Player of the 2016 Pennants

Peter Kerekere

WHEN Peter Kerekere was named winner of the sportsman trophy for the 2016 Oligoi Jug men’s interclub pennants, no one in the clubhouse was surprised.

Kerekere, at No.2 in the pennants-winning Poverty Bay (1) side, completed a perfect record of seven wins from seven matches in Sunday’s matchplay final against Tolaga Bay.

He did it in sub-par style, demolishing Dion Milner 13 and 12 as the Bay retained the symbol of Poverty Bay-East Coast men’s club golf supremacy.

The match was effectively over by the lunch-time break, with Kerekere 10-up after firing 69. That form was a continuation of a personal-best performance two days before. Playing with the Friday weekly crew at Poverty Bay, Kerekere carded 5-under 67 — his lowest score at the Bay.

Birdies on the first and second holes and an eagle on the fifth — after hitting a 7-iron in for his second — put him 4-under.

He had bogey lapses on the seventh and eighth after bombing drives way down the middle, but bounced back with birdies on the 10th, 12th and 15th holes in a back nine of 3-under 33.

The 27-year-old says he has no particular plans golf-wise this year. He will be defending the Emerre and Hathaway Poverty Bay open championship 16 title and intends to clock up another national interprovincial tournament.

While he’s the form golfer in the district, he has no designs on the No.1 spot for the nationals.

“I’ll go wherever they (selectors) want me to.”

Meanwhile, PBEC selectors will be keeping a close eye on the form of the top players. A clash involving seniors, juniors, masters (over-40s) and women against Hawke’s Bay has been set down for August 7.

It is planned to reciprocate this at Hawke’s Bay in October.