Waikohu win Endeavour pennants

WAIKOHU held off the chasers in challenging weather to claim the 2021 Endeavour men’s interclub pennants at the Poverty Bay course on Sunday.

The four-round series came to an appropriately exciting conclusion as the men from Te Karaka battled out the title with their Mahia counterparts.

Waikohu went into the round with a two-point lead — the equivalent of one halved match in the pennants points system — and by the end of the day that’s where they stayed as both teams registered 16 points.

Waikohu ended on 68 points, with Mahia second on 66 and big movers Tolaga Bay third on 52.

Te Puia Hot Springs and Poverty Bay were fourth-equal on 50, Patutahi (1) sixth on 40, Electrinet Park seventh on 36 and Patutahi (2) eighth on 24.

Percy Milner was Waikohu’s player of the day. He had 38 stableford points — a fine effort considering the weather and testing course — in his matchplay win.

Larry Green, Tipi Ruru and Tama Brown also had wins while Uma Chambers and Ike Ruru lost their matches.

Overall though, this core of players all contributed to Waikohu’s tally. Green won the three matches he played, Tipi Ruru, Ike Ruru, Milner and Brown had three wins from four matches and Chambers two wins from four.

Mahia lost just one match in the final round. Wayne Wesche, Bruce Maher and Grant Hornblow had wins, David Waihaki and Rusty Smith halved and Bernie Crowley suffered the only loss.

Tolaga Bay collected a perfect 24 on the day, with wins to Rongo Pomana, Trent Higgs, Tim Adamson, Joe Lincoln, Joe Sheridan and Pete Stevenson.

Players to impress stableford-wise were Milner (38 points), Park’s Dave Harrison (38), Tolaga Bay’s Tim Adamson (38). Te Puia Springs’ Watarawi Ngata (36) and Poverty Bay’s Frank Ball (35).