News, results from Gisborne and East Coast golf clubs

Every sporting organisation has them. People who go out of their way to support their club and for the love of the game. One classic example of that locally is retired policeman Ray Farmer, pictured clearing away a huge tree that fell near the 13th tee at Poverty Bay's Awapuni Links course during the recent storm. Ray has done a huge amount of voluntary work at the course over the years, playing a quiet but important support role in its superb condition. And he is not alone. He would be the first to play down his contribution, highlighting instead that it is a team effort and that he has the time others don't. He's right. At times it takes a village, but there are those in that village who consistently raise the hand of help out of loyalty and a sense of community. They don't seek recognition. They don't need an award. A mere thanks will do. So cheers to all the Rays.

Poverty Bay

A plan to fly under the radar at this year’s Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs is a victory closer to fruition.

Last year, Phil Allan and Chris Shaw lit up BG Cup qualifying like a Las Vegas Strip casino at night by snatching the No 1 seeding in the 2023 edition, only to bet all their chips on red in the first round and the ball falling on black.

This time they have quietly – loose use of the word in Allan’s case – gone about the business of getting their hands on a title so many vie for yet so few achieve.

The Allan/Shaw combo find themselves down to the last four hopefuls after seeing off the well-oiled matchplay machine of Pete Hakiwai and Frank Ball in the quarter-finals last Saturday.

Their 17th-hole win was a decent notch in the belt. “Haks” is a hardened match-player, who has now professional David Smail among his Poverty Bay-East Coast representative day scalps, while leftie Ball’s game usually personifies rock-solid.

Allan and Shaw booked themselves a date with the only player among those remaining to have tasted BG glory.

Al Jennings won it 20 years ago with Jason Low. This time, he has George Brown as his compadre and it was Scotsman Brown who led the 32nd and bottom qualifiers to an emphatic 5 and 4 quarter-final triumph over John Williams and Roger Murphy. Brown played the 10th to 14th holes two-under-par, including a birdie uppercut on the 12th and a birdie KO blow on the 14th.

It was blood versus blood in the third of the quarter-finals as the brothers Morley locked swords. Glenn Morley’s partner Gray Clapham wielded his clubs like Excalibur against Ross Morley and Craig Palmer as he went out in 40 off a 17-handicap.

It was all over on the 13th – a long walk back for the vanquished, who came up against a duo with pedigree in this event.

Blocking their path to the final are greenkeeper Collin Jeffrey and Chris Taewa – the latter having twice (with Lee “Pikey” Hewson) been beaten by the Morley-Clapham combo at the business end stages of the BG in recent years.

Jeffrey and Taewa saw off two-time BG Cup champion Bill Allen and his son Mike 2 and 1, and are the only pair from the top 10 qualifiers still alive.

The Bryan Cup subsidiary featured two rounds over the weekend to sort out the semifinalists.

Peter Humphreys and Tim Sherratt face Andy Abrahams and Mike Callaghan in one semi; Bill Simpson and Steve Francks play 2023 BG champion John Van Helden and Glen Udall in the other.

The BG Plate for non-qualifiers is also down to the last four – Vance Richardson and Cliff Poole v Mark Barker and William Brown; Duncan Bush and Colin Christie v Neville West and Richard Foon.

Electrinet Park member Ben Holt stole the Stableford show on Sunday.

Holt shot 93-26-67, for 41 points, to win division 2, highlighting his efforts with a two on the 11th.

Clubmate Mat Greeks was second as the Park course remains closed by Gisborne District Council due to health and safety issues with trees, following last week’s storm.

TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: D. Bullivant 38, S. Andreasson 37, T. Goldsmith 35, R. Wells 35, P. McKenzie 34, R. Fletcher 34.

Twos: R. Wells, S. Andreassen.

SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: J. Kerekere 35, P. Stewart 34, J. Leaf 32.

Division 2: B. Holt 41, M. Greeks 36, L. Pollitt 33.

Twos: M. Greeks, B. Holt, A. Abrahams, A. Hayward.

Approach: A. Hayward.

SATURDAY – Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs, quarter-finals: George Brown/Al Jennings def Roger Murphy/John Williams 5 and 4; Chris Shaw/Phil Allan def Peter Hakiwai/Frank Ball 2 and 1; Glenn Morley/Gray Clapham def Ross Morley/Craig Palmer 6 and 5; Collin Jeffrey/Chris Taewa def Bill Allen/Mike Allen 2 and 1.

Twos: J. Kerekere.

Approach: N. Mackie.

THURSDAY (July 4) – Men’s Stableford, division 1: V. Richardson 37, S. Jeune 36, N. Whyte 36, G. Udall 35, N. Hansen 35.

Division 2: B. Allen 40, S. Harbottle 39, P. Humphreys 36, C. Poole 36, W. Thompson 34.

Twos: K. Goldsmith 2, T. Goldsmith, W. Mortleman.

Jackpot: K. Goldsmith.

Approach: T. Goldsmith.

The semifinals of the Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs and associated trophies are on SATURDAY. Finals are on Sunday. The draw for the semis is:

No 1 tee, 11am: G. Brown/A. Jennings v P. Allan/C. Shaw. 11.08: G. Morley/G. Clapham v C. Jeffrey/C. Taewa. 11.16: P. Humphreys/T. Sherratt v A. Abrahams/M/ Callaghan. 11.24: B. Simpson/S. Francks v J. Van Helden/G. Udall. 11.32: V. Richardson/C. Poole v M. Barker/W. Brown. 11.40: D. Bush/C. Christie v N. West/R. Foon.

Patutahi

Abbie Davis is the 2024 McKeague Cup women’s matchplay champion, powering her way to victory over Kath McLatchie in the final.

Electrinet Park’s Darren Kahukoti stole the locals’ thunder at club day on Sunday.

With the Park course closed, members have got their golfing fix at Patutahi and Poverty Bay.

Kahukoti headed over the Waipaoa Bridge and won the junior division of the men’s net with 93-27-66.

Jace Brown had six birdies, including on the first, second and third holes, in winning the senior division with 2-under 68-+1-69.

SUNDAY - Men’s net, senior division: J. Brown 69, H. Harris 70, T. Brodie 70, R. Mottart 71, B. McKenzie 71, S. Phillips 72.

Junior division: D. Kahukoti 66, M. Broad 68, D. Dodgshun 69, M. Smith 71, R. Pardoe 71, L Nickerson 72.

Women’s net: A. Davis 74, S. Robertson 76.

Twos: J. Brown, H. Brown (eagle on 3).

FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, senior division: A. Blakeman 20, J. Witika 20, T. Brodie 19, G. Brown 19, R. Pardoe 19.

Junior division: C. Brown 21, I. Tietjen 20, A. Davis 19, D. Quinn 19, S. Fookes 18.

Tolaga Bay

New Patutahi member William Aupouri showed his capability as he waits to get an official handicap.

Aupouri won the Stableford on Sunday with 38 points (he shot 89), three clear of the chasing pack of Watene Reedy, Richard Paora and Jeremy Murphy.

SUNDAY – Stableford: W. Aupouri 38, W. Reedy 35, R. Paora 35, J. Murphy 35.

Twos: T. Higgs, J. Hale, J. Murphy.

Approach: B. Yates.

Māhia

Members had to combat new “water hazards” after the recent storm caused flooding described as “not quite Gabrielle levels”.

It made for challenging conditions for players and greenkeeper Bernie Crowley, who received plenty of praise for members for getting the fairways and greens playable by Friday afternoon.

A few “puddle-jumpers”, as member Rusty Smith described them, turned up for Friday’s nine-hole competition, but there was a good attendance on Sunday and they enjoyed “perfect conditions” for golf.

Graham Shapland made the most of it. He won the men’s Stableford with 91-23-68, for 40 points, including a two on the 15th.

SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: G. Shapland 40, K. Solomon 36, D.Waihaki 34, D. Bremner 33.

Women’s Stableford: V. Kyle 30, P. Denigan 30, L. Steel 29, Maraea Wessche 29.

Approach: D. Waihaki.

Twos: G. Shapland, P. Bremner.

Te Puia Hot Springs

Hiria McClutchie and Ian Logan dominated Sunday’s club golf.

McClutchie won the women’s net/LGU with 89-22-67 while Logan fired 76-10-66, for 36 points, to win the men’s Stableford.

SUNDAY – Women’s net, LGU: H. McClutchie 89-22-67, 31 putts; H. Miratana 99-23-76, 34 putts.

Men’s Stableford: I. Logan 76-10-66, 36; M. Higham 76-6-70, 32.

Waikohu

Larry Green played to his handicap and it was good enough for a double victory on Sunday.

Green defeated Richard Reeves in the men’s handicap singles matchplay final and shot 83-13-70, for 36 points, to win the men’s Stableford.

Consistency anchored his success – he had 13 bogeys and five pars.

Ella Wynyard’s women’s Stableford-winning 33 points featured the only two of the day.

SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: L. Green 36, S. Ritchie 34, T. Brown 34.

Women’s Stableford: E. Wynyard 33, M. Tuapawa 30.

Twos: E. Wynyard.

Men’s handicap singles final: L. Green def R. Reeves.

Flight: T. Ruru def E. Reeves.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, first round of all-irons competition.

Electrinet Park

The course remains closed “until further notice” following extensive tree damage from the storm.

Gisborne District Council closed the course for health and safety reasons.

The club, which leases the land off the council, is in the process of attending to the many trees assessed as dangerous.

It is hoped to have it opened for nine holes next week.

The clubrooms are accessible through its carpark at the end of Cochrane Street.

The club has a simulator available for hire.