GOLF

THE biggest trophy in Poverty Bay-East Coast golf will have two new names engraved on it.

Gisborne Boys’ High students Tom Needham and Jeremy Tucker surprised themselves as much as most of the “big guns” to win the overall gross at the Enterprise Motor Group Poverty Bay men’s open foursomes on Saturday.

Modest scoring on a rain-soaked Poverty Bay course was all that was needed to secure a piece of silverware that last time it was attempted, could hold 101 golf balls.

The pair, both 16, did not do anything stupid and were rewarded with a 36-hole total of 165 (81, 84) which proved good enough as others around them fell.

Their second nine of the day was to prove the winning. They started off the 10th hole and carded an unspectacular 44, then came home with a 1-over 37.

That included a near hole-in-one on the 155m second hole. Tucker stiffed a four-iron to within a few inches of the hole for a tap-in birdie.

The afternoon was all about safety golf, or as Tucker put it “not chopping it”, and they came through relatively unscathed to win by two shots from former PBEC representatives Brent Colbert and Hamish Douglas, with Dean Bloomfield and Simon Jeune another two shots back on 169.

It was the second year running Colbert and Douglas have been runners-up.

Year 12 students Tucker and Needham have been playing golf for about three years. Both are also GBHS first 11 and Poverty Bay age group cricketers.

Golf has become No.1 for Tucker, who plays off an 11 handicap, and has a best round of 79 at the Bay.

Cricket remains the priority sport for Needham, who is on a nine and has had a low round of 76.

Tucker has represented PBEC at junior golf level and both are members of the Gisborne Boys’ High School team who will compete in the national secondary schools final at Waipu, north of Auckland, next month.

The Poverty Bay foursomes always has its tales of woe.

This year’s included such “character-building” experiences as a 13 on the 12th hole by Tuki Sweeney and Ray Walford and Poverty Bay rugby great Richard Owen all but missing the ball off the 11th tee.

His partner, Harvey Johanson, hit their second shot from about an inch behind where Owen had attempted to tee off.

Esteemed Gisborne district councillor Craig Bauld and Les Gunther’s two-round total of around 233 (121, 112) is understood to be a record high in the tournament’s history.

One of their playing partners suggested before they started that their scoring would be “a telephone number”. However, Gisborne telephone numbers start with 8, Bauld and Gunther started with 11.

Apparently Gunther played OK.