It was all on when Collier won the first hole and from there both enjoyed periods of dominance.
Collier won the fifth, seventh, eighth and 11th holes to be 4-up. Henwood replied with wins on the 12th, 15th, 16th and 17th, and the pair went to lunch locked all-square.
Henwood’s momentum continued in the second 18, winning the opening three holes, including birdies on the 19th and 21st.
The worm turned again as Collier won the next three holes with pars and the pair ended 27 holes where they began.
The next three holes arguably decided the contest. Henwood won the 28th with a birdie, the 29th with a par, and when Collier drove into the left trees on the par-5 30th and lost his ball, Henwood was in the box seat.
To his credit, Collier hit a sublime second shot on to the green to about 5m from the pin, but missed his par putt (two-stroke penalty for the lost ball) to lose the hole.
The drama continued into the “Triangle” holes. Collier sank an 8m birdie putt on the 31st to cut the deficit to 2-down. Henwood responded by nearly driving the 308m par-4 32nd, and up and downing for birdie to go dormie 3-up.
Collier’s second shot on the 33rd, which he pulled left into rough behind the bunker – short-siding himself to the pin – was fatal. He put his difficult third through the green, chipped short and missed a 1.5m putt for bogey.
The 15 holes played in the afternoon featured just one half.
Henwood looked more relieved than jubilant as a mob of mates from Electrinet Park, of which he is also a member, congratulated him.
It continued a memorable year for the Lytton High School tech teacher, who won Poverty Bay’s Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs (with Mike Christophers) and Park’s Te Kanawa Cup pairs (with Craig Christophers) … and both Christophers brothers were among the gallery who followed the final.
Glen Udall didn’t have to swing a club to win his first silverware since joining Poverty Bay – the Barns-Graham Plate a couple of years ago.
That was far from the case on Saturday as he saved his best to last to win the intermediate men’s club championship final.
Udall would be the first to admit consistency has not been his strength. Last Thursday, he won the Division 1 men’s Stableford with 77-11-66, for 42 points. The next day he shot 96 in the annual Gisborne insurance tournament, in testing conditions.
On Saturday, he returned to the form that got him to the final, beating a gritty Ross Chalmers 7 and 6 over the scheduled 36 holes.
His golf in the opening 18 holes would have been competitive in the senior final. Udall shot 3-over 75, but was only 2-up as Chalmers carded 79.
Cary Hensley won the opening four holes and never looked back in his 4 and 3 defeat of Gray Clapham in the junior men’s 18-hole final.
Teenager William Edginton defeated Brian Read – 63 years his senior – in the endeavour handicap final, also over 18 holes.
George Brown beat Tene Goldsmith 4 and 3 in the intermediate division 2 final.
Andy Abrahams had a triumphant week, claiming overall honours with 38 points at the insurance tournament on Friday, then racking up 42 points to win the Division 2 men’s Stableford on Saturday.
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: K. Ellison 40, L. Foster 39, R. Fletcher 39, B. Croskery 39, J. Aitcheson 38.
Twos: L. Owen, C. Poole, B. Morrissey.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: M. Harris 40, D. Pirimona 36, M. McMenamin 35.
Division 2: G. Marchbank 38, R. Gibson 37, L. Pollitt 36.
Twos: D. Bullivant.
Nearest the pin: P. Anderson.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: S. Andreassen 36, M. Jefferson 36, M. Callaghan 36.
Division 2: A. Abrahams 42, K. Marshall 39, M. Smith 37.
Twos: R Chalmers.
Nearest the pin: K. Marshall.
THURSDAY (Sept 3) – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: G. Udall 42, S. Jeune 37, A. White 36, T. Goldsmith 36, B. Anderson 36.
Division 2: R. Fletcher 42, N. Mackie 38, D. Bush 38, A. Abrahams 37, H. Williams 37.
Nearest the pin: G. Udall.
Pātūtahi
King Hukanui reigned supreme as history was made more than once at club championships finals day on Sunday.
Hukanui Brown became the most prolific senior men’s champion in the club’s history with his 5 and 4 defeat of Tini Hawea in the 36-hole matchplay final.
It was Brown’s ninth senior honour and eighth on the trot – surpassing Tony Burns’ seven consecutive wins from 1976-1982.
Brown, who enjoyed plenty of whānau support, quickly made his intentions clear. He made birdies on the opening three holes, won the fourth and was 5-up when he walked off the 18th green.
He was 6-up through 27 before “going to sleep a bit”, and hands were shaken on the 32nd.
Father and son Dan and Jack Williams carved out a piece of their own ‘Tahi history with a family double.
Dan beat Ash Hindmarsh 3 and 2 to win the intermediate men’s final while Gisborne Boys’ High student Jack came from 2-down at the halfway stage to defeat Madison Murphy 2 and 1 in the junior men’s final.
They are the first father and son to win club champs finals in the same year.
Ian Tietjen outgunned evergreen 89-year-old Simon Pittar 7 and 6 (over 18 holes) in the endeavour final.
Denise Johnston collected her fifth senior women’s honour and third in a row, but had pull herself off the floor to do it. Trailing Calypso Stills-Hindmarsh 4-down at lunch, Johnston fought back to be 1-down after 27 and came home strong for a 2 and 1 victory.
Women’s club captain Kennedy Sarich won her first club championship title with a 4 and 2 defeat of Frances Tupara in a match played earlier in the week.
Charlie Holland, with sister and 2025 champ Kim Torrez on her bag, regained the junior women’s trophy with a 7 and 6 win (18 holes) over Lou Kriel.
Pātūtahi Golf Club’s club champions for 2026 are (from left) Ian Tietjen (endeavour men), Kennedy Sarich (intermediate women), Denise Johnston (senior women), Hukanui Brown (senior men), Dan Williams (intermediate men), Charlie Holland (junior women) and Jack Williams (junior men).
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: L. Anania 36, R. Moleta 34, T. Hindmarsh 34, H. Harris 34, H. Brown 34.
Division 2: Z. Norris 37, D. Williams 35, R. Pardoe 34, A. Hindmarsh 34, G. Brown 34.
Women’s Stableford: C. Holland.
Twos: J. Williams, R. Moleta.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, Division 1: D. Johnston 20, P. Johnston 19, T. Hindmarsh 18, S. Baty 18, G. Brown 17.
Division 2: L. Aupouri 22, H. Humble 22, G. Holland 21, C. Brown 20, D. Quinn 20.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, October 3, Pātūtahi open closing day.
Waikohu
Came, saw and did a bit of conquering … visitors made their mark at Waikohi’s open closing day tournament on Saturday.
Electrinet Park duo Heath Tupara – fresh from his junior men’s club championship victory – and Lana Waitoa combined brilliantly to win the Canadian mixed pairs Stableford with a 45-point haul.
Tolaga Bay golfers enjoyed a fruitful day. Will Yates’ 73 won the men’s gross while Leighton Aupouri cleaned up the Stableford with 45 points.
Recently crowned Waikohu senior men’s club champ Terry Reeves won the net with 71.
SATURDAY – Waikohu open closing day, Canadian mixed pairs Stableford: H. Tupara/L. Waitoa 45; B. Crawshaw/S. Robertson 42; T. Ruru/M. Tuapawa 41; M. Bond/P. Rutene 37; D. Wilson/K. Sarich 35; P. Milner/L. Kriel.
Men’s gross: W. Yates 73, Watene Brown 79.
Net: T. Reeves 71. S. Reeves 74.
Stableford: L. Aupouri 45; W. Aupouri 35.
Long drives: K. Ruru, L. Aupouri, S. Robertson, K. Sarich.
Nearest the pin: W. Brown.
Pairs’ best second shot: D. Wilson/K. Sarich.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, course backwards, first round of singles.
Te Puia Hot Springs
James Forrester jnr made no race of his club championship match and the men’s Stableford on Sunday.
Forrester equalled his personal best round, 88, in racking up 43 points off his 29 handicap and beating Dick Cook 3 and 2 in their junior men’s club championship clash.
It was a good day for the Forrester whānau.
James Forrester snr also advanced to the next round of the intermediate champs, brushing aside Kahu Waitoa 6 and 5.
Ian Logan saw off Bill Clark 5 and 4 in their intermediate match while Henry Rasmussen defeated Willie Mannering 4 and 3 in the junior division.
Iritana Ngarimu lifted the Women’s Handicap Cup after a 4 and 3 win over Aomihi Cook in Sunday’s final.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: J. Forrester jnr 43, I. Logan 39, B. Clark 36.
Women’s net: H. Miratana 95-25-70, H. McClutchie 96-22-74.
Twos: I. Logan.
Electrinet Park
Shaun Frame gave himself a present on Father’s Day … The Fathers Cup.
Frame was in his own class, firing 87-22-65 to win the net by seven shots.
He also won the combined net with Sefo Fonoti.
John Collier snr had to settle for second in the Fathers Cup, but won the Grandfathers Cup net with 91-19-72.
SUNDAY – Grandfathers Cup net: J. Collier 72, A. Pahina 73, S. Fonoti 73.
Fathers Cup net: S. Frame 65, J. Collier 72, A. Pahina 73.
Combined net: S. Fonoti/S. Frame 138 A. Pahina/S. Pahina 148, S. Phillips/J. Witika 149.
Nearest to pin: M. Rofe.
Long drive: B. Matoe.
Twos: M. Rofe, A. Pahina.