Tracey Ford needed an octopus to help carry her trophies at the Electrinet Park women's prizegiving after a successful golfing season that included the intermediate women's club championship crown and the Benson Cup pairs partnered with Carney Pipi.
Has he peaked too early?
That question will be answered when Steve Phillips tees off on Sunday as the No 1 qualifier in the men’s 18-hole shootout final.
Phillips timed his run nicely to post two counting net scores over the past two weekends for a 561 total for his five best net scores off the white tees and three best nets off the blues.
On Sunday, he signed for 77-12-65, one shot shy of his best shootout qualifier of 75-11-64 on March 16.
His overall total put him four shots ahead of second qualifier Mike Bond (565), with Luke Hayes a shot back.
The rest of the 19 qualifiers are defending champion Matt Henwood (569); Craig Christophers (570); James Witika (572); Mat Greeks (574); Ian Loffler (575); Mat Downie (575); Junior Akurangi (577); Anthony Pahina (581); Mike Christophers (584); Bailey Matoe (586); Brad Reynolds (586); Heath Tupara (589); Shaun Pahina (591); Josh Hayes (594); Josh Adams (601); and Peter Stewart (605).
Chris Fox was the unlucky 20th on 619, but is first reserve if there are any withdrawals.
The final tees off at 9am on Sunday.
THURSDAY (Nov 20) - Novus Glass twilight Stableford, Division 1: B. Matoe 21.
Division 2: W. Tamatea 22, D. Gregory 21.
Men’s long drive: M. Windle.
Women’s long drive: C. Holland.
Nearest the pin: S. Phillips.
Birdie board (No 8): C. Christophers, J. Devery, B. Matoe.
Monkey on the back: B. Rogers.
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the previous time he shot in the 80s, but Brian Tietjen’s winning round on Sunday had its highs and lows.
Tietjen won the Division 2 men’s net with 86-23-63. There was an element of rollercoaster ride to it - he made a quintuple bogey 9 on the fourth hole, along with birdies on the 11th and par-3 12th.
It was his best round since an 84 in November of last year, which featured a hole-in-one on the sixth.
Tietjen’s Sunday effort edged Reef Waititi (85-22-63, including a two) on countback.
Beau Toa’s 77-11-66 won Division 1 while the fast-improving Frances Tupara, who has dropped from a 35-handicap to 21 in less than three months was a clearcut winner of the women’s net with 88-22-66.
SUNDAY - Men’s net, Division 1: Beau Toa 66, H. Harris 67, G. Brown 69, L. Anania 69, P. Hokianga 71, R. Pardoe 71.
Division 2: B. Tietjen 63, R. Waititi 63, B. Pohatu 65, D. Skudder 67, C. Kaa 68, T. Hawea 69, J. Phillips 69.
Women’s net: F. Tupara 66.
Twos: Beau Toa, B. Tietjen, R. Waititi.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: R. Hindmarsh 21, A. Hindmarsh 20, W. Brown 19, K. Harrison-Allen 18, A. Nimmo 18, J. Priestley 18.
Division 2: L. Kriel 22, C. Holland 22, H. Humble 21, D. Dodgshun 21, D. Somerton 21, K. Dodgshun 21.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, December 20, Enterprise Motor Group Patutahi Christmas Hams Open Golf Tournament, 8am and 12 noon tee-offs, men’s and women’s divisions, inquiries to George Brown 0273709869 or horiboy1@xtra.co.nz
Vance Richardson fell 45 centimetres of joining an elite club in what he modestly described as “a good day” on Saturday.
Richardson posted his best score since February of 2024 in winning the Division 1 men’s Stableford with 76-10-66, for 42 points.
The highlights reel included a near-albatross (3-under) on the 12th where he hit a 5-wood for his second and his ball ended 18 inches from the hole.
Richardson added that eagle to a two on the sixth.
Anaru Reedy’s scintillating end to 2025 continued as he rejoined as a member of the Awapuni Links course.
Reedy rocked up Sunday morning to play with “the Sunday School” and proceeded to shoot 6-under 66 off his +2 handicap.
His round featured seven birdies - three on the trot from the 12th to 14th holes - and one bogey and was one shy of his personal best at the Bay.
David Hall could lay claim to being the best 18-handicapper in New Zealand after his 84 on Sunday, which won him the Division 2 men’s Stableford with 42 points.
Manav Garewal broke 90 for the first time since June of 2024 as he led a veteran blitz last Tuesday.
Garewal started the day on a 23-handicap, carded 87 for a net 64 and 44 points to win the veterans’ Stableford, then woke up the next day on 20.
Ross Gibson could have fried an egg on his beloved Scotty Cameron putter on the way to winning the Division 1 men’s Stableford on Sunday with 79-12-67, for 41.
Travis White had an official PB at Poverty Bay in winning the Division 2 men’s Stableford on Saturday with 87-20-67, for 41.
SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: R. Gibson 41, A. Reedy 40, C. Taewa 40, W. Mortleman 38, S. Andreassen 38, M. McMenamin 38.
Division 2: D. Hall 42, L. Hewson 37, K. Travers 37, N. Jones 37.
Twos: D. Hall, M. McMenamin, D. Patumaka, D. Bullivant.
Nearest to pin: M. McMenamin.
SATURDAY - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: V. Richardson 42, S. Francks 38, D. Bullivant 38.
Division 2: T. White 41, M. Smith 41, K. Goldsmith 39.
Twos: V. Richardson, D. Bullivant, A. Hayward.
Nearest to pin: V. Richardson.
FRIDAY - Fulton Hogan Friday Ambrose Teams Series, Round 2 (ambrose net): Ratamatea 17; The Big M 18.21; Fulton Hogan 18.62.
Overall: The Big M 37.13; Yokel Gubbrment 37.62; Ratamatea 38.12.
THURSDAY (Nov 20) - Men’s Stableford, Division 1: B. Anderson 37, T. Goldsmith 35, B. Colbert 33, G. Morley 33, A. White 33.
Division 2: D. Bush 37, J. Nepia 36, J. Rowe 36, M. Dodgshun 36, M. Smith 34.
Twos: J. Rowe, J. Pittar.
Nearest to pin: V. Richardson.
WEDNESDAY (Nov 19) - Twilight 9-hole Stableford, Division 1 men, front 9: A. Hayward 20 on c/b.
Back 9: J. Willoughby 19.
Division 2 men, front 9: T. Amess 21, J. Partington 21.
Back 9: M. Allen 23.
Women: K. Searle 19, M. Allen 10.
TUESDAY (Nov 18) - Veterans’ Stableford: M. Garewal 44, B. Anderson 43, M. Pittar 43, D. Bullivant 41, R. Wells 40.
Twos: R. Wells.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, Primo Cup finals for men and women and Country Food hidden partners; SUNDAY, December 14, Taste One/First Light Frozen The Hams Christmas Open, men’s and women’s Stableford, 40 hams to be won, first paid 144 entries at the pro shop, assemble at 9am for 9.30am shotgun start.
Polly White made the trip through Waioeka Gorge a victorious one at the Waikohu Christmas Cheer tournament on Saturday.
The Ōpōtiki club member shot 85 on an amended course - two holes were adjusted - to win the women’s gross by 10 strokes.
Local women dominated the other sections - Audrey Tamanui-Nunn (71) winning the net on countback from clubmates Ella Wynyard and Andrea Reeves, while Penny Rutene’s 40 points won the Stableford.
Patutahi’s Eddie Brown Jnr shot 69 to win the men’s gross by two shots from Electrinet Park’s Peter Stewart.
Richard Reeves’ 64 was the round of the day and won him the net.
Murupara member Te Taute Taiepa won the Stableford with 38 points.
SATURDAY - Waikohu Christmas Cheer open tournament, women’s gross: P. White 85, C. Te Rito 95, R. Hiko 96.
Women’s net: A. Tamanui-Nunn 71, E. Wynyard 71, Andrea Reeves 71.
Women’s Stableford: P. Rutene 40, K. Torrez 38, C. Holland 37.
Men’s gross: E. Brown Jnr 69, P Stewart 71, B. Yates 72.
Men’s net: R. Reeves 64, G. Pari 65, G. McLean 66. A. Ruru 67.
Men’s Stableford: T. Taiepa 38, K. Ruru 36, L. Green 35, M. Yates 34.
Long drives: Kennedy Sarich (women), Hukanui Brown (men).
Approaches: E. Wynyard (women), D. Wilson (men).
Twos: D. Wilson, P. Hakiwai, S. Ritchie, T. Reeves, E. Brown Jnr, L. Green.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, Nov 29, Ruatōria Four Square Te Puia Hot Springs Christmas tournament, gross, net and Stableford, lots of hams to be won, 10.30am to 12 noon rolling start. Inquiries to Dick Cook 021371364.