It was a drama-filled day where bunkers became a four-letter word.
From the very start of the hole-by-hole net elimination final, Mr Sandman brought no dreams, only nightmares.
Lynne Holmberg chose the wrong day to find the right-hand bunker on the first hole for the first time in her career and became the dreaded opening victim.
With Odette Thompson sick and unable to make the final, the field was reduced to 18 starters and it was decided not to play the second hole.
Following Holmberg’s exit, Marg Lane followed on the third hole and senior club champion Rochelle Taewa raised the white flag on the fourth after multiple failed attempts to get out of the bunker, prompting a cheeky eye-witness to later say he was going to buy her a bucket and spade.
Jan Utting departed on the fifth, 2023 champion Mary Allan joined the Bunkers Non-Appreciation Club on the sixth and Maxine Francois lost a putt-off on the seventh.
Jan Steele was expelled on the eighth, more bunker agony ended Pen Wanklyn and Carnie Nelson’s day on the ninth and 10th respectively, and Viv Bell three-putted her way out of the running on the 11th.
Marg Colebourne had two left feet on the dance floor on the 12th and 13 proved unlucky for Teresa Lewis.
A 14th-hole brain fart by Jaye McCafferty, who nonchalantly went to tap in a six-inch putt only to move the ball two inches, proved fatal, and Miggles Shanks was ousted on 15.
Whyte chose to take her punishment and play sideways out of the pot bunker on the 16th, then beat Janet Muir in a chip-off.
Debbie Kirkpatrick three-jacked on 17 to leave Whyte and Young to duke it out on 18.
Been there. Done that. Did it again.
Andy Hayward sponged up the pressure when it came to the crunch to win his second Sean Shivnan Pharmacy men’s shootout final on Sunday.
The Gisborne Intermediate School principal smoked a drive down the middle of the 18th fairway, calmly put his second on to the green … and didn’t hit another shot.
He and Stu Harbottle were the last two standing, but the otherwise unflappable Harbottle faltered at the finish, flailing his way down the 18th and ultimately conceding defeat.
Blake Marshall qualified No 1 by possibly the largest margin in the 40-year history of the event and it matched the number of holes he lasted.
Shootout rookie Michael Wright followed on the second and Pete Anderson, after taking two shots to hit the green on the 466-metre par-5 first hole, took three shots from five feet on the third – his net bogey 5 beaten by the 16 others.
Jarden Nepia was shown the door on the fourth, Warwick Thompson went out in a blaze of disglory with 10 on the fifth, Ross Chalmers took the short but lonely walk back to the clubhouse from the sixth; and Brent Colbert’s wife Leanne’s 60th birthday bash in the clubhouse the night before caught up with him on the seventh.
Brad Morgan, after a 179-second search before finding his yellow ball off the eighth tee, had five more shots, then headed back to the 19th for a Steinie.
Mike Callaghan, who beat Simon Jeune in an 8.15am chip-off for the 19th spot in the field, self-destructed on the ninth; Glen Udall was dismissed on the 10th; Kit Goldsmith lost a seven-man chip-off on the 11th; and his older brother Tene went the next hole.
Willy Mortleman needed more than a Krispie biscuit sugar injection to survive the 13th and Neil Mackie’s duffed chip-off attempt mortally wounded him on the 14th.
Bill Simpson found Borneo jungle-like rough off the 15th tee and never recovered. Glenn Morley repeated history in exiting stage door left on the 16th – the same hole where his 2022 bid ended.
Harvey Johanson completed a hat-trick earlier in the final when he was penalised a shot for illegally cleaning his ball. It was the third shootout final referee Duncan Bush had imposed the punishment on him. The 83-year-old hung tough before losing a chip-off to Hayward on the 17th, leaving Handy Andy in a stand-off with Nice One Stu.
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: P. Reid 43, R. Wells 41, K. Goldsmith 41, Reid Fletcher 41, R. Farmer 40, C. Hensley 40, V. Richardson 40, P. Rickard 40.
Twos: V. Richardson.
MONDAY – 9-hole women’s shootout winner: S. Gardner from R. Pettigrew.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: J. Situ 39, C. Simpson 37, D. Patumaka 36, R. Gibson 36.
Division 2: N. Jones 39, L. Hunt 35, L. Pollitt 35, P. Rickard 35.
Twos: L. Hewson, S. Muncaster, D. Bullivant.
Nearest to pin: M. McMenamin.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: A. Hayward 39, V. Richardson 39, M. Callaghan 37.
Division 2: M. Lewin 41, D. Bush 39, K. Marshall 38, B. Allen 38.
Twos: B. Allen, S. Francks, M. Callaghan, A. Hayward.
Nearest to pin: T. Goldsmith.
FRIDAY – Fulton Hogan Friday Ambrose Team Series, round 1 (net): Mainfreight Bogeys 17.67; Yokel Gubberment 18.75; The Big M 18.92.
THURSDAY (Nov 6) – Men’s Stableford: M. Lewin 41, W. Mortleman 37, G. Morley 37, P. Butler 36, V. Richardson 36.
Division 2: D. Atkins 40, J. Williams 38, P. Gretton 37, J. Aitchison 36.
Twos: J. Pittar, M. Higham, S. Harbottle.
Nearest to pin: S. Harbottle.
Te Puia Hot Springs
The 2025 East Coast Men’s Open is being held at Te Puia Hot Springs this weekend.
The first round tees off on Saturday at 8am. Organisers are advising players to allow for extra time in getting to the course, as there are extensive roadworks along State Highway 35, including the entrance to the club.
A Friday afternoon scramble and barbecue is being held.
The field as of Wednesday was –
A. Reedy, D. Collier, A. Ngarimu, M. Huriwaka, J. Brown, T. Akroyd, E. Huriwaka, M. Ngarimu, Z. Boyle, J. Devery, T. Donovan, W. Aupouri, N. Hansen, B. Yates, E. Brown Jnr, G. McLellan; P. Stewart, T. Adamson, M. Phipps, B. McLeod, D. Betham, B. Reynolds, A. Hayward, C. Purcell, T. Mackie, A. Crawley-Nepia, J. Sione, M. Harris, N. Mackie, P. Hakiwai, R. Pomana, P. Milner; BJ Sidney, F. Ball, T. Green, R. Paora, C. Martin, R. Waru, M. Yates, A. Higham, G. Lawton, I. Logan, E. West, M. Aurupa, T. Forrester, K. Goldsmith, T. Purcell, M. Mackintosh; W. Tuapawa, R, Bassil, S. Satherley, G. Clapham, G, Smith, N. Bell, T. Sherratt, A. Lawton, J. Stanley, G. Phipps, M. Tong, K. Waitoa, M. Yemm, G. McLean, M. Waru, B. Cooper; M. King, J. Sheridan, G. Callendar, W. Reedy, M. Barker, K. Lewis, N. Carson, A. Jefferd.
Reserves: N. Higham, J. Forrester, C. Hensley, W. Mannering, J. Miratana.
Those interested in playing should contact Mark Higham (0210384364) as a fifth 16 could be played rather than four 16s and a bottom 8, depending on numbers.
The 2025 King and Queen of the Country was held at Patutahi Golf Club on Saturday. Shelley Robertson successfully defended the women’s title, while Hukanui Brown won the men’s crown for the third time.
Patutahi
He’s reigned supreme as the senior men’s club champion for seven years, so it was no surprise when Hukanui Brown ascended to another throne at the weekend.
Brown won the men’s title and Shelley Robertson the women’s crown in the King and Queen of the Country open tournament on Saturday.
Brown posted a drama-free 1-over 71 – a contrast to the roller-coaster 72 from men’s runner-up Jason Devery, whose performance ranged from an eagle-2 on the 17th, where he sank a 56-degree wedge from 60 metres out, to four birdies to a double bogey.
Robertson carded an excellent 81 – her equal-best round of the year – off a 16-handicap to successfully and comfortably defend the women’s title.
Teenager Giovahni Smith-Green underlined his potential by firing 84 to win the Division 2 men’s gross.
Patutahi members will be donning their glad rags on Friday night for the Tairāwhiti Sports Awards. The club is a finalist in three categories – Event Excellence for the Matariki Open Tournament, Club and Sports Team.
SUNDAY – Women’s net: M. Philip 64, F. Tupara 66.
Men’s net, Division 1: S. Toa 66, B. Cameron 68, B. McKenzie 67, H. Harris 71.
Division 2: T. Sharp 66, J. Tietjen 66, S. Fookes 69.
Twos: F. Tupara, B. Tietjen.
Jackpot: F. Tupara.
SATURDAY – King and Queen of the Country open championship, King of the Country men’s gross, Division 1: H. Brown 71.
Division 2: G. Smith-Green 84.
Queen of the Country women’s gross: S. Robertson.
Women’s Stableford: K. Sarich 39. C. Stills-Hindmarsh 36.
Men’s Stableford, Division 1: M. Bond 39, W. Brown 38, G. McLean 37, G. Brown 36.
Division 2: Toa Hawea 39, H. Hawea 37.
Women’s net: F. Tupara 69.
Men’s net, Division 1: J. Priestley 68, K. Harrison-Allen 68, B. McKenzie 7, J. Devery 71, C. Fox 71.
Division 2: R. Hawea 69, D. Skudder 70.
Women’s long drive: F. Tupara.
Men’s long drives: W. Brown, G. McLean, G. Smith Green.
Twos: J. Devery, D. Russell.
Women’s approach: C. Holland.
Men’s approach: W. Aupouri.
Twos: J. Devery, D. Russell.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: L. Owen 22, S. Toa 21, G. Brown 21, M. Broad 21, R. Hindmarsh 20. B. Williams.
Division 2: D. Maloy 23, H. Humble 23, D. Dodgshun 23, D. Niven 21, C. Bridge 20, G. Smith-Green 20, L. Jamieson 20.
Tolaga Bay
An eagle on the 10th was good but not good enough for Bruce Yates in Sunday’s Stableford round.
It helped Yates to 70-3-67, for 37 points, but John Hale’s 38 won the day.
SUNDAY – Stableford: J. Hale 38, B. Yates 37, M. Watts 36, Z. Horomia 35.
Approach: J. Hale.
Eagle on 1: B. Yates.
FRIDAY – Twilight Stableford: Z. Horomia 20.
Waikohu
Andrea Reeves ventured into unfamiliar scoring territory on Sunday.
Her 87-19-69, for 39 points, won the women’s Stableford on countback from Ella Wynyard.
The women overshadowed the men, with Kahu Tamanui and Ike Ruru’s 35-point efforts good enough for the top two slots.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: K. Tamanui 35, I. Ruru 35, P, Milner 34, R. Reeves 34, B. Crawshaw 34.
Women’s Stableford: Andrea Reeves 39, E. Wynyard 39, C. Te Rito 34, M. Tuapawa 34
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition; SATURDAY, Nov 22, Waikohu Christmas Cheer tournament,
Electrinet Park
THURSDAY (Nov 6) – Novus Glass twilight Stableford, Division 1: M. Harris 23.
Division 2: S. Arthur 25, R. MacGregor 22.
Long drive: C. Christophers.
Nearest the pin: S. Ratima.
Monkey on the back: B. Rogers.
Simulator challenge winner: C. Fox.
