Waikohu extinguished any hope of a Lazarus-like comeback with two wins and a half for 10 points, leaving Māhia the consolation of having beaten the champions 14-10.
Larry Green and Sonny Ritchie had wins for the champs, while Richard Reeves halved his match with Rusty Smith.
Bruce Maher, David Waihaki and Grant Hornblow won for Māhia.
Waikohu ended on 76 points, with Māhia second on 64 and Te Puia Hot Springs a distant third on 48. Patutahi were fourth on 44, Poverty Bay and Tolaga Bay fifth-equal on 42, and Electrinet Park (1) and Park (2) seventh-equal on 34.
It was a team effort, but if there was a stand-out for Waikohu, it would be the “Green Machine” - Larry Green - who won all four matches over the series.
He was one of four players with perfect records. The others were Mark Watts (Tolaga Bay), David Waihaki (Māhia) and Ian Logan (Te Puia).
Electrinet Park (1) finished strongly in their derby with Park (2), thanks largely to three of the Park (2) players getting stranded in the bush and failing to front.
Park (1) subsequently picked up 20 points through wins to Ray Walford, Slade Tiopira, Kelly Spring, Shannon Collier and Matt Greeks. Park (2)’s Danny Boyle saved them from the whitewash.
Patutahi and Te Puia shared the honours 12-all. John Neilson, Tony Green and Cec Brown had wins for Patutahi. The Springs’ victors were Logan, Bill Clark and Darryl Goldsmith.
Tolaga Bay outgunned Poverty Bay 14-10 on their home fairways. Watene Reedy, Watts and Rongo Pomana had wins, and Murray Yates squared his match with Chris Taewa.
Peter Hakiwai and Richard Foon were the Bay’s winners.
Reedy’s 42 points was the best Stableford of the day.
Poverty Bay captain Frank Ball was the sudden-death playoff hero in their 2023 victory over Electrinet Park after the teams ended the series on the same points.
Left-handed Ball won a putt-off on the sixth hole to earn glory for his team.
On Sunday, he starred again on the par-3 sixth, holing his 8-iron-hit tee shot for a career-first hole-in-one.
A report on the Oligoi Jug final will be in Saturday’s Gisborne Herald.
Poverty Bay
Multi-choice question: How would you rate the performance of the overall net winners at the Enterprise Motor Group Poverty Bay Open Foursomes on Saturday?
A: Predictab-Lee brilliant-Lee. B: Indredib-Lee surprising-Lee. C: Astonishing-Lee fluki-Lee. D. Astronomica-Lee odds-defying-Lee.
Lee “Polly” Pollitt and Lee “Pikey” Hewson would, without flinching, answer “A”.
Those who played with either in the previous Sunday’s Stableford would be mulling over B, C or D.
The two Lees were second-last and last in the division 2 men’s Stableford that Sunday with 28 and 23 points respectively.
Six days later, they could do no wrong in the opening nine holes of the 18-hole foursomes.
Playing alongside them was Paul Rickard, who in head-shaking disbelief witnessed the pair, off a 19-handicap, fire 4-over 40 off their first nine holes. They faltered a little on the second nine with 47, but their 87-19-68 was good enough to win the men’s net.
“It was unbe-Lee-vable,” Rickard said.
The gross title and giant Enterprise Foursomes cup, in which 100 golf balls can fit, was won by fellow Tairāwhiti representatives William Brown and Hukanui Brown.
Their 2-over 74 denied Simon Jeune and Glenn Morley a third consecutive gross crown. They had to settle for second on 76, a bogey run at the end of their round proving costly.
Mark Stewart and Andy Hayward won the men’s Stableford with 38 points.
The tournament also featured a women’s section. Jan Utting and Mary Allan won the net with 77 and Lynne Holmberg and Maraea Wesche the Stableford on 31.
The round of the day came from PGA NZ professional Tyler Hodge and Gisborne partner Tessa McDonald, who helped fill the field and shot 3-under 69 off a +4 handicap. Left-hander Hodge was on a +8 and McDonald scratch.
SATURDAY - Enterprise Motor Group Poverty Bay Open Foursomes, gross: William Brown/H Brown 74, S Jeune/G Morley 76.
Men’s net: L Hewson/L Pollitt 68, V Richardson/C Poole 71, R Norman/A Putnam 72, D Bullivant/A Lawler 73, B Simpson/S Francks 73, D Meadows/B Brown 73, J Van Helden/S Shields 73, J Witika/M Greeks 75.
Women’s net: J Utting/M Allan 77.
Men’s Stableford: M Stewart/A Hayward 38, E Brown Jr/Watene Brown 36, D Robertson/C Carmody 35.
Women’s stableford: L Holmberg/M Wesche 31
TUESDAY - J McGregor 69, L Foster 71, P McKenzie 73, M Stewart 75, C Carmody 75, B Read 75.
Twos: D Bush.
THURSDAY (May 30) - Men’s Stableford, division 1: W Mortleman 38, P Butler 37, M Higham 37.
Division 2: B Allen 35, M Thomas 35, S Harbottle 32, B Read 32.
Twos: D Bush, W Mortleman, S Murphy, M Higham.
Approach: V Richardson.
MONDAY (May 20) - Coronation Medal women’s net: A Witters 74.
Aotearoa Cup women’s net: F Pell 74.
Gross Cup: A Witters 90.
Veterans Cup women’s net: F Pell 74.
Waikohu
Tom Smith won the men’s net on Sunday with 67, icing his winning cake with a two.
Ella Wynyard’s 73 was best of the women.
SUNDAY - Men’s net: T Smith 67, C Ruru 70, K Tamanui 77.
Women’s net: E Wynyard 73, M Tuapawa 77, A Tamanui-Nunn 78.
Twos: T Smith.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, club day; SUNDAY, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whatatutu Golf Day, Canadian pairs and men’s divisions, entry includes barbecue, 10am cup of tea, 11am tee-off, contact Audrey 022-177-2472; SATURDAY June 15, Waikohu men’s open.
Patutahi
Antonio Zame will go into his Te Kani Pere men’s matchplay round 1 clash with plenty of confidence after another impressive effort on Sunday.
Zame won the junior division with 40 points but will be wary of his Te Kani Pere opponent - the wily Cecil Brown.
Peter Johnston had the round of the weekend. He won the senior division on Sunday with 78-13-65, for 41 points.
Wife Denise was also in good form in winning the women’s Stableford with 79-10-69, for 38.
SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford, senior division: P Johnston 41, P Hokianga 38, R Mottart 37.
Junior division: A Zame 40, D Skudder 37, D Quinn 36 on c/b.
Women’s Stableford: D Johnston 38.
Twos: D Pohatu, A Zame.
Jackpot: A Zame.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, senior division: R Shannon 23, P Jex-Blake 21, D Humphrey 20, B Tietjen 19 on c/b.
