Te Puia Hot Springs No 1 Wade Wesche set to putt on the eighth hole in his Tairāwhiti men's interclub pennants Round 1 match against Pātutahi Jedi's Neil Hansen (left), as Te Puia's Jason Devery studies his line. Rounds 1 and 2 were held at Tolaga Bay Golf Club.
An emotional week ended on a victorious note for late call-up Brad Reynolds as the Tairāwhiti men’s interclub pennants got off to a brilliant start on Saturday.
Twelve teams - the most in the rich history of the matchplay series - converged on Tolaga Bay and by day’s end the ambitious crew behind it were smiling over a 19th-hole cold one.
The hosts, for the first time, have two teams in the series and their No 1 side capitalised on their home advantage to be sitting first-equal with Poverty Bay (PB) after Saturday’s two rounds.
They won six of their eight matches, as did PB - respective No 1s Bruce Yates (Tolaga Bay) and Waka Donnelly (PB) surprisingly losing both of their clashes.
Reynolds, having paid his last respects to beloved uncle Wynsley Wrigley on Tuesday, paid a fitting tribute with an upset 2-up defeat of Donnelly and a 5 and 3 win over Mikaera Aurupa of the Tairāwhiti Development team.
Reynolds was one of 13 players to end the day with two-from-two win records. The others were Dan Collier, Hayden Keast and Tony Akroyd (all of Poverty Bay); Peter Stewart (PB 2); Zane Boyle, Tim Adamson and Richard Paora (Tolaga Bay 1); Matt Henwood (KHG Electrinet Park 1); Neil Hansen (Pātutahi Jedi); Jason Devery (Te Puia Hot Springs); last year’s player of the series Eddie Brown jnr (Pātutahi Blue); and Regan Hindmarsh (Pātutahi Black).
Collier played just 26 holes over his two matches while Stewart went 27 - the pair showing instant value to Poverty Bay Golf Club after shifting from Electrinet Park this year.
Defending champions Pātutahi Blue compiled 11 points from their two team wins. No 1 Hukanui Brown’s half with Pātutahi Black’s Tini Hawea - both former winners of Tolaga Bay’s flagship King of the Coast Open tournament - was one of the matches of the day.
Hawea, 3-down with three holes to play, went birdie-par-birdie to grab a share of the points.
The Shannon Ratima-run Tairāwhiti Development made an impact despite going down in both their ties. Jordyn Haley, in his first matchplay experience, beat fellow Gisborne Boys’ High student Watene Brown (Pātutahi Blue) to put Tai Dev on the board.
“Was quite a buzz for the boys today,” Ratima said. They’ve have had a taste of what it’s like and what to expect."
Nine-year-old Rua Ratima (Tairāwhiti Development) became the youngest player in pennants history when he teed off in Round 2. He played one of the oldest on the day, Rongo Pomana (Tolaga Bay 2), who was celebrating his 60th birthday.
Stefan Andreassen (PB 2), at 63, was the eldest, followed by Anthony Pahina (Park 2), 62, and Stewart, 61. All four sexagenarians tasted success over the day.
Rounds 3 and 4 are at Mahia on Sunday and there are several changes to teams, including pennants debuts for Craig Palmer (PB 2), Pat Butler (PB 2), Adrian Wyrill (Waikohu) and Hamish Evans (PB).
Round 1
Pātutahi Blue 6 Tairāwhiti Development 2 (Pātutahi names first): Hukanui Brown def Mikaera Aurupa 5 and 4; Marcus Gray def Kymani Tamatea 5 and 4; Eddie Brown Jnr def Shannon Ratima 5 and 4; Watene Brown lost to Jordyn Haley 2 and 1.
KHG Electrinet Park (1) 4 Pātutahi Black 4: Craig Christophers lost to Regan Hindmarsh 6 and 5; Bailey Matoe lost to Reef Pohatu 2 and 1; Matt Henwood def Tini Hawea 4 and 3; Ian Loffler def Dean Pohatu 3 and 2.
Poverty Bay 6 Tolaga Bay (2) 2: Waka Donnelly lost to Brad Reynolds 2-down; Dan Collier def Wiremu Aupouri 6 and 5; Hayden Keast def BJ Sidney 6 and 4; Tony Akroyd def Rongo Pomana 3 and 2.
Poverty Bay (2) 7 Waikohu 1: Pete Anderson def Peter Bremner 2 and 1; Peter Stewart def Terry Reeves 7 and 5; Nick Richardson def Ethine Reeves 7 and 5; Stefan Andreassen halved with Richard Reeves.
Te Puia Hot Springs 6 Pātutahi Jedi 2: Neil Hansen def Wade Wesche 1-up; Jason Devery def Dwayne Russell 2 and 1; Thomas Donovan def Lyall Anania 3 and 2; Hamish Harris lost to Makau Phipps 1-down.
Tolaga Bay (1) 6 KHG Electrinet Park (2) 2: Bruce Yates lost to Selwyn Peneha 1-down; Zane Boyle def Anthony Pahina 5 and 4; Tim Adamson def Chris Fox 2 and 1; Richard Paora def Mike Bond 4 and 3.
Round 2
Pātutahi Blue 5 Pātutahi Black 3: Hukanui Brown halved with Tini Hawea; Marcus Gray lost to Regan Hindmarsh 2 and 1; Eddie Brown Jnr def Reef Pohatu 4 and 3; Watene Brown def Dean Pohatu 3 and 2.
Tolaga Bay (2) 8 Tairāwhiti Development 0: Brad Reynolds def Mikaera Aurupa 5 and 3; Wiremu Aupouri def Kymani Tamatea 3 and 2; BJ Sidney def Shannon Ratima 2 and 1; Rongo Pomana def Rua Ratima 4 and 3.
KHG Electrinet Park (1) 4 Poverty Bay (2) 4: Craig Christophers def Pete Anderson 2 and 1; Bailey Matoe lost to Peter Stewart 5 and 4; Matt Henwood def Nick Richardson 3 and 2; Ian Loffer lost to Alex Downey 5 and 4.
Poverty Bay 6 Te Puia Hot Springs 2: Waka Donnelly lost to Jason Devery 2-down; Dan Collier def Wade Wesche 6 and 5; Hayden Keast def Makau Phipps 5 and 3; Tony Akroyd def Thomas Donovan 3 and 2.
Tolaga Bay (1) 6 Waikohu 2: Bruce Yates lost to Peter Bremner 3 and 2; Zane Boyle def Terry Reeves 2 and 1; Tim Adamson def Ethine Reeves 3 and 2; Richard Paora def Richard Reeves 2 and 1.
Pātutahi Jedi 8 KHG Electrinet Park (2) 0: Neil Hansen def Selwyn Peneha 5 and 4; Dwayne Russell def Anthony Pahina 2 and 1; Lyall Anania def Reuben Maynard 5 and 4; Hamish Harris def John Collier Jnr 2 and 1.
Standings: Tolaga Bay (1) 12; Poverty Bay 12; Pātutahi Blue 11; Poverty Bay (2) 11; Pātutahi Jedi 10; Tolaga Bay (2) 10; Te Puia Hot Springs 8; KHG Electrinet Park (1) 8; Pātutahi Black 7; Waikohu 3; Tairāwhiti Development 2; KHG Electrinet Park (2) 2.
Pātutahi Blue: Shadye Skudder/Hukanui Brown, Eddie Brown Jnr, Marcus Gray, Watene Brown.
Tolaga Bay 2: Wiremu Aupouri, BJ Sidney, Will Yates, Rongo Pomana.
Pātutahi Black: Regan Hindmarsh, Reef Pohatu, Dean Pohatu, Reuben Mottart, Korbin Harrison-Allen or Hindmarsh for Round 4.
Poverty Bay 2: Pete Anderson, Craig Palmer, Peter Stewart, Pat Butler.
Tairāwhiti Development: Jordyn Haley, Kymani Tamatea, Mikaera Aurupa, Rua Ratima. Leighton Aupouri or Shannon Ratima and Aurupa or Rua Ratima for Round 4.
Te Puia Hot Springs: Wade Wesche, Jason Devery, Thomas Donovan, Brendon McLeod/Ian Logan.
KHG Electrinet Park 1: Craig Christophers, Bailey Matoe, Matt Henwood, Ian Loffler.
Tolaga Bay 1: Bruce Yates, Zane Boyle, Brad Reynolds, Tim Adamson.
Poverty Bay: Dan Coller, Hayden Keast, Reece Witters, Simon Jeune. Hamish Evans in for Jeune for Round 4.
KHG Electrinet Park 2: Selwyn Peneha, Anthony Pahina, Reuben Maynard, John Collier Jnr, Mike Bond in for Pahina for Round 4.
Waikohu: Peter Bremner, Percy Milner, Ethine Reeves, Adrian Wyrill.
Pātutahi Jedi: Dwayne Russell, Lyall Anania, Jonny Priestley, Hamish Harris.