Pātutahi set to launch triple-pronged attack on pennants

Peter Stewart tees off at Tolaga Bay Golf Club during its centenary celebrations last year. Stewart has shifted clubs from Electrinet Park to Poverty Bay and will be playing for the Bay's No 2 team in the opening two rounds of the Tairāwhiti men's interclub pennants at Tolaga Bay on Saturday. Photo / Chris Taewa

Reigning champions Pātutahi will be hoping the force is strong among its increased troop numbers when it launches its defence of the Tairāwhiti men’s interclub pennants this weekend.

The ’Tahi will have three teams in the biggest pennants series in Tairāwhiti/Poverty Bay-East Coast golfing history, which tees off at Tolaga Bay on Saturday.

The country club has also swapped its identifying numbers for colours, with a bit of Star Wars thrown into the mix.

Pātutahi (1), going for three pennants crowns in a row, are now Pātutahi Blue, Patutahi (2) have become Pātutahi Jedi in reference to Star Wars’ Jedi masters, and the third team are Pātutahi Black.

The teams for the 11-point rounds, followed by semi-finals and positional playoffs, in seeded order are Pātutahi Blue, KHG Electrinet Park (1), Poverty Bay, Waikohu, Pātutahi Jedi, KHG Electrinet Park (2), Tolaga Bay (1), Te Puia Hot Springs, Poverty Bay (2), Tolaga Bay (2), Pātutahi Black and Tairāwhiti Development.

Poverty Bay (2), Tolaga Bay (2) and the Development side join Pātutahi Black as the new teams.

Tairāwhiti Development are a group of mainly junior players, co-ordinated by Shannon Ratima and captained by Te Puia Hot Springs member Mikaera Aurupa.

The youngest member is 9-year-old Rua Ratima – Shannon’s son – while teammate Kymani Tamatea is just 12.

The pennants is all about experience for the Tai Dev youngsters, but they will back themselves.

’Tahi Blue may be top seeds, but they will be looking warily over their shoulder at the likes of Poverty Bay.

Dan Collier and Peter Stewart, members of the Park 1 team in recent years, have shifted city clubs. Collier is at No 2 in the PB team while Stewart has slotted into 2 in the PB 2 side.

Waka Donnelly, captain Hayden Keast and Tony Akroyd complete a formidable PB line-up, with arguably the No 1 golfer in Tairāwhiti, Anaru Reedy, likely to feature in later rounds.

Waikohu are without the services of Auckland-based father David and Glenn Solomann for now as they are involved in club championships. But they have picked up Mahia’s Pete Bremner – a two-time winner of Tolaga Bay’s King of the Coast men’s open.

Tolaga Bay have two teams in the series for the first time. Home advantage is certain to play its part on a huge weekend for the club, as it also has its opening day on Sunday.

Russell, who will be playing for the Jedi, is driving an ambitious pennants series.

Rules have been relaxed to allow for fill-ins if teams are struggling for numbers.

There’s a more-the-merrier element to it and an aim to blood and develop new players in a competitive atmosphere to help lift the overall quality of Tairāwhiti men’s golf.

Pātutahi Blue, out to emulate their club’s 2012-2014 hat-trick of titles, start their 2026 campaign against Tairāwhiti Development, followed by Pātutahi Black in the afternoon.

Rounds 3 and 4 are at Mahia on March 29; rounds 5 and 6 are at Te Puia Hot Springs on April 11; rounds 7 and 8 are at Pātutahi on April 18; rounds 9 and 10 are at Waikohu on May 9; Round 11 and the positional semi-finals are at Poverty Bay on May 17; and finals day is at the Park on May 24.

The teams for rounds 1 and 2 are –

Pātutahi Blue: Hukanui Brown, Marcus Gray, Eddie Brown Jnr (capt)/Rios Moleta, Watene Brown.

Tairāwhiti Development: Mikaera Aurupa, Kymani Tamatea, Maioha Waru, Jordyn Haley. Shannon Ratima and Rua Ratima to replace Waru and Haley for Round 2.

KHG Electrinet Park 1: Craig Christophers, Bailey Matoe, Matt Henwood (c), Ian Loffler.

Pātutahi Black: Regan Hindmarsh (c), Reef Pohatu, Tini Hawea, Dean Pohatu.

Poverty Bay: Waka Donnelly, Dan Collier, Hayden Keast (c), Tony Akroyd.

Tolaga Bay 2: Taine Lincoln, Wiremu Aupouri, BJ Sidney, Rongo Pomana.

Waikohu: Peter Bremner, Terry Reeves (c), Ethine Reeves, Richard Reeves.

Poverty Bay 2: Pete Anderson, Peter Stewart, Nick Richardson, Stefan Andreassen. Alex Downey to replace Andreassen for Round 2.

Pātutahi Jedi: Neil Hansen (c), Dwayne Russell, Lyall Anania, Hamish Harris.

Te Puia Hot Springs: Wade Wesche (c), Jason Devery, Thomas Donovan, Makau Phipps.

KHG Electrinet Park 2: Selwyn Peneha, Anthony Pahina (c), Chris Fox, Mike Bond. Reuben Maynard and John Collier Jnr to replace Fox and Bond for Round 2.

Tolaga Bay 1: Bruce Yates (c), Zane Boyle, Tim Adamson, Richard Paora.