihi Cook.
Tolaga Bay’s Dan Maitai continued his strong form with 77-15-62, for 42 points, to win the men’s Stableford – his round featuring only pars and bogeys.
SUNDAY – Men’s shootout final: Mark Watts won from Gary McLean and Bruce Yates.
SATURDAY (Nov 23) – Xmas Hams Tournament, Canadian foursomes Stableford: A. Tamanui-Nunn/B. Crawshaw 47, D. Cook/A. Cook 45, H. Tupara/L. Waitoa 39, J. Hale/A. Hale 39.
Men’s Stableford: D. Maitai 42, R. Monika 41, G. McLean 41, BJ Sidney 39, M. Emery 39, M. Henwood 39.
Long drives: J. Devery (men), R. Hiko (women).
Humble in name. Humble in nature. Devastating in play.
That summed up a successful couple of days for long-time Patutahi member Helen Humble.
She racked up 22 points in the Friday meat pack 9-hole Stableford, only to be denied Division 2 victory by Cliff Blumfield.
Humble went one better on Sunday in winning the women’s net with 64.
Dave Skudder slipped under 90 for the second time this year in topping Division 2 of the men’s net with 88-23-65.
Chris Tietjen had eight pars and one bogey en route to winning Division 1 of the Friday meat pack Stableford with 24 points.
Watene Brown continued his build-up for the senior division of next year’s 88th National Māori Golf Tournament in Kerikeri with 35 off the stick to place second with 22 points.
Those wanting to play in the Christmas tournament on December 20 need to enter ASAP.
SUNDAY – Women’s net: H. Humble 64.
Men’s net, Division 1: S. Pohatu 68, S. Toa 69, P. Summersby 69, K. Harrison-Allen 69, P. Hokianga 70.
Division 2: D. Skudder 65, L. Jamieson 66, S. Pittar 69, P. Johnston 71, G. Watson 72.
Twos: K. Collier.
Jackpot: K. Collier.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: C. Tietjen 24, W. Brown 22, A. Hindmarsh 21, S. Toa 20.
Division 2: C. Blumfield 22, H. Humble 22, R. Evans 21, H. Hawea 21.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, December 20, Enterprise Motor Group Patutahi Christmas Hams Open Golf Tournament, 8am and noon tee-offs, men’s and women’s divisions, inquiries to George Brown 0273709869 or horiboy1@xtra.co.nz
Honours were shared in the 2025 edition of the Country Foods Gisborne Primo Cup final on Saturday.
Vance Richardson (36-21-15), Barry Brown (34-19-15) and Richard Foon (35-20-15) all finished on the same score, which is found by subtracting a player’s second-nine Stableford from their first-nine net.
The women’s final also produced joint winners. Marg Colebourne, no stranger to Primo Cup success, posted 36-20-16 and Jaye McCafferty 35-19-16. Debbie Kirkpatrick (35-18-17) was third.
The Country Foods hidden partners, open to all members, was held as part of the day.
Colbourne (39 points) and Hamish Williams won with a combined total of 80 from Barry Brown (39) and Peter Hakiwai (35) on 74 and Clive Dean (34) and Murray Smith (37) on 71.
Tony Akroyd was in supreme form in last Wednesday’s twilight Stableford. Akroyd won the Division 1 men’s front 9 with a 4-under 32, for 23 points, featuring birdies on the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth holes.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: R. Gibson 43, M. Jefferson 40.
Division 2: D. Hall 42, A. Putnam 38.
Nearest to pin: B. Anderson.
SATURDAY – Twos: G. Morley, M. Henwood, C. Simpson.
Nearest to pin: A. Hayward (men), J. Muir (women).
THURSDAY (Nov 27) - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: I. Murphy 37, M. Higham 37, S. Jeune 36, B. Anderson 36.
Division 2: K. Goldsmith 42, M. Gemmell 39, P. Humphreys 38, J. Aitchison 38.
Nearest to pin: B. Anderson.
WEDNESDAY (Nov 26) – Twilight Stableford, Division 1 men, front 9: T. Akroyd 23, A. Hayward 21.
Back 9: J. Devery 18.
Division 2 men, front 9: R. Ratima 22, J. Douglas 21.
Back 9: L. Hurlstone 24, M. Harris 22, J. Gillies 22, R. Moleta 21.
Women: J. Brott 23, J. Williams 21, L. Kriel 20.
Non-golfers: J. Harn from J. Hayward, C. Niven.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, December 14, Taste One/First Light Frozen The Hams Christmas Open, men’s and women’s Stableford, first paid 144 entries at the pro shop, assemble at 9am for 9.30am shotgun start.
The calculators came out for a different type of competition on Sunday – gross+net-Stableford.
Sonny Ritchie ended up the best on the day, shooting 86 off his 18 handicap for a net 68 and 38 points, which equated to a score of 116.
SUNDAY - Gross+net-Stableford: S. Ritchie 86+68-38 = 116; T. Rutene 88+69-39=118; C. Te Rito 95+68-40= 123; R. Reeves 81+74-32=123; E. Wynyard 89+72-36= 125
Twos: T. Smith.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, free day.