“Marcus was unreal, Park player of the day,” Park (1) No.1 Daniel Collier said on Facebook.
Rolls, at No.2 in the Park (2) four-man team, had a 2 and 1 win against Chris Beattie as the Park boys started the 2023 pennants in victorious style — a 7-1 clean-up of Patutahi (2).
Team captain Matt Henwood had a notable 3 and 2 win against Jace Brown while Craig Christophers marked his Oligoi debut with a half against Reef Pohatu.
Defending champions Park (1) proved too good for their No.2 team in the afternoon, winning their Round 2 clash 6-2, Gray’s win saving the whitewash (teams get two points for a win, one for a half).
Henwood and Co could look back with satisfaction on their day’s work. They ended up in a perhaps surprising third place on the overall standings with nine points, although they could counter that they had eight points after the opening two rounds last year.
Not surprising was Patutahi (1) emerging top of the table after feasting on Te Puia Springs and Tolaga Bay.
Patutahi (1) No.1 Hukanui Brown, who has been in imperious form, led the way with comfortable wins against Springs counterpart William Brown (4 and 3) and Uawa top dog Taine Lincoln (7 and 6).
Brown versus Brown was shaping up as one of the matches of the day but William started bogey, bogey and Hukanui “never let him come back”.
Hukanui’s big brother Eddie also had two wins, including a 12-hole blitzing of a rusty Thomas Donovan (Te Puia).
Patutahi won seven of their eight matches in a 6-2 defeat of Te Puia and 8-0 whitewash of Tolaga.
It earned them 14 points and a two-point advantage over Park (1), who beat Waikohu 6-2 and Park (2) by the same margin.
Park (1) were able to call on a super-sub when Sel Peneha had to pull out.
PBEC Golf Association president and Park member Anaru Reedy had committed himself to looking after the young Park players, but his services were required and he responded with a win and a half.
The half was with Howick College teenager Glenn Solomann, who, along with Auckland-based but Gisborne-raised father David, is playing for Waikohu.
Collier and Park (1) No.3 Peter Stewart returned perfect records. Collier dispatched Solomann senior and Henwood with ease while Stewart played only 27 holes combined as he blew away Terry Reeves (Waikohu) and Christophers.
Andrew Higham anchored the Springs’ points haul with two wins. He inflicted the only defeat of the day on Patutahi (1) — a 5 and 4 pummelling of Dwayne Russell — then eased past Mark Jefferson (Poverty Bay) 4 and 3.
Glenn Morley and Oligoi debutant Quin McPike anchored Poverty Bay’s efforts in a 6-2 win against Tolaga Bay and 6-2 loss to Te Puia.
Morley, at No.1, beat Taine Lincoln on the 13th and shared the honours with William Brown, who sank a clutch 10-footer on the last to halve the hole and the match.
“I expected him to,” Morley said.
McPike beat Tere Lincoln (Tolaga) 2 and 1 and halved with Wade Wesche (Te Puia).
Te Puia’s John Wyllie marked his return to the pennants scene with a 1-up win against Poverty Bay’s David Situ.
