Tairāwhiti representative Dan Collier had five birdies in his round as he and Jason Lloyd top qualified for the Te Kanawa Cup men's pairs at the Electrinet Park course over the weekend. The pair amassed a best-ball stableford total of 50 points. Photo / Paul Rickard
Poverty Bay
When Paul Rickard teed off in the 2024 Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs on Saturday, a 28-year drought ended and a storm began . . . a storm of points, that is.
Rickard, off a 16-handicap, and Brad Morgan (11) topped the best-ball stableford qualifying round with a handsome 51 points - possibly the highest total in the 73-year history of the event - off the championship blue tees.
But their hopes of advancing past this Saturday’s first round of matchplay are in jeopardy. Morgan was knocked off his bike at the Stanley Road-Awapuni Road intersection on the way back home from golf on Sunday and is on crutches and out of action.
Gisborne Herald photographer Rickard last played in the coveted BG Cup in 1996. His partner then was the late Peter “Florrie” Florence and the pair made it to the Bryan Cup subsidiary final.
Rickard got to the BG Cup final itself with Jim Kerr in 1995. They lost to the legendary Eric Gordon and Gerald Kemp, and Rickard blamed Kerr for changing his warm-up routine of a few Friday night ciders at the Cossie Club.
Saturday work and a date change for the BG prevented Rickard from playing in the BG after 1996. That changed with the recent Herald buyout by NZME, so he decided to make his return 28 years on with his now regular pairs event cohort Morgan . . . and with good reason.
The duo carved out their own niche in local history when they won the 2018 Poverty Bay men’s open foursomes 36-hole gross title in what ranks among the greatest upsets in Poverty Bay-East Coast sport, let alone golf.
Saturday’s feat wasn’t quite that impressive, but enough to raise 19th-hole eyebrows.
The pair made a sedate par on their opening hole - the 10th - then went ballistic, racking up 28 points for the nine holes, including four-pointers on the 14th (Rickard birdie) and 18th (Morgan birdie).
Plumber Morgan had four consecutive three-pointers from the second to fifth holes before Rickard stepped up when his mate faded at the end.
Rickard and Morgan were the only combo to crack the half-century mark, but there were a few others in the mid-to-high 40s.
The No. 2 qualifiers were 2021 finalists Brent Colbert and Andy Putnam on 48. Colbert’s round of 78-8-70 featured the $250 jackpot of two twos including an eagle on the 14th. Putnam’s 90-23-67 included six three-pointers and a four-pointer.
Ross Morley and 1996 BG winner Craig Palmer (with Dennis Greeks) were third on 47. Thirteen-handicapper Morley anchored that performance with four birdies on a back nine of 2-over 38.
Peter Hakiwai and Frank Ball had a bunch of three-pointers between them - Hakiwai had eight in his 80-12-68 - as they posted 45 points to qualifying fourth.
Stephen Francks had nine three-pointers as he and Bill Simpson were fifth, also on 45.
Half of last year’s champion pair, John Van Helden, made the top 32. In the absence of his 2023 partner Richard Owen, JVH has enlisted the services of Glen Udall this year and they qualified 24th.
The individual performance of the day came from Mark Stewart, who qualified on his own with 38 points as partner Andy Hayward was away. The pair won the title in 2021.
Al Jennings, who won the BG with Jason Lowe in 2003, and George Brown snatched the 32nd and last spot on countback from five other pairs who posted 36 points. That included Vance Richardson, who had to play by himself as Cliff Poole is overseas.
That means Poole, one of only a handful of players to successfully defend the title (Poole won it in 2010 with Basil Payne and 2011 with Pete Goodwin), will not join the exclusive club of three-time winners this year.
SUNDAY - Men’s stableford, division 1: D. Patumaka 35, P. Anderson 34, J. Kerekere 33.
Division 2: J. Finch 37, L. Hewson 35, P. Grogan 35.
Twos: W. Donnelly, P. Anderson.
Approach: J. Finch.
SATURDAY - Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs qualifying round, twos: B. Colbert 2, S. Harbottle, A. Abrahams, C. Palmer, S. Francks.
Approach: C. Palmer.
Jackpot: B. Colbert.
THURSDAY (June 13) - Men’s stableford, division 1: N. Mackie 40, B. Colbert 40, P. Butler 39, G. Udall 39.
Division 2: R. Murphy 42, M. Gemmell 40, H. Johanson 37, J. Williams 35, P. Humphreys 35.
Twos: S. Willock, B. Colbert, V. Richardson, N. Whyte.
Approach: N. Whyte.
The first round of matchplay in the Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs is on SATURDAY. The draw is -
No. 1 tee, 11am: P. Rickard/B. Morgan v G. Brown/A. Jennings. 11.08: M. Allen/B. Allen v B. Brown/D. Meadows. 11.16: K. Marshall/J. Situ v J. Williams/R. Murphy. 11.24: C. Shaw/P. Allen v M. Smith/B. Read. 11.32: K. Goldsmith/T. Goldsmith v P. Hakiwai/F. Ball. 11.40: P. Graham/W. Mortleman v P. Butler/H. Williams. 11.48: M. Stewart/A. Hayward v D. Robertson/C. Carmody. 11.56: R. Chalmers/G. Hawea v N. Mackie/P. Mullooly.
No. 10, 11am: S. Willock/M. Reynolds v S. Harbottle/B. Talbot. 11.08: T. Sherratt/P. Humphreys v J. Van Helden/G. Udall. 11.16: B. Simpson/S. Francks v J. Kerekere/P. Grogan. 11.24: A. Abrahams/M. Callaghan v S. Andreassen/C. Morton. 11.32: R. Morley/C. Palmer v K. Summersby/S. Boyd. 11.40: G. Morley/G. Clapham v W. Donnelly/M. Norman. 11.48: C. Taewa/C. Jeffrey v S. Jeune/R. Clark. 11.56: C. Christophers/M. Christophers v B. Colbert/A. Putnam.
Electrinet Park
The formula for success in pairs golf is not rocket science.
The ultimate aim is for both to play well, but golf tends not to follow that simple path.
Straight and narrow often turns into twisty and hazardous.
Which is where Plan B comes into action. If one of you falls into the volcano, it is up to the other to avoid following.
Daniel Collier and Jason Lloyd did just that as they earned the No. 1 seeding and a free pass in qualifying for the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs over the weekend.
The Collier/Lloyd combo compiled 50 points to top the best-ball stableford by three points. And while Collier would probably say his mate was the mainstay, both contributed to an impressive total.
Lloyd, off a 15-handicap, shot 85, including two four-point birdies and several three-pointers.
Collier, off +2, had five birdies in a round of even-par 72.
What they did best, though, was avoid faltering on the same hole. When one struggled, the other stepped up . . . a classic pairs combination.
With 31 pairs in the field, Collier and Lloyd have a bye in the first round of matchplay.
Mat Greeks and Ben Holt qualified second on 47 points while Heath Tupara and Mike Bond were third on 46 and Josh Adams and Zavier Lister fourth on 45.
Defending champions, father and son Anthony and Shaun Pahina, were 16th on 39 points, meaning they play 17th qualifiers Brad Reynolds and Luke Hayes in round 1. The winners of that face the top seeds in round 2.
Pairs have from June 23 to June 29 to play their matches.
SUNDAY - Foster Cup women’s pairs, round 1 (stableford): M. Vette/K. White 43.
Twos: P. Johansen.
TUESDAY (June 11) - Veterans’ stableford: H. White 34, E. Parkin 34, G. Williams 33, P. Wellard 33, D. Harrison 30.
Net birdies: H. White 5, G. Williams 4, P. Wellard 4.
The draw for the first round of matchplay in the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs is - A. Pahina/S. Pahina (16th seeds) v B. Reynolds/L/ Hayes (17); B. Toa/S. Toa (9) v R. Walford/D. Craven (24); M. Christpohers/M. Downie (8) v S. Tiopira/K. Spring (25); J. Adam/Z. Lister (4) v B. Toa/J. Whittaker (29); J. Witika/S. Phillips (13) v C. Christophers/M. Henwood (20); B. Matoe/J. Devery (12) v S/ Webb/I. Loffler (21); W. Tamatea/K. Tamatea (5) v K. Tupara/C. Seymour (28); M. Greeks/B. Holt (2) v D. Mauheni/M. Emery (31); P. Wellard/P. Nepia (15) v J. Akurangi/T. Beattie (18); J. Hayes/P. Stewart (10) v W. Brown/P. Koorey (23); T. Leggett/D. Boyle (7) v A. Carrie/G. Lowry (26); H. Tupara/M. Bond (3) v W. Muir/C. Fox (30); C. Nepe/J. Collier (14) v S. Rolls/Z. Rolls (19); W. Whangapirita/S. Johnson (11) v C. Aramakutu/S. Fonoti (20); Q. Peneha/S. Peneha (6) v D. Harrison/G. McKinnon (27).
Bye: D. Collier/J. Lloyd (1).
Patutahi
The Te Kani Pere Cup men’s matchplay finalists have been found.
Bottom qualifier Cecil Brown will play seventh-seeded Lindsay Jamieson in the handicap final.
A new Ping driver has been a revelation for Tony Green, who won the senior men’s stableford on Sunday with 77-11-66 for 40 points.
First-year member Phoenix Nickerson went under the century mark for the second consecutive round and won the junior men’s division with 95-30-65 for 41.
SUNDAY - Men’s stableford, senior division: T. Green 40, G. Hawea 39, T. Donovan 38, J. Brown 37, P. Molloy 35 on c/b.
Junior division: P. Nickerson 41, S. Fookes 39, W. Brown 38, M. King 38, S. Pittar 38.
Women’s stableford: D. Johnston 32, A. Davis 32.
Twos: J. Brown, H. Brown (eagle on 5), P. Molloy.
FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole stableford: B. Tietjen 22, G. Brown 20, M. Broad 20, G, Maude 20, P. Briant 20.
Te Puia Hot Springs
Pete Ngarimu completed a two-for-one deal on Sunday.
Ngarimu won the men;s stableford with 36 points and he and Dick Cook defeated James Forrester and Henry Rasmussen in their Busby Cup men’s matchpplay round.
Daryl Goldsmith and Ian Logan needed three extra holes to see off Bill Clark and Nehe Dewes in their match while Hiria McClutchie won the women’s net with 92-21-71.
Busby Cup men’s pairs matchplay, round 1: D. Cook/P. Ngarimu def J. Forrester/H. Rasmussen 3 and 2; D. Goldsmith/I. Logan def B. Clark/N. Dewes on the 21st.
Men’s stableford: P. Ngarimu 36, J. Forrester 34, B. Clark 32.
Women’s net: H. McClutchie 92-21-71, R. Ngatai 100-26-74.
Waikohu
Richard Reeves’ best round of the year included a two and earned him the men’s stableford honours on Sunday.
Reeves carded 80-12-68, for 38 points.
Audrey Tamanui-Nunn won the women’s stableford with 34 points.
The postponed Waikohu Men’s Open is to be held on Saturday, June 29, teeing off at 11am.
SUNDAY - Men’s stableford: R. Reeves 38, T. Brown 34, K. Tamanui 32.
Women’s stableford: A. Tamanui-Nunn 34, M. Tuapawa 33.
Twos: R Reeves.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, round 2 of handicap singles; SATURDAY, June 29, Waikohu Men’s Open, 11am tee-off.
Tolaga Bay
Dan Maitai was Mr Consistency in winning the Sunday net.
Maitai had matching nines of 40 for 80-14-66 and iced his victory cake with a two.
SUNDAY - Net: D. Maitai 66, Joe Lincoln 66, J. Murphy 68, T. Higgs 70.
Putts: M. Watts 24.
Approach: T. Higgs.
Twos: T. Adamson, D. Maitai.
Wind gusts on the bridge could reach up to 90km/h between 6am and 10am.