Cliff Poole tees off during the 2018 Gisborne East Coast senior open at Poverty Bay Golf Club. Poole was 77 when he won the Group 2 title. Six years on, he broke his age by four shots, carding a 79 on the same course at the weekend. Poole is the grandfather of Tessa McDonald, who is competing for Hawke's Bay at the women's national Interprovincial in Christchurch this week. Photo / Paul Rickard
Cliff Poole tees off during the 2018 Gisborne East Coast senior open at Poverty Bay Golf Club. Poole was 77 when he won the Group 2 title. Six years on, he broke his age by four shots, carding a 79 on the same course at the weekend. Poole is the grandfather of Tessa McDonald, who is competing for Hawke's Bay at the women's national Interprovincial in Christchurch this week. Photo / Paul Rickard
Tolaga Bay
It was a perfect day in more ways than one at Tolaga Bay’s Christmas tournament on Sunday.
Another excellent edition of the annual event was highlighted by the ultimate shot – Dan Maitai sinking his tee shot on the 134-metre third hole.
It helpedhim to 79-14-65, his first sub-80 round since February.
Trent Higgs carried his shootout-winning form from the previous weekend into the Christmas tourney. Higgs ran away with the men’s Stableford with 75-16-59, for 45 points. It was his best round since a 72 in April 2022.
Coincidentally, the man Higgs eliminated on the 18th to win the shootout – Pete Stevenson – had to settle for second again on 41 points.
Husband and wife John and Alvie Hale won the mixed pairs Stableford with 43 points, Te Puia Hot Springs couple Dick and Aomihi Cook were second on 39 and Waikohu’s Tipi Ruru and Marg Tuapawa third on 38.
SUNDAY – Tolaga Bay Christmas tournament, mixed pairs Stableford: J. Hale/A. Hale 43, D. Cook/A. Cook 39, T. Ruru/M. Tuapawa 38, R. Reeves/A. Reeves 38, L. Green/V. Grace 36.
Men’s Stableford: T. Higgs 45, P. Stevenson 41, K. Amoamo 41, T. Adamson 40, H. Tupara 40, R. Waru 39, D. Maitai 39, M. Huriwaka 38, B.J. Sidney 38.
Twos: N. Amoamo, Tere Lincoln, W. Wesche, R. Waru, J. Hayes, H. Tupara, B. Reynolds, C. Christophers, L. Hayes, K. Spring.
Dan Maitai heads back to his clubhouse table with a ham at Tolaga Bay's Christmas tournament on Sunday. Maitai's winning effort was helped by a hole-in-one on the third.
Patutahi
Shelley Robertson’s lowest round in over three and a half years got fitting reward on Sunday.
Robertson carded 81-15-66, including a birdie on the 18th, and won the women’s net. It was her best score since an 81 in February 2021.
Lucian Nickerson enjoyed a double helping of success in the space of three days.
Nickerson won the junior division of the Friday meat pack nine-hole Stableford with 41-12-29, for a healthy 24 points, then extended that form over 18 holes to win the junior net on Sunday with 89-23-66.
Junior division: L. Nickerson 24, P. Tinnelly 22, G. Roadley 20, H. Humble 20, S. Pittar 20.
Poverty Bay
Anthony Pahina is top of the leaderboard after round one of the Summer Cup men’s net series, but his fine effort wasn’t the round of the day.
That honour belonged to recently crowned East Coast Open champion and seven-time Poverty Bay Open champ Waka Donnelly.
Donnelly fired a 5-under 67 that featured six birdies – on the first, third, fifth, 10th, 12th and 18th holes – and a single bogey on the 17th.
His driving has been a strength of his game in recent times and that continued, but his putting was also a feature.
“He made some great putts at critical moments in the round and was unlucky to not have dropped more putts,” senior men’s club champion Rob Maruszewski, who played with Donnelly, posted on the Awapuni Links Facebook page.
Pahina had 15 pars and three bogeys in his 75-9-66 to top the round. Donnelly, off a +1, was second on net 68 and Alex Kirkpatrick was third with 79-9-70.
Players count their best three scores from the five-round series. The remaining rounds are on December 14, January 4, January 11 and January 18.
Just nine days after equalling his age, Cliff Poole went four better. The 83-year-old won the Division 2 men’s Stableford on Saturday with 79-13-66.
Ross Gibson is back to his best. “Gibbo” was out of action for a couple of months after a car accident at the end of last year, and eased back into the game with nine holes until the end of May.
On Sunday, he won the Division 1 men’s Stableford with 77-10-67, for 41 points. It was the best round since a 74 in December 2022 for the left-hander known for talking to his putter, affectionately referred to as “Scotty” (it’s a Scotty Cameron putter).
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: G. Pellett 40, D. Bullivant 39, P. Goodwin 38, K. Goldsmith 38, K. Ellison 37.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: R. Gibson 41, M. Jefferson 39, D. Bullivant 38, M. Norman 38.
Division 2: D. Robertson 39, G. Newman 39, R. Young 38, K. Travers 36.
Twos: B. Morgan, S. Andreassen, W. Donnelly, T. Akroyd, R. Gibson, G. Morley, M. Jefferson, W. Mortleman.
Approach: M. Jefferson.
SATURDAY – Summer Cup men’s net series (best three of five net rounds), round 1: A. Pahina 66, W. Donnelly 68, A. Kirkpatrick 70, K. Goldsmith 71, I. Loffler 71, M. Henwood 71, N. West 72, T. Akroyd 72.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Taste One/First Light Frozen Christmas Open Tournament, men’s and women’s Stableford, assemble at 9am for 9.30am shotgun start, first paid 144 entries, enter at pro shop.
Electrinet Park
Liverpool’s march towards English Premier League glory is clearly inspiring Steve Phillips.
One of Gisborne’s biggest fans of The Reds won the Twilight Stableford last Thursday with 2-over 37-5-32, for 21 points.
He pipped Tottenham Hotspur supporter Pete Stewart’s 34-2-32 on countback.
THURSDAY (Nov 28) – Gordon’s Pharmacy Twilight Stableford: S. Phillips 21, P. Stewart 21.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, Dec 15, MTF Finance Electrinet Park Xmas Tournament, men’s and women’s divisions, gross, net and Stableford, rolling tee times, entry includes lunch, start sheet at clubhouse or contact office 8679849 or Mike 027-534-4971.
Te Puia Hot Springs
The Four Square Ruatōria Te Puia Hot Springs Christmas tournament is being held this Saturday.
