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Tony Akroyd and Daniel Collier fondly remember the last time Gisborne Park achieved Oligoi Jug men's interclub glory.
It was 2011 — the 75th anniversary year of the club — and both were in the Park team who defeated Te Puia Springs 6-2 on the Park course.
Repeating history is the obvious aim of both men tomorrow when they contest the 2022 final against Patutahi (2).
The four-man Electrinet Park side will also have home advantage in the 36-hole matchplay final teeing off at 8.30am.
And in a boost to their title bid, the district's No.1 player will be back in the Park fold.
Anaru Reedy, having won all five of his Oligoi matches this series, was unable to play in last weekend's final round-robin points clash and subsequent semifinal on the Poverty Bay course.
His team did a sterling job in his absence. They beat Tolaga Bay 6-2 to seal the No.1 seeding for the top four playoffs, then went out in the afternoon and defeated Tolaga Bay again — 7-1 — to book a berth in the final.
Collier, promoted to No.1, and Akroyd, at No.2, were pivotal. They won both their matches, comfortably, while Selwyn Peneha also had two wins at No.4.
No.3 Peter Stewart's perfect 2022 series record of five wins (at No.4) was abruptly ended 6 and 5 by Taine Lincoln, but he bounced back to share the honours with Lincoln in the semi.
Akroyd goes into tomorrow's final eyeing an Oligoi treble for his club dating back 22 years.
He was also a member of the six-man Park team who won the 2000 final and played a starring role. Akroyd beat Poverty Bay's Dean Twigley in a sudden-death playoff which lasted five holes.
Akroyd was also in each of the Patutahi sides who won the Oligoi from 2012-2014.
And he played in Poverty Bay teams who won it it 2006 and 2007.
Patutahi (2) lost their “local derby” in the final round-robin tie of the 2022 series on Saturday morning.
They were dealt a 6-2 beating by their No.1 team, who will no doubt hold that one over them whatever happens in tomorrow's final.
Tahi (2) shrugged off that disappointment with a 7-1 team win over Te Puia Springs in the afternoon semis.
No.2 and YMP premier club team rugby skipper Shayde Skudder has been in commanding form in the rounds in which he has been available to play.
On Saturday, Skudder cruised to a 6 and 5 win over Regan Hindmarsh (Patutahi 1) in the morning, then dispatched Thomas Donovan (Te Puia) 4 and 3.
Donovan went into that clash on a six-from-six win streak — the only player to have done so.
Skudder, on five wins, and Reedy are now the only players with 100 percent records.
Patutahi (2) No.1 Eddie Brown Jr, after copping a 13th-hole hiding from Dwayne Russell (Patutahi 1) in the morning, halved with William Brown in the semi.
No.3 Hukanui Brown and No.4 Dean Pohatu also had wins against a Springs side down in firepower with the absence of Andrew Higham.
Poverty Bay's hopes of retaining the title ended with a 4-all draw with Te Puia Springs in the morning.
No.1 Simon Jeune had a 1-up win over Brown while No.4 Nick Richardson chalked up his fifth victory of the series in beating Springs recruit Rios Moleta, who it should be pointed out has a WHS Handicap Index of 16.4.
Richardson's is 6.3 and Moleta's other opponent on the day — Hukanui Brown in the semifinals — is on 3.6.
The afternoon also featured a playoff for the wooden spoon.
Patutahi (1) whitewashed Park (2) 8-0 to go into a playoff for fifth against Poverty Bay tomorrow while Tolaga Bay and Te Puia Springs will contest third.
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