Grant has had a couple of full rounds this year, but the previous one, according to the Golf New Zealand handicap website, was in 2006.
But they have been oiling the swings over nine holes in recent years and while age may have robbed them of a little distance, the golfing nous is no doubt still there.
Among the rest of the field vying for 2025 glory will be Barry Brown – half of the team (the other was Mike Glassford) who denied Grant and Green in the 1994 final.
Brown, a two-time B.G. champion – the other title coming with son Michael Brown in 2004 – is back with the man who someone once said was the best 15-handicapper in New Zealand, Ross Gibson, now on 16.
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A couple of father-son combinations are giving it a go this year – Shannon and Rua Ratima, and Waiti and Kymani Tamatea.
Two two-time winners – Cliff Poole and Duncan Bush – are looking to make it three.
Poole won it in 2010 with Basil Payne and again in 2011 with the recently passed Peter Goodwin.
Bush won it with B.J. Carey in 1977, then 35 years later (2012) with Colin Christie.
Pete Anderson and 2023 runner-up Marcus Gray (with Zach Rolls), at a combined handicap of six, may well be the lowest-handicapped duo in the 74-year history of the event.
Reigning champions Collin Jeffrey and Chris Taewa will be out to join a select few who have successfully defended it.
Andy Hayward and Cary Hensley go into Saturday qualifying on the back of hot rounds.
Hayward, returning with fellow 2021 BG winner Mark Stewart, shot an outstanding 2-over 74-8-66, for 42 points, to win the division 1 men’s Stableford on Sunday.
Hensley (playing with Pete Hakiwai in the B.G.) won the veterans’ Stableford on Tuesday with 86-20-66, for 42.
The Kahlenberg Cup women’s pairs handicap final was a one-sided affair last Wednesday.
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Miggles Shanks (off a 21 handicap) and Teresa Lewis (29) outgunned Megan Allen (11) and Faye Allen (31) – the match ending on the 12th.
The winners combined superbly as Shanks made it a third Kahlenberg crown and Lewis earned her first.
TUESDAY – Gisborne-East Coast veterans’ Stableford: C. Hensley 42, N. Jenkins 37, L. Foster 36, R. Fletcher 35.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: A. Hayward 42, B. Morgan 37, C. Carmody 37, S. Andreassen 37.
Division 2: D. Pirimona 36, L. Hewson 36, G. Marchbank 36, M. Garewal 35.
Twos: M. Lewin 2, C. Simpson, S. Andreassen, R. Morley, M. McMenamin, D. Patumaka.
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Approach: D. Patumaka.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: M. Callaghan 35, P. Butler 32.
Division 2: C. Hensley 34, S. Harbottle 33.
Approach: P. Clayton.
THURSDAY (June 5) – Men’s Stableford, division 1: M. Higham 36, S. Jeune 35, J. Rowe 35, G. Udall 35.
Division 2: D. Bush 36, S. Harbottle 35, C. Poole 35, J. Williams 34.
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Approach: H. Johanson.
WEDNESDAY (June 4) – Kahlenberg Cup women’s pairs handicap matchplay final: T. Lewis/M. Shanks def F. Allen/M. Allen 7 and 6.
Plate final: M. Allan/S. Eriksen def J. Steele/M. Francois.
Flight: J. McCafferty/J. Clayton def L. Holmberg/M. Lane.
Stableford: R. Taewa 35.
Twos: G. Young
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Greenkeeper Pete Tamatea got off the tractor seat and into the driver’s seat with a sensational performance to earn No 1 seeding in Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs qualifying at the weekend.
And his partner, Darren Kahukoti, starred alongside him as the pair racked up a best-ball Stableford total of 49 points to top the 26-pair field.
Tamatea, playing his first official 18 holes of 2025, cruised to 84-19-65 while Kahukoti signed for 88-21-67.
They were one of six pairs to get a bye into the round of 16.
Craig Christophers and Matt Henwood, Te K champions in 2021, qualified second on 46 points.
With Waikohu not playing in the Poverty Bay Premier club rugby competition this year, Adrian Wyrill (43-first class games for Taranaki, Manawatu and Poverty Bay) and Tane McGuire (19 games for Ngāti Porou East Coast and Poverty Bay) combined forces to qualify third on 45.
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Club captain Mike Christophers and Mat Downie were fourth on 45 and defending champs Heath Tupara and Michael Bond were fifth on 44.
One match has already been played – John Collier jnr and Damian Pilitati beating James Witika and Steve Phillips on the 18th in what was described as “an awesome match”.
Patutahi
The ’Tahi rocked on Saturday as members celebrated the club’s 2025 interclub pennants success.
Patutahi won the Tairāwhiti senior men’s interclub pennants and the Endeavour Shield men’s handicap pennants, and were third in the Tairāwhiti women’s pennants.
To mark that effort, the club ran a special competition on Sunday for those who were part of these teams over the respective series.
Hukanui Brown shot a 1-under 69 to win the gross competition for the senior pennants team members; Michael Broad, who had a perfect Endeavour series record of four victories, won the Endeavour players’ competition with net 72; and Shelley Robertson’s net 76 was best of the pennants women.
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The call from the 19th was “bring on 2026″.
SUNDAY – Men’s net, division 1: T. Brodie jnr 69, E. Brown jnr 71, R. Hindmarsh 71, A. Nimmo 71, G. Brown 72.
Division 2: M. Forrest 71, A. Zame 71, B. Tietjen 71, M. Broad 72, M. White 72.
Women’s net: S. Gardner 71.
Twos: G. Brown.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, division 1: D. Wilson 18, Beau Toa 17, M. Broad 17.
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Division 2: G. Roadley 19, C. Harris 18, M. White 16.
Te Puia Hot Springs
Daryl Goldsmith enjoyed a double dose of glory on Sunday.
Goldsmith won the men’s Stableford with 35 points and he and Peter Ngarimu beat Bill Clark and Raana Walker in their Busby Tray men’s pairs match.
Henry Rasmussen and James Forrester defeated Nehe Dewes and Kahu Waitoa in the other match.
SUNDAY – Captain’s women’s competition: H. McClutchie 91-18-73, R. Ngatai 104-23-81.
LGU putting I. Ngarimu 32, A. Cook 32, H. McClutchie 32.
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Busby Tray men’s pairs matchplay: H. Rasmussen/J. Forrester def N. Dewes/K. Waitoa, D. Goldsmith/P. Ngarimu def B. Clark/R. Walker.
Men’s Stableford: D Goldsmith 35, B McLeod 35, B. Clark 34.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, committee meeting, 10.30am, LGU, putting and President’s competition round 1 for women, Busby Tray pairs for men.
Waikohu
Mike Christophers ticked off No 1 of a potential men’s pairs title treble on Sunday.
Christophers, a member of three Tairāwhiti golf clubs, combined with Terry Reeves to win the Waikohu’s men’s pairs championship matchplay final.
Reeves was dishing out over 20 shots to each of their opponents, but he and Christophers got over the line 1-up after being 3-up at the halfway mark.
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The victory came a day after Christophers and Mat Downie qualified fourth in Electrinet Park’s Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs.
Christophers is also a member of Poverty Bay and he and brother Craig have qualifying for the Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs at the Awapuni Links course this Saturday.
Fresh from Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants glory, Andrea Reeves and Marg Tuapawa picked up more silverware on Sunday.
Reeves (75) and Tuapawa (80) were 1-2 in the women’s net and their names were also drawn together in the women’s drawn pairs net.
Their combined net total of 155 was 13 clear of runners-up Cheryl Te Rito and Audrey Tamanui-Nunn.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: T. Ritchie 37, K. Ruru 36, P. Milner 33.
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Women’s net: A. Reeves 75, M. Tuapawa 80, A. Tamanui-Nunn 83.
Men’s pairs championship matchplay final: T. Reeves/M. Christophers def K. Tamanui/T. Smith.
Women’s drawn pairs net: A. Reeves/M. Tuapawa 155, C. Te Rito/A. Tamanui-Nunn 168, E. Wynyard/P. Rutene 169.
Twos: T. Ritchie.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, committee meeting 9.30am, club competition, tee-off 11am.
Tolaga Bay
Watene Reedy won the Stableford on Sunday with 84-18-66, for 38 points.
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Gary McLean was second with 83-15-68, for 36.
William Aupouri had a two and Dion Milner won the approach.
