Richard Reeves raises the finger after confirming his first-ever hole-in-one at the Mahia Golf Club last weekend. The Waikohu member sank an 8-iron on the 133m second hole.
Richard Reeves didn’t muck around when it came to confirming a bucket-list-ticking hole-in-one at Mahia Golf Club on Saturday.
“I ran down and had a look [in the hole],” the Waikohu member said.
Reeves sank his tee shot on the 133m second hole during the Whakaki Marae fundraising tournament.
“I was quite surprised,” he said of his 8-iron-hit ace, “as I was talking as I swung.”
Reeves, 43, was playing with wife Andrea Reeves and Waikohu clubmates Sonny Ritchie and Audrey Tamanui-Nunn.
Ritchie said it was “looking good” as they watched Reeves’ ball fly towards the green then take one bounce and disappear.
“That went in the hole,” Ritchie said while Andrea Reeves thought it had gone over the back.
Richard Reeves took off and ran down the hill to the green. On seeing his ball nestled in the cup, he raised his arms and jumped up and down to the cheers of his group from the tee.
Reigning Waikohu senior club champion Reeves said he had “never made that green”, let alone had a hole-in-one in the three years he had been playing seriously.
Mahia is a nine-hole course, so Reeves got to play the hole again and hit a similar shot – but this time with a 9-iron – to about just over a metre from the hole, only to three-putt for bogey-4.
He went on to shoot 84 off his 9-handicap.
“But I didn’t even care if I’d shot 120.”
It could have been a long putt.
It could have been an up-and-down from a tight lie.
Or it could simply have been one of several regulation pars.
Whatever it was, one shot proved the difference for Colin Simpson in the Summer Cup net series, which was decided on Saturday.
“Simmo” won the title by one stroke from Richard Foon.
Players counted their best three net scores over the five-round series.
Simpson was the only player to turn up for all five rounds, so the title was reward for support as much as his consistent scoring.
He posted a best-three-round total of 213 (70/74/69) while Foon, who played in the minimum number of required rounds, finished on 214 (69, 69, 76).
Three players finished on 217 – Mark Jefferson (75/67/75); Terry Loomis (75/76/66) and Mike Callaghan (74/71/72).
Loomis’ 87-21-66 was the round of the day.
Duncan Bush and Pat Butler enjoyed their best scoring in years in last Thursday’s Stableford competition.
Bush’s Division 2-winning 83-17-66, for 42 points, was his lowest round since an 82 in January 2024.
Butler won Division 1 with an excellent 2-over 74-7-67, for 41 points, including a back nine of 1-under 35. It came six-and-a-half years after shooting 73 in May 2017.
The Poverty Bay flag was flying at half-mast this week following the death of long-time member and Thursday Farmers’ stalwart Peter Graham.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: C. Palmer 36, M. Callaghan 36, T. Akroyd 34.
Division 2: J. Bryden 39, B. Marshall 35, S. Harbottle 35.
Twos: V. Richardson, G. Brown.
Nearest the pin: G. Brown.
THURSDAY (Jan 15) – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: P. Butler 41, C. Dean 40, M. Higham 39.
Division 2: D. Bush 42, P. Gretton 42, C. Poole 38, J. Williams 38, Reid Fletcher 38.
Twos: R. Murphy, M. Dodgshun, S. Anderassen.
Nearest the pin: M. Jefferson.
WEDNESDAY (Jan 14) – Twilight 9-hole Stableford, senior men, front 9: M. Wright 20.
Senior men, back 9: H. Douglas 17.
Junior men, front 9: L. Hunt 24, P. Dagg 22.
Junior men back 9: W. Tamatea 23, G. Hannah 22.
Women: C. Carpendale 21.
COMING UP: MONDAY, January 26, mixed pairs 18-hole tournament, four-ball best-ball net for the D.J. Barry Jug (best net) and Toogood Jug (best Stableford), two-tee start from 11am, barbecue and prizegiving to follow, enter at pro shop, solo entries will be taken and a partner organised.
Second-season golfer Taine Pirini won’t forget his first-ever tournament.
Pirini was only told on Friday by mother Raukura Chesley that he was playing in the Electrinet Gisborne Thistle Golf Day on Sunday.
The Poverty Bay member turned up, teed off and went on to win the Judy O’Rourke memorial trophy for top overall Stableford.
Pirini shot 87-23-64, for 44 points, to join the elite list of players to win the O’Rourke silverware, which honours the late Gisborne Thistle and Gisborne Park stalwart.
“I was pretty surprised,” Pirini, who described himself as “a casual golfer”, said.
He had to go to work at Gisborne Airport straight after his round, so did not know he had won until his mum contacted him.
Zane Boyle had seven birdies in his 2-under 70-3-67, for 41 points, which earned him the Morley Cup for best player affiliated or connected with Thistle.
Dan Collier, who recently joined Poverty Bay from Electrinet Park, won the gross with 70.
Carney Pipi’s 86 won the women’s gross and Ryan Majstrovic shot 89 to top the non-golfers’ gross.
Once again, the Carters-sponsored hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole was not struck. Park’s Andrew Carter won the lucky draw for that prize.
A field of 100 took part in the tournament, despite steady rain in the early afternoon.
SUNDAY – Electrinet Thistle Golf Day, Judy O’Rourke memorial trophy for top overall Stableford: T. Pirini 44.
Top Thistle-connected golfer (Stableford): Z. Boyle 41.
Top Thistle non-golfer (gross): R. Majstrovic 89.
Men’s overall gross: D. Collier 70.
Women’s overall gross: P. Carney.
Twos: D. Gregory, A. Hayward, W. Aupouri
THURSDAY (Jan 15) – Novus twilight Stableford, Division 1: I. Loffler 20.
Division 2: W. Muir 23, A. Nanai 23.
Long drive: I. Loffler.
Nearest the pin: S. Toa.
Monkey on the back: S. Frame.
Kennedy Sarich led an admirable Patutahi effort at the New Zealand Māori Golf Nationals tournament held on the Bay of Islands/Kerikeri, Waitangi and Kaikohe courses last week.
Sarich was one of three ’Tahi players who qualified in the third 16 of the senior wāhine section played at Kerikeri.
She defeated clubmate Charlie Holland 3 and 2 in the semi-finals to set up a final against another Patutahi club member, Kim Torrez, who knocked out Waimarino member Darnell Watling.
The final was a doozie, with Sarich winning on the 19th.
Teenager Watene Brown stepped up to the senior tāne division also held at Kerikeri and made the fourth 16. He progressed to the final, which he lost 3 and 2 to Waitangi member Wayne Jump.
Hukanui Brown made the senior top 16, but was eliminated in the first round of matchplay.
Chris Kaa lost in the semi-finals of the intermediate men’s competition held at Kaikohe.
The Patutahi Golf Club’s open opening day tournament is being held on Saturday, February 14.
Tee-off is at 11am and there are Canadian mixed pairs and men’s sections.
Inquiries to George Brown 0273709869 or horiboy1@xtra.co.nz.
There was a golden lining to the clouds for Zak Horomia as rain reduced play to a 9-hole Stableford on Sunday.
Horomia’s 47-19-28, for 24 points, was five clear of the field.
Awapuni Links pro Skylah Pohatu produced the hole of the day – making an eagle-2 on the 190m par-4 sixth hole.
SUNDAY – 9-hole Stableford: Z. Horomia 24, W. Reedy 19, D. Maitai 18, T. Higgs 17, H. Wright 17.
Twos: S. Pohatu (eagle on No 6), W. Reedy, R. Waru.
Approach: R. Waru.
The Mahia Golf Club’s open opening day tournament is being held on Saturday, January 31.
Tee-off is at 11am and there are mixed pairs and men’s sections.
Inquiries to David Waihaki 0274130773 or Renee Hiko 0273718682.