PBEC blown away after ‘tough day at the office’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

If adversity builds character, Poverty Bay-East Coast headed back to their hotel after Day 2 of the Toro national interprovincial golf tournament yesterday carting trailer-loads of it.

PBEC suffered a 5-0 morning beating then a 5-0 afternoon drubbing on Christchurch’s Clearwater course, as the quality of the country’s top amateurs shone through the rain.

“It was a tough day at the office,” team manager Dave Keown said of their losses to defending champions North Harbour, then a ruthlessly efficient Canterbury team.

“They were just unbelievable,” Keown said of the home province, who hit PBEC with the combined force of a raging Mike Tyson and vintage Brendon McCullum.

“Some of these guys weren’t just under the card, they were well under in conditions that wouldn’t see anyone on the golf course in Gisborne.”

PBEC No.3 Peter Kerekere got to the 15th hole against former professional Andrew Green but the rest were blown away in weather Keown described as “horrible”.

No.1 William Brown was dusted 8 and 6 by Matt McLean; No.2 Anaru Reedy shook hands on the 12th with Hiroki Miya.

No.4 Hukanui Brown lasted to the 13th against Mike Toeke, and No.5 Eddie Brown junior was cleaned up 6 and 4 by Reid Hilton.

Keown said Canterbury’s talent and meticulous preparation were evident.

“These guys have been on this course three times a week for a month. They know the course like the back of their hand. It was a great learning curve for our guys on how to play this course” . . . a lesson exacerbated by the inclement South Island weather, which was showing no sign of improvement today.

Keown felt for the PBEC boys, who he said “fought really hard”.

Reedy and Kerekere lost their morning clashes against Harbour on the 18th. Keown felt 47-year-old Reedy, who lost to Kevin Koong after the pair were square through five, nine and 12 holes, was “dead unlucky”.

“Anaru hit a couple of putts that looked dead in the hole all the way, only to shave the hole.”

Kerekere battled back from 3 down before falling to Jake Lee on the last. William Brown lost 4 and 2 to Kit Bittle, Hukanui Brown 3 and 2 to James Hyde and Eddie Brown 7 and 5 to Jerry Ren.

Keown last night said it was a physically and mentally exhausting day.

The challenge for PBEC was to bounce back in today’s round against Aorangi, who were sitting just ahead of them in their section.

PBEC went into this morning’s tie bottom of their section on half a team point but just one individual point behind Aorangi.

While Keown had had to endure watching his boys suffer some heavy losses, he had high praise for the quality of amateurs he had seen.

“There’s a group of stars coming through.”