Update on the PB Golf Open

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TOP seed gone.

Defending champion gone.

No.3 seed gone.

The Emerre and Hathaway Poverty Bay men's open title chase was blown wide open in the first round of matchplay on the Poverty Bay course this morning.

No.1 seed Anaru Reedy (a member of Poverty Bay) was 17 shots ahead of 16th qualifier Shayde Skudder (Patutahi) in yesterday's 36 holes of strokeplay qualifying.

That meant nothing this morning as Skudder advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2 and 1 win.

Reedy was joined on the scrap heap by defending champion Peter Kerekere (PB), who was stunned 4 and 3 by 70-year-old Tene Goldsmith (PB), who yesterday admitted he would have preferred to have been in the second 16 where matches are played off handicap not off the stick.

Another member of the grey-haired brigade, 59-year-old Peter Clayton (PB), ousted No.3 seed Matt Champness (Mt Maunganui) on the first extra hole.

Two former Open winners, William Brown (2012) and Andrew Higham (2014) won in contrasting styles.

Brown (Waikohu) needed two extra holes to eliminate George Brown (no relation, PB) while Higham (Te Puia Springs) crushed Pete Anderson (PB) 7 and 6.

Waka Donnelly's (Napier) hopes of a record-equalling eighth Open crown stayed on track with a 7 and 6 thumping of Samuel Clemens (Royal Wellington).

Tony Akroyd (Patutahi) defeated Jayden Bright (Gisborne Park) 1-up and Stefan Andreassen beat Poverty Bay clubmate Simon Jeune 3 and 2.

Quarterfinal draw: Skudder v Akroyd, Donnelly v Higham, Clayton v W Brown, Andreassen v Goldsmith.