He finished ahead of 11 combinations, although like him, two of those had to do it alone.
Lewin’s efforts booked him a round of 32 match against No 2 qualifiers Mike Henwood and Mike Christophers – members of Electrinet Park and Poverty Bay; both chasing glory in the two clubs’ respective men’s pairs championships (the Te Kanawa Cup being Park’s equivalent).
Top of the 43 duos were Ross Chalmers and Manav Garewal on 46 points.
Garewal clearly enjoys the occasion. Last year he and Alister Jennings were second on 45, including eight three-pointers from Garewal.
This time 25-handicapper Garewal, resplendent in scarlet pants, had five three-pointers and a four-pointer as he and Chalmers finished a point ahead of Henwood/Christophers, with Craig Palmer and Ross Morley looking menacing in third on 43.
Garewal and Chalmers will be out to break a 22-year-old curse. The last No 1 seeds to go on to win the BG were Barry Brown and son Michael in 2004.
Their first hurdle is Kit Goldsmith and Dave Mettrick, who will attempt to emulate 2025 bottom qualifiers Richard Foon and Neville West, who ousted two-time winner Rowan Clark (1980, 1983) and Simon Jeune in the first round.
Clark and Jeune had 46 points in top qualifying last year. On Saturday they had 32, second-to-last.
Others to fail to make the top 32 included 2024 champions Chris Taewa and Collin Jeffrey (35th) and reigning champs Neil Mackie and Paul Mullooly (33rd).
They were relegated to the dungeons of the Barns-Graham Plate, said plate just having to be left on their 19th-hole table as sorrows were drowned. Being told the likes of Poverty Bay great Eric Gordon had won it more than once did not ease the pain.
The first matchplay round of the BG Cup is on Saturday.
The men to beat … Ross Chalmers (left) and Manav Garewal top qualified for the Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs at Poverty Bay Golf Club on Saturday. The pair posted a best-ball Stableford total of 46 points among the 43 pairs. Photo / Chris Taewa
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: B. Anderson 40, R. Davis 37, F. Ball 37, B. Read 37, J, McGregor 36.
Twos: F. Ball, I. Chatfield.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: D. Collier 35, D. Bullivant 35.
Division 2: R. Richards 41, A. Baldwin 40, M. Norman 39, P. Rickard 39.
Twos: T. Donovan 2, A. Hayward, J. Finch.
Nearest to pin: T. Donovan.
Jackpot: T. Donovan.
SATURDAY – Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs qualifying, best-ball Stableford, top 10: Ross Chalmers/Manav Garewal 46; Matt Henwood/Mike Christophers 45; Craig Palmer/Ross Morley 43; Matt Sutton/Nick Richardson 42; Mike Dodgshun/Pat Butler 42; Keith Marshall/Brian Anderson 42; Brian Read/Murray Smith 42; Richard Foon/Neville West 42; Ross Gibson/Barry Brown 42; Tim Sherratt/Peter Humphrey 41.
Twos: R. Morley, S. Francks, D. Bullivant.
Nearest to pin: D. Bullivant.
THURSDAY (June 11) – Thursday Throne men’s par: M. Dodgshun +2, W. Mortleman +1, G. Udall sq, J. Bryden sq, P. Clayton -1, A. Abrahams -1, A. White -1.
Twos: D. Bush.
Nearest to pin: K. Goldsmith.
WEDNESDAY (June 10) – LGU, silver division: M. Colebourne 96-19-77.
Bronze 1: M. Allan 99-21-78.
Bronze 2: K. Toon 125-49-76.
Oman Cup top qualifier: M. Shanks
MONDAY (June 8) – Women’s net: S. Spence 72.
Twos: P Gayford.
Electrinet Park
The No 1 seeds won’t be trembling in their golf shoes, but they will be wary of their first-up challenge in the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs round of 16 on Sunday.
Top qualifiers Anthony Pahina and son Shaun were among those who didn’t have to go through the round of 32 matches.
Mike Christophers and Mat Downie did. And last year’s Te K runners-up made no contest of their clash with Wally Whangapirita and James Witika, brushing them aside 6 and 5.
It moved Christophers and Downie into a round of 16 match-up with the Pahinas, not only former winners of the Te K itself, but both subsidiary trophies – the Fletcher and Tūranganui cups.
Sunday’s round of 32 featured five matches to sort out the final composition of the top 16.
Bailey Matoe and Chris Fox beat Ian Loffler and Steve Webb 3 and 1; Dave Harrison and Phil Nepia beat Tim Beattie and Junior Akurangi 3 and 2; Steve Phillips and Josh Hayes beat John Collier and Alex Nanai 5 and 4; and John Collier Jnr and Damian Pilitati had a default win over Selwyn Peneha and Chum Aramakutu.
Five Park members involved in the Te K are also competing in Poverty Bay Golf Club’s Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs. Qualifying for that was on Saturday and all five made the top 32 – Matt Henwood and Christophers were second qualifiers, Brad Reynolds (playing with Andy Daube) was 13th and brothers Luke and Josh Hayes were 19th.
Pātutahi
Harry Houdini was nodding from the grave after Andy Nimmo’s escape act in the quarter-finals of the Te Kani Pere Cup on Sunday.
Nimmo defeated Peter Hakiwai on the second extra hole in the handicap matchplay round of 16.
Hakiwai looked to be cruising at 3-up only for Nimmo to come back to square it late in the match. It looked like Hakiwai would sneak home on the par-4 18th hole after Nimmo chipped through the green for his third shot.
Nimmo proceeded to sink a putt Hakiwai estimated at around 5-6m from off the green to force sudden-death play-off, and went on to win on the 20th.
His victory set up a semi-final against Tony Sharp, who beat Hamish Harris 2 and 1.
Lyall Anania knocked out top qualifier Dom Wilson 1-up and his semi-final opponent is Tom Hindmarsh, who put away Pat Molloy 6 and 5.
The McKeague Cup women’s semis pit Denise Johnston against Frances Tupara and Kennedy Sarich, who defeated Lou Kriel 1-up in their Sunday quarter-final, against Shelley Robertson.
Mexican wrestling, aka Lucha libre, was unleashed on Mahia Golf Club at the women’s pairs 6x6x6 tournament last weekend in the form of this mysterious character known as “The Pātutahi Punisher”. A Gisborne Herald informant said she goes by the name of Kim Torrez in the daytime.
SUNDAY – Women’s Stableford: K. Sarich 32, F. Tupara 31, L. Kriel 31.
Men’s Stableford, Division 1: T. Hindmarsh 38, D. Pohatu 37, S. Pohatu 36, L. Anania 35, R. Mottart 34.
Division 2: C. Taylor 37, J. Blair 37, T. Sharp 35, A. Nimmo 34, T. Green 34.
Twos: D. Wilson.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: T. Hindmarsh 21, M.Owen 20, S. Robertson 20, B. Williams 20, S. Pohatu 19.
Division 2: D. Tarry 21, R. Evans 19, S. Fookes 18, D. Quinn 18, H. Pomana 18.
Te Puia Hot Springs
A rock-solid Mikaera Aurupa and Haami Dewes advanced as the Busby Cup men’s pairs entered the business end.
Aurupa and Dewes defeated wily coyotes Dick Cook and Bill Clark while Ian Logan and Brendon McLeod eliminated James Junior Forrester and Willie Mannering.
Aurupa also won the men’s Stableford with 73-8-65, for 37 points. His card featured pars and bogeys only.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: M. Aurupa 37, D. Cook 35, B. Clark 34.
Presidents Cup women’s net competition: I. Ngarimu 72.
LGU putting: H. McClutchie 34, I. Ngarimu 34.
Twos: I. Logan, B. Clark.
Waikohu
Waikohu’s most dynamic duos will be decided this Sunday and it could take a superhero effort to clinch the silverware.
Lawrence Green and Larry Green defeated Kahu Tamanui 3 and 2 in the semi-finals of the men’s pairs championship last Sunday.
They will do battle for the title against Sonny Ritchie and Te Kotahi Kaio, who beat Percy Milner and Blair Crawshaw 1-up.
Toni Rutene and Cheryl Te Rito eased past Ella Wynyard and Audrey Tamanui-Nunn 5 and 4 and will play Marg Tuapawa and Val Grace in the final.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: Lawrence Green 35, K. Ruru 35, Larry Green 33, K. Tamanui 31.
Women’s Stableford: T. Rutene 36, V Grace 30, C. Te Rito 28.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, men’s and women’s pairs championship finals – Lawrence Green/Larry Green v Sonny Ritchie/Te Kotahi Kaio; Toni Rutene/Cheryl Te Rito v Marg Tuapawa/Valerie Grace.
Tolaga Bay
Leighton Aupouri went Lewis Hamilton on the field in the weekend net competition.
Aupouri left the chasing pack smelling his fumes with 88-27-61 – six shots clear of BJ Sidney’s 76-9-67, with Zak Horomia third on 69.
Will Yates had twos on the 12th and 15th holes, and Richard Paora won the approach.