GOLF - 'Teaspoon' makes her contribution for CHB College

ANENDRA SINGH
ALMOST everything about Liana Spooner suggests she's relaxed about life.
The nickname of "Teaspoon" sits quite comfortably with the daughter of Ongaonga Golf Club member Alan.
"My Dad's nickname at the club is Spoons so I'm a junior Spooner and that makes me Teaspoon. I think that's cool," she told SportToday after competing in the Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools Championship at Maraenui Golf Club on Friday.
However, the Central Hawke's Bay College pupil does agree that they may have to revisit her rugger shorts on the golf course.
"I'm wearing the Ongaonga club shirt and rugby shorts but I think we'll need to be a bit more professional about it," she says with a laugh.
While the CHB team's appearance may have raised a few eyebrows Spooner (37 handicap), and teammates Angela Jones (18 hcp), Laura Hyde (29 hcp) and Conner Rolston (6 hcp) nailed the best nett team of the championship for the second consecutive year.
The CHB team posted a nett score of 207 with the girls playing off the yellow markers and the boys off the blue. Hastings Boys' High A were the nett runners-up with a score of 215.
Spooner, who hopes to attend police college some time down the road after completing school at the end of this year, did have her share of embarrassing moments on Friday with a net score of 71. She carded 12 on a par 4 hole after finding a bunker on her third approach shot to the pin and not finding enough traction on the beach with her sand wedge.
If she can put aside other sporting distractions such as cycling, netball and cricket, Spooner reckons she will be able to whittle away her handicap when she puts her mind to it. She's doing very well considering she's only just picked up golf after encouragement from her family.
CHB's Jones was the nett individual winner, firing 67.
In a mouthwatering individual gross title race, Jason Kim, of Taradale High, Russell Mitchell, of Napier Boys' High, and Dean Napier, of Lindisfarne College, were tied on 72 off the stick.
Golf Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay Women's administrator Ron Connor, in accordance with the rules, drew Kim's name out of the hat as winner and Napier as runner-up.
However, there was some consolation for Mitchell as his Napier Boys' High A team again nailed the gross team's title to stamp their supremacy seven out of eight years. Bronson Meehan (73), Mitchell (72), and Blake Prior (76) contributed to the best three out of four gross score of 221. Jorgen Andersen's 81 was discarded.
Lindisfarne College, with a total of 225, were runners-up.
Consequently NBHS A have earned the right to represent the region in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship in Wellington on September 3.