School golf revival

REVIVAL: Tara Raj and Harry Symes ran out worthy winners of the students section of the resurrected Wanganui Collegiate Golf Championship on Labour Monday.

After a three year hiatus, the annual Wanganui Collegiate Golf Championship was revived on Labour Day Monday with the weather gods smiling down.

Wanganui Golf Club hosted the event and conditions were ideal - dry and overcast.

This year's competition was split into two categories - a student division for current students of WCS and an Open division for past students, staff, and the wider Collegiate community.

The pleasing number of Open entries included old boys, board members and staff, some of whom travelled from out of town especially for the day.

The overall student winner of the WCS Gross Trophy was Tara Raj with a commendable 77 on a par 73 track for women.

Raj can add this trophy to the number of other events she has won over the past few years. She is quickly establishing herself as a golfer of immense potential and a welcome introduction to the Collegiate sporting community.

Harry Symes proved he is an allround sportsman of note picking up the student Handicap trophy with an exceptional net 61. Open winners were Mike Tafilipepe with the day's low gross score of 72 (Men's Par 70) and Collegiate's Director of Extra-Curricular Barry Touzel took out the net competition with a respectable net 70.

Touzel also won the longest drive and was just edged out for the closest to the pin prize by old boy Russell Longuet.

Wanganui Collegiate School hopes to grow this event in future years and is part of the wider school golf programme that is being initiated.

Organiser Costas Thrasyvoulou said special thanks must be given to hosts Dale Cobb and the Wanganui Golf Club, The Oaks Restaurant and Quality Inn, La Quattro Mexican Grill, Pin High Golf, Manawatu Wanganui Golf, Puma Cobra Golf and Streetwise Coffee, all of whom supported the day generously.