Rollicking finish to week for PBEC

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Poverty Bay-East Coast No.1 Anaru Reedy was the only player to beat Auckland No.1 Brent Patterson at the Freyberg Masters interprovincial golf tournament on the Whitford Park course this week. Yesterday, Reedy defeated the Taranaki No.1 Aarun Langton as PBEC finished the week-long tournament on a high, with a 3-2 team win and an overall 13th placing out of 15 provinces. Picture by Paul Rickard

YEARS from now, Auckland No.1 Brent Patterson probably won’t remember all the players he beat as his side won the Freyberg Masters interprovincial golf title on home soil yesterday.

But it is highly likely he won’t have forgotten the one he lost to.

Poverty Bay-East Coast No.1 Anaru Reedy was the only player to come out on top of New Zealand senior champion Patterson at the week-long matchplay tournament on the Whitford Park course.

It was a birdie-filled victory on the opening day — a successful performance mirrored by Reedy on the final day yesterday as PBEC finished the tournament in style.

The Reedy-led PBEC defeated Taranaki 3-2 to cement 13th place out of the 15 provinces.

It might not seem that impressive but PBEC went into the tournament as the bottom seeds, they are by far the smallest golfing province in the country and these are the best over-40-year-old golfers in New Zealand.

PBEC No.2 Tony Akroyd saved his best for last to collect his first win of the week — 3 and 2 over Colin Heyes.

Reedy defeated Aarun Langton 2-up, No.3 Pete Anderson had his third consecutive half — this time against Stephen McIntosh — and No.4 Simon Jeune lost 1-down to Michael Sharp.

But the hero of the week for PBEC was Auckland-based former Gisborne golfer David Solomann.

The big man who won the Poverty Bay Open in 1995 completed an almost perfect record when he came from 3-down to halve his match with John Newland.

It gave “Solly” a record of four wins and a half from his five matches.

PBEC went into the ’Naki clash with the wooden-spoon pressure off their shoulders. Otago’s bottom-of-the-table fate was sealed in the morning round in which PBEC had the bye, when they lost to Northland.

Still, PBEC wanted to end the tournament on a high and were facing the only other team below them on the table.

Their win gave them a record of one team win, a team half, six losses and 15 individual points.

Defending champions Auckland completed a perfect eight-from-eight performance yesterday afternoon to claim their 12th title in the 32 years of the tournament. Patterson was the player of the tournament with his record of six wins, a half and a loss, while former tennis professional Brett Steven lost just one match, that defeat ending his run of 14 consecutive wins at the masters.