Retiring Poverty Bay Golf Club director of golf and club professional Dave Keown got into the spirit of the occasion at a tournament held in his honour at the Awapuni Links course on Sunday. A full field dressed up in orange and red in tribute to Keown, affectionately referred to by his mates as "Orange Roughy". Keown has been part of golfing fabric in the district since his younger days and for many years after his return to Gisborne. A lot of players have gone to him for lessons over the years and he has been a pivotal part of Poverty Bay-East Coast and now Tairāwhiti teams at national interprovincial level. Alex Kirkpatrick, on behalf of the club board, thanked Keown for his years of contribution and he was presented two years of membership to the course. In response, an emotional Keown thanked those who had supported him, particularly wife Shirley and his children. Keown will continue to help out Skylah Pohatu, who he trained as a professional and takes over the pro shop at the end of the month. The Tairāwhiti golfing community wish Keown all the best for his future. The Thursday School boys lie in wait with dollar signs in their eyes. Photo / Gray Clapham
Retiring Poverty Bay Golf Club director of golf and club professional Dave Keown got into the spirit of the occasion at a tournament held in his honour at the Awapuni Links course on Sunday. A full field dressed up in orange and red in tribute to Keown, affectionately referred to by his mates as "Orange Roughy". Keown has been part of golfing fabric in the district since his younger days and for many years after his return to Gisborne. A lot of players have gone to him for lessons over the years and he has been a pivotal part of Poverty Bay-East Coast and now Tairāwhiti teams at national interprovincial level. Alex Kirkpatrick, on behalf of the club board, thanked Keown for his years of contribution and he was presented two years of membership to the course. In response, an emotional Keown thanked those who had supported him, particularly wife Shirley and his children. Keown will continue to help out Skylah Pohatu, who he trained as a professional and takes over the pro shop at the end of the month. The Tairāwhiti golfing community wish Keown all the best for his future. The Thursday School boys lie in wait with dollar signs in their eyes. Photo / Gray Clapham
The oldest top-16 qualifier will take on the youngest in the senior men’s club championship semifinals this Saturday.
Peter Clayton, 67, powered into the last four with an emphatic 6 and 5 dismissal of Alex Meban.
“I played really steady ... but Alex probably wished he’d left hisdriver at home,” said bottom qualifier Clayton, who knocked out top seed Hayden Keast the week before.
Clayton’s next hurdle is 16-year-old teen machine Marcus Gray, who added at least another year to Tony Akroyd completing a Gisborne Park (2007-2009, 2016), Patutahi (2002, 2005, 2021) and Poverty Bay senior club championship treble. Gray won 3 and 2.
Craig Palmer joined a fairly exclusive club of players who have made birdies on each of the par-threes in the same round in his Friday victory over James Situ. The day before Situ’s 58th birthday, Palmer turned on the blowtorch in a 5 and 4 win.
In another Friday clash, Palmer will take on 1988 champion and 2024 runner-up Waka Donnelly, who ousted Stefan Andreassen 4 and 3, a pinpoint-accurate iron into the 15th for a near-gimme birdie completing the job.
Injury ended intermediate No 1 seed Vance Richardson’s title hopes. He pulled out during his match with Alex Kirkpatrick.
Reigning champion Tene Goldsmith delivered a short-game lesson to Keith Marshall in his 2 and 1 win; Darryl Grant won three holes on the trot to knock out Peter Hakiwai; and Dirk Bullivant ousted Mike Christophers 3 and 2.
The 50-year gap between Clayton and Gray doesn’t hold the proverbial candle to the junior match-up between octogenarian Cliff Poole and young buck Kymani Tamatea – around 70 years.
Kymani won, as did his father Waiti, over Andy Putnam. Shaquaid Hihi, who eliminated Mark Stewart, and Neville West, who directed Jim McGregor to the exit, stand in the way of an all-Tamatea final.
This trio could be seen from outer space while playing in the Dave Keown Farewell Tournament at the Awapuni Links course on Sunday ... Lynne Holmberg (left), Louise Shepherd and Maraea Wesche were enthusiastic participants theme-wise and golf-wise. Photo / Chris Taewa
Up-and-comer Jordyn Haley was the star of the Farewell to Dave Keown tournament on Sunday.
A large field turned up to pay tribute to the outgoing director of golf and club professional, who is retiring at the end of the month, handing over the reins to Skylah Pohatu.
Gisborne Boys’ High student Haley shot the round of the day – 45 Stableford points – on a course that featured some “special” pin placements and tees.
Salvi Zame had 44 points, another GBHS student Hunter Clapham had 42, as did Toby Williams.
Mary Allan’s 39 points was best of the women.
Neil Mackie and Andy Hayward were contenders for best hat award – Mackie going Halloween; Hayward Scottish. Photo / Chris Taewa
SUNDAY - Orange Roughy Farewell to Dave Keown tournament, men’s Stableford, Division 1: B. Morgan 40, M. Callaghan 39, D. Jenkins 38, T. Akroyd 37, M. Lewin 36, P. Clayton 36, R. Clark 36, G. Morley 36.
Division 2: T. Williams 42, C. Simpson 38, G. Clapham 37, S. Hihi 37, M. Steele 36, G. Marchbank 36, R. Norman 36, T. Sherratt 36.
Division 3: J. Haley 45, S. Zame 44, H. Clapham 42, B. Bramwell 41, M. Murphy 40, C. Morton 38, P. Allan 38, C. Shaw 37.
Women’s Stableford: M. Allan 39, J. Muir 38, T. Lewis 36, V. Bell 36, L. Holmberg 35, M. Wesche 35, S. Robertson 33.
SATURDAY - Liquorland men’s club championships, quarter-finals, Senior Division: Peter Clayton def Alex Meban 5 and 4; Marcus Gray def Tony Akroyd 3 and 2; Waka Donnelly def Stefan Andreassen 4 and 3; Craig Palmer def James Situ 5 and 4.
Intermediate Division: Alex Kirkpatrick def Vance Richardson; Darryl Grant def Peter Hakiwai; Tene Goldsmith def Keith Marshall; Dirk Bullivant def Mike Christophers.
Junior Division: Kymani Tamatea def Cliff Poole; Shaquaid Hihi def Mark Stewart; Waiti Tamatea def Andy Putnam; Neville West def Jim McGregor.
And Rocky Pardoe didn’t advance past the first round of the intermediate men’s club champs on Sunday.
Michael “the Matchplay Specialist” Broad was the villain in the unofficial ninth movie of the Rocky franchise as he belied his 16th qualifier status by KO’ing top seed Pardoe.
Broad has form in this format – unbeaten as he and his Patutahi teammates won the Endeavour men’s interclub matchplay pennants title earlier this year.
He also won the Division 2 men’s net with 83-17-66.
Broad’s next opponent is Ashley Hindmarsh, one of three Hindmarsh men to move into the quarter-finals.
Also into the intermediate quarters is George Brown, who fended off his great-nephew Watene to set up a clash with Jon Priestley.
Third seed Regan Hindmarsh, fourth seed Dwayne Russell and fifth seed Jace Brown got passes into the senior quarters after their opponents defaulted.
Sixth seed Hamish Harris smoked Dom Wilson 6 and 5, seventh seed Eddie Brown jnr saw off Dean Pohatu 2 and 1 and eighth seed Neil Hansen beat Reuben Mottart 4 and 3 to book a quarter-final battle with the man who has dominated this division for the past six years, Hukanui Brown.
Brian Pohatu (default), Chris Kaa and Cecil Brown had wins in the junior men’s division.
SUNDAY - Club championships, senior men, first round: Neil Hansen bt Reuben Mottart; Dwayne Russell won by default over Rios Moleta; Jace Brown wbd over Peter Hakiwai; Hamish Harris bt Dom Wilson; Regan Hindmarsh wbd over Wiremu Aupouri; Eddie Brown Jnr def Dean Pohatu. Hukanui Brown, Shayde Skudder had byes into quarters.
Senior women: Straight final between Denise Johnston and Shelley Robertson.
Intermediate men, first round: Michael Broad bt Rocky Pardoe; Ashley Hindmarsh bt Blue Toa; George Brown bt Watene Brown; Jon Priestley bt Butch McKenzie; Tom Hindmarsh bt Wayne Baty; Pat Molloy bt Sean Nepe; Andy Nimmo bt Sel Skudder; Peter Johnston v Pat Hokianga (to be played).
Intermediate women: Straight final between Kennedy Sarich and Sheree Gray.
Junior men, first round: Phoenix Nickerson defaulted to Brian Pohatu; Chris Kaa bt Dave Skudder; Cecil Brown def Graeme Holland. Tony Sharp, Madison Murphy, Joe Blair, Kobe Jones, Korban Harrison-Allen had byes into quarters.
Junior women, quarter-finals: Frances Tupara bt Jenny Ruru; L. Kriel to play Kim Torrez. Helen Pomana and Charlie Holland had byes into semifinals.
SUNDAY - Women’s net: C. Holland 72, F. Tupara 74.
Men’s net, Division 1: P. Molloy 69, H. Brown 70, H. Harris 70, G. Brown 71, M. De Luze 71.
Division 2: M. Broad 66, C. Kaa 70, J. Tietjen 74, D. Quinn 74.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: Blue Toa 20, D. Pohatu 20, H. Harris 18, B. Owen 18, D. Wilson 18 on c/b.
Division 2: G. Roadley 20, D. Quinn 17, P. Kupenga 17, K. Dodgshun 16.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club championship quarter-finals; SUNDAY, September 14, Ruka Tupara Memorial Tournament, Canadian mixed pairs; SATURDAY, September 20, open closing day, men’s and Canadian mixed pairs sections; SATURDAY, October 4, Birdies for Boobies Women’s Pink Ribbon tournament, pairs 3x6-hole, novelty prizes and raffles, cup of tea at 8.30am, 9.30am tee-off, wear pink and be in to win. Email ladies.patutahigolfclub@gmail.com or text Charlie on 0273442224.
Te Puia Hot Springs
Iritana Ngarimu injected confidence into her club championship title quest with victory in the Women’s Handicap Cup intermediate final on Sunday.
Ngarimu proved too good for Hiria McClutchie, winning 5 and 4.
The Makarika Cup men’s matchplay competition continued with quarter-finals action. Ian Logan beat Brendon McLeod 2 and 1, while Daryl Goldsmith defeated Roly Smith 4 and 3.
McLeod and Logan traded twos in their match.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, round 1 of women’s club champs.
Tahunga
Tahunga local Claude Smith combined forces with Electrinet Park’s Min Vette to run away with the mixed pairs honours at the club’s open closing day on Saturday.
Smith and Vette won the Noonan Cup with a combined Stableford total of 68 points – 10 clear of runners-up Mark and Tammy Steele.
Eddie Brown jnr (72) upstaged younger brother Hukanui (79) to win the men’s gross and Matt Jefferd’s 33 points was good enough to collect the Stableford honours from Terry Reeves (31).
COMING UP: SATURDAY, Oct 25, Tolaga Bay Centennial Anniversary tournament, 9-hole ambrose teams of four, 10am tee-off, inquiries to Murray Yates 0220943728.
Electrinet Park
A different layout of the course will be used in this weekend’s Treemarkable Men’s 54-hole Strokeplay Open.
Club captain Mike Christophers confirmed organisers were changing the order of some holes to make it more viewer-friendly.
More entries were received after last weekend’s club championships at some courses, but there are still plenty of spots available.
The format is 27 holes a day. Those wanting to enter or who have inquiries can contact the club on (06)8678949 or email competitions@gpgc.co.nz
