Michael Bond (left) and Heath Tupara after winning the 2024 Te Kanawa Cup pairs at Electrinet Park. Bond joined an elite club on Sunday when he made an albatross on the par-5 ninth hole during the Park's Xmas Tournament.
Odds of a million to one were defied in one of golf’s rarest feats at the Electrinet Park Xmas Tournament on Sunday.
Michael Bond sank a 4-iron from 174m on the 436m par-5 ninth hole for a double-eagle 2, or albatross as it is more commonly known.
“Crazy as ... it was all a bit unreal,” he said.
Bond, who plays off an 8-handicap, said he had been close to a hole-in-one before (about 5cm at Te Puia Hot Springs course), but had never had an eagle (2 under), let alone an albatross.
The five stableford points he got for the albatross “saved my day”, as he got in the prizes with a 36-point haul.
The odds of achieving what has been described as “the holy grail” of golf shots are difficult to substantiate, but according to the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, it is about a million to one ... there is a lot more chance of getting hit by lightning (555,000 to one).
Odds for a hole-in-one by an amateur are about 12,500 to one.
Bond joined an elite club to have achieved an albatross in Tairāwhiti, including, more recently, Simon Jeune and Andrew Higham, who sank a 3-iron on the first hole at Poverty Bay after a club competition match he was playing in went to extra holes.
Two of the game’s more famous albatrosses came at the Masters – Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard around the world” when he holed a 4-wood on the 214m 15th hole at the 1935 Masters and went on to win the title in a playoff; and Louis Oosthuizen’s 4-iron from 231m on the second hole at the 2012 edition.
A handful of players have gone one better than an albatross – a one on a par 5, known as “a condor”. Mike Crean’s perfect shot on the 472m ninth hole at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver in 2002 is the longest recorded hole-in-one.
Bond’s shot “heard around the Park” was the clubhouse talking point, but there were several other standout performances at the Xmas Tournament.
Pātūtahi’s Regan Hindmarsh unfortunately didn’t taste victory for Tairāwhiti at a tough national interprovincial campaign in Palmerston North last week, but he left the Park as the equal-best player in the field after winning the overall gross with 1-under 71.
Home club member Matt Henwood also carded 71 and was runner-up on countback.
Waikohu’s Penny Rutene won the women’s stableford with 107-47-60, for a whopping 49 points.
A point behind her was Patutahi’s Louie Kriel with 106-45-61, for 48.
Big-hitting leftie Josh Adams officially broke 80 at the Park for the first time since joining the club in late 2021. His 79-14-65 won the overall net on countback from Waikohu’s Richard Reeves, who fired 74-9-65.
Park’s Ray Walford won the overall men’s Stableford with 76-11-65, for 43, on countback from Waikohu’s Blair Crawshaw (108-41-67).
Other rounds of note came from Brad Reynolds (Park, gross 72); Charlie Holland (Patuthai, 45pts) Mason Emery (Park, 42pts); Lindsay Hunt (Poverty Bay, 42pts); Rueben Maynard (Park, 75, front nine of 1-under 35); and Courtney Hayes (Park, 42pts).
SUNDAY – Electrinet Park Xmas Tournament, overall gross: R. Hindmarsh 71 on c/b from M. Henwood.
Men’s overall net: J. Adams 65 on c/b from R. Reeves
Men’s overall stableford: R. Walford 43 on c/b from B. Crawshaw.
Women’s overall stableford: P. Rutene 49 from L. Kriel 48.
Division 1 men’s stableford: B. Reynolds 42, R. Maynard 42, C. Christophers 40, S. Peneha 39, J. Collier Jnr 39, I. Loffler 38, P. Nepia 36, M. Bond 36. R. Pohatu 35, D. Russell 35, B. Matoe 34, R. Gibson 34 on c/b.
Division 2 men’s stableford: Blue Toa 40, J. Akurangi 40, K.Spring 40, M. Greeks 39, G. McLean 39, L. Hayes 38, S. Webb 38, S. Pahina 37, D. Harrison 37, J. Hayes 37, T. Beattie 37, D. Mauheni 37.
Division 3 men’s stableford: M. Emery 42, L. Hunt 42, C. Kaa 41, J. Pardoe 39, M. Karalus 37, A. Carter 37, S. Fonoti 37, A. Nanai 37, I. Ruru 36 on c/b.
Women’s stableford: C. Holland 45, C. Hayes 42, A. Tamanui-Nunn 40, S. Hayes 39, R. Hiko 38, A. Reeves 38 on c/b.
Albatross on the 9th hole: M. Bond.
Twos: A. Hayward, J. Brown, R. Maynard, C. Christophers, B. Yates, J. Collier Jnr, R. Walford, J. Sheridan, H. Tupara, L. Hunt.
THURSDAY - Novus Glass twilight Stableford, Division 1: A. Pahina 20.
Division 2: W. Tamatea 21, L. Waitoa 21.
Men’s long drive: P. Dagg.
Women’s long drive: A. Reeves.
Nearest the pin: C. Christophers.
Birdie board (No 3): D. Price, M. Henwood.
Monkey on the back: P. Dagg.
Mark Jefferson joined the list of sub-par shooters for 2025 last Thursday.
Jefferson equalled his best score with a 1-under 71 that included the jackpot of two twos. He chipped in on the 147m second hole and later put his tee shot on the 167m 11th to a couple of feet of the hole.
His 43 points won the division 1 men’s stableford and he was in great form again on Sunday in shooting a 73 that featured a triple run of birdies from the eighth to 10th holes.
Frank Ball had his best score at Awapuni Links in two years and 10 months in last Tuesday’s veterans’ stableford. Ball piled on 45 points in his 76-13-63 – having last broken 80 on his home course in April of last year.
He highlighted a hot day of scoring among the vets ... 40 points was the cut-off.
The vets brought their year to a close this week with a drawn pairs competition and Christmas lunch.
He’s back! Allan White produced some of the golf of old on Sunday to equal his best round of the year and break 80 for just the third time in 2025.
The 2001 senior club champion won the division 1 men’s stableford with 77-12-65, for 43 points.
The field for the Taste One/First Light Frozen Hams Christmas Open on Sunday is full. Players are reminded to report at 9am for a 9.30am shotgun start.
TUESDAY - Veterans’ drawn pairs stableford: B. Read/R. Farmer 73; J. Holmes /G. Marchbank 73; D. Maloy/C. Hensley 71.
Hidden hole (No 4): R. Farmer (net 2).
SUNDAY - Men’s stableford, Division 1: A. White 43, M. Jefferson 41, D. Pirimona 38, P. Jefferson 37.
Division 2: R. Richardson 40, C. Hensley 38, K. Travers 37, G. Marchbank 36, P. Rickard 36.
Nearest to pin: N. Jones.
SATURDAY - Men’s stableford, Division 1: M. Jefferson 43, S. Francks 41, T. Goldsmith 40.
Division 2: B. Read 38.
Twos: M. Jefferson 2, S. Francks, S. Andreassen.
Nearest to pin: S. Andreassen.
Jackpot: M. Jefferson.
THURSDAY (Dec 4) - Men’s stableford, Division 1: W. Mortleman 37, A. White 36, V. Richardson 35.
Division 2: T. Sherratt 37, A. Abrahams 36, D. Atkins 36, P. Humphreys 35, M. Thomas 35.
Twos: W. Mortleman, C. Dean, C. Poole.
Nearest to pin: J. Aitchison.
TUESDAY (Dec 2) - Veterans’ stableford: F. Ball 45, L. Foster 44, D. Maloy 41, K. Ellison 41, N. Jenkins 40.
Twos: S. Andreassen.
Chick Bridge took home bragging rights over husband Crispin as they made their mark on the Friday meat pack stableford.
Chick won division 2 with 24 points while Crispin was third with 22.
Shelley Robertson (net 68), Sel Pohatu (67) and Toa Hawea (66) were the Sunday competition winners.
The field for the Patutahi Christmas Hams Open tournament on Saturday, December 20, is full.
SUNDAY - Women’s net: S. Robertson 68.
Men’s net, Division 1: S. Pohatu 67, D. Wilson 68, P. Molloy 69.
Division 2: T. Hawea 66, G. Holland 68, R. Waititi 69.
Twos: T. Hindmarsh.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: T. Brodie 22, B. Cameron 21, P. Summersby 21, T. Sharp 20.
Division 2: Chick Bridge 24, C. Blumfield 23, Crispin Bridge 22, I. Tietjen 22, C. Kaa 21, D. Dodgshun 21, D. Quinn 20.
The inaugural Tairāwhiti Junior Masters proved a hit as 70 youngsters of all abilities hit the Awapuni Links fairways on Saturday.
“It was an incredible turnout,” said organiser Anaru Reedy, NZ Golf’s participation and club support co-ordinator for Tairāwhiti.
Maioha Waru won the gross while Kymani Tamatea won the stableford.
The team of Huston Miriorangi-Stainton, Jack Holden, Carter Easterbrook and Tristam Flamwell won the 18-hole ambrose.
Reedy was grateful to all those who helped out on the day, the sponsors and Poverty Bay Golf Club for “the wonderful prizes and great condition of the course”.
Results – gross: Maioha Waru from Riki Reedy.
Stableford: Kymani Tamatea from Rua Tawhiwhirangi Ratima.
18-hole ambrose winners: Huston Miriorangi-Stainton, Jack Holden, Carter Easterbrook, Tristan Flamwell.
9-hole ambrose: Archie Gillies/Tom Moylan/Sam Mathews/Winton Williams 1st; Max Hammond/Hunter Clapham/Blake Bramwell/Ollie Tong 2nd; Jaxson Allen/Louie Curtis/Harry Gardiner/Tre Peachy 3rd
6-hole ambrose: Oscar Thorpe/Theo Alley/Max Williams/ Waiāriki McKay Ehau, Nesta Rickus/Rainjah Matiaha/Rylan Matiaha/Theo Fraser, Digby Kemp/Beetham Kemp/Hugo Thorpe/Ted Bousfield 1st=.
Best girls’ team: Violet Fletcher/Baely McLean/Josie Keast/Maddie Hansen.
Long drive: Maioha Waru.
Nearest the pin: Huston Miriorangi-Staunton.