It’s a tough climb to the top of the BG mountain. Obviously skill and tactics play a part, but so often a little luck is needed as well.
Negotiating the qualifying path is the first step. Unless there are late entries, eight pairs will fail to do so – and there is always a nervous wait in the clubhouse for those at the lower end of the qualifying tally as scores go up.
It will be the first taste of BG Cup action for a couple of notable sportsmen. Former All Black and Hurricanes player James Broadhurst has paired with Hamish Evans, who was part of the Poverty Bay Linksmen’s successful Tairāwhiti interclub pennants campaign.
Former Black Fins surf lifesaving international and Midway club stalwart Matt Sutton will swing the club alongside Nick Richardson.
One of the district’s most exciting young prospects, Rua Ratima, will vie for glory with his father Shannon.
The family theme continues with brothers Josh and Luke Hayes and Nick and Matt Greeks hunting the silverware … the Greeks boys looking to emulate father Dennis, who won it with Craig Palmer 30 years ago.
Cousins Dan Croskery and Brent Croskery are also in the field – Dan fresh from cleaning up the Sunday School boys last weekend.
The Electrinet Park equivalent of the BG Cup is the Te Kanawa Cup. Matt Henwood won that last year (paired with Craig Christophers) and is playing in the 2025 BG Cup with one of the men he beat in the Te K final, Mike Christophers (Craig’s brother).
The field features a bunch of players who have lifted the BG Cup in the past such as Barry Brown, who has done it with different partners, but not his current one (Ross Gibson) … not yet, anyway.
Front-runners? It’s a lottery, but expect the likes of the ever-consistent Frank Ball and Cary Hensley, Simon Jeune and Rowan Clark, Craig Morton and Mike Lewis, and Pete Stewart and BG Cup first-timer Kelly Spring to feature.
And if you only had one choice to make, off the championship tees and in winter conditions, Pete Anderson and Marcus Gray would be a solid bet.
Jeune warmed up for the BG Cup with one of the rounds of the year last Thursday. The 2019 Poverty Bay Open champion had six birdies in his 3-under-par 69. He birdied five of his opening seven holes and had another birdie on the 10th before dropping a couple of shots coming home.
Jeune hit 15 greens and putted brilliantly although, like most top players, he said it could have been better – referring to a 60-centimetre putt he missed on the fifth hole.
WEDNESDAY – 9-hole LGU, Division 1: N. Johnson 16 putts.
Division 2: R. Dymock 20 putts.
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: P. Clayton 32, B. Anderson 31, R. Fletcher 31, P. Rickard 30.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: D. Croskery 38, B. Morgan 37, M. Harris 36, B. Anderson 35, P. Stewart 35.
Division 2: J. Castles 38, R. Morley 35, M. McMenamin 35, G. Marchbank 35.
Twos: K. Houkamau.
Nearest to pin: P. Stewart.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: M. Jefferson 39, B. Anderson 39, S. Andreassen 35, M. Henwood 35.
Division 2: D. Parfett 42, J. Kerekere 35, A. Abrahams 34.
Twos: N. Richardson.
Nearest to pin: A. Hayward.
THURSDAY (June 4) – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: S. Jeune 41, A. Kirkpatrick 37, G. Udall 36.
Division 2: M. Dodgshun 40, P. Simmonds 38, P. Humphreys 37.
Twos: S. Jeune, J. Jenner.
Nearest to pin: S. Jeune.
Electrinet Park
If the TAB was taking bets on the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs, you could be certain Anthony and Shaun Pahia would be among the favourites.
The father-and-son duo have won the Te K (in 2023) as well as the other two subsidiary trophies up for grabs.
And they underlined that impressive record by top-qualifying for the 2026 Te K at the weekend.
It wasn’t a sparkling best-ball Stableford score – their 44 points reflecting a challenging Park course. But it was enough to head off Darren Kahukoti and greenkeeper Pete Tamatea on countback.
Reuben Maynard and Matt Rofe were third on 43, followed by Shaun Frame and Josh Adams on 42.
Reigning champions Matt Henwood and Craig Christophers qualified eighth on a modest 40 points as scoring among the 21 pairs went to as low as 29 points.
The top 11 pairs advanced directly to the round of 16.
The other 10 face round of 32 matches to decide the five who will make up the 16. Among those were last year’s runners-up Mike Christophers and Mat Downie, who will have to get by Wally Whangapirita and James Witika to advance.
SUNDAY – Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs qualifying, best-ball Stableford, top 10: S. Pahina/A. Pahina 44; D. Kahukoti/P. Tamatea 44; R. Maynard/M. Rofe 43; S. Frame/J. Adams 42; K. Fonohema/D. Mauheni 41; H. Tupara/M. Bond 41; L. Hayes/B. Reynolds 40; C. Christophers/M. Henwood 40; R. Monika/S. Fonoti 39; G. McKinnon/D. Craven 38.
Special sixes pairs Stableford: M. Henwood/C. Christophers 62; C. Fox/B. Matoe 58; R. Monika/S. Fonoti 51.
Twos: C. Fox.
Pātutahi
Top seed Dom Wilson charged into the quarter-finals of the Te Kani Pere Cup men’s handicap match, but others had to get there the hard way.
Wilson outgunned Cecil Brown 7 and 5 to set up a last-eight match against Lyall Anania, who needed an extra hole to see off Butch McKenzie.
Tom Hindmarsh also took 19 holes to get past Joe Blair and faces Pat Molloy, who beat Mana Pohatu 5 and 4.
Hamish Harris thumped George Brown 6 and 5 and will next meet Tony Sharp, who edged Shannon Toa on the 19th.
Peter Hakiwai defeated Rocky Pardoe and his next opponent is Andy Nimmo, who had a comfortable 6 and 4 win over Peter Johnston.
In McKeague Cup women’s quarter-final clashes, Denise Johnston beat Kim Torrez 1-up; Frances Tupara beat Charlie Holland 2-up; and Shelley Robertson beat Helen Humble 4 and 3.
SUNDAY – Women’s net: S. Robertson 72, F. Tupara 74, C. Holland 75.
Gross, Division 1: H. Brown 72, R. Mottart 75, W. Brown 75, P. Hakiwai 76, D. Wilson 76, D. Russell 77, E. Brown Jnr 78, P. Molloy 78, S. Pohatu 78.
Division 2: A. Nimmo 85, S. Robertson 87, M. Broad 87, L. Jamieson 88, J. Williams 88, T. Sharp 91, G. Hawea 91, J. Blair 93, G. Holland 94.
Twos: H. Brown, G. Brown.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: B. Williams 20, S. Pohatu 20, J. Priestley 20, D. Pohatu 20, M. Broad 20, L. Anania 18, C. Stills-Hindmarsh 18.
Division 2: A. Zame 21, J. Tietjen 20, J. Blair 18, P. Briant 18, S. Fookes 16, M. White 16, D. Tarry 16, H. Pmana 16, S. Helm 16.
Tolaga Bay
Two twos to Will Yates propelled him to victory in the Sunday Stableford.
Yates shot 75-7-68, for 36 points, collecting twos on the sixth and 15th holes.
SUNDAY – Stableford: W. Yates 36. M. Watts 36, B. Yates 35, T. Welsh 35.
Approach: M. Watts.
Twos: W. Yates 2, M. Watts, B. Yates.
Waikohu
Ella Wynyard and Val Grace have been there and done that over their many years of Waikohu membership.
They did it again on Sunday as a combo, winning the women’s drawn pairs net with 152.
Grace was also second due to numbers, drawn with Toni Rutene and totalling 160.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: S. Rutene 35, P. Milner 32, L. Green 29, T. Smith 29.
Women’s drawn pairs net: E. Wynyard/Valerie Grace 152; V. Grace/T. Rutene 160; C. Te Rito/P. Rutene 172.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, pairs championship first round.
Tahunga
The Tahunga Ladies Classic is being held on Tuesday, June 30.
Morning tea at 9.30am will be followed by tee-off at 10am.
It is a 9-hole competition and beginners are welcome.
Lunch will be provided.
RSVP to Di Sherratt or Tammy Steele.
Te Puia Hot Springs
Handicap golf was enough to win Brendon McLeod the men’s Stableford on Sunday. McLeod carded 72-6-66, for 36 points, in only his eighth round of the year.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: B. McLeod 72-6-66, 36; J. Forrester Jnr 99-30-69, 33
Captain’s competition, round 3, LGU/putting: H. McClutchie 91-20-71, 33 putts; P. Summersby 101-23-78, 36
COMING UP: SUNDAY, committee meeting 10.30am.