Last weekend the 13th Recreational Services Masterton Eketahuna Pro Am was held with a capacity field including 40 pro’s, although the celebrity Friday night speaker, Wayne Smith, chose not to play. In the pro competition ‘local’ and defending champion, Harry Bateman held a two shot lead after the first day at Eketahuna but could not maintain his form on his home course and eventually came 8th with 137 (65, 72). The winner of the pro am, with rounds of 68 and 64 (132), was Nick Gillespie, followed one shot behind by Martin Pettigrew (68, 65, 133). Of our local resident pros, Joel Macklin did the best coming 19= (71, 69, 140) Out of the 40 pros, 17 broke par at Masterton.
The amateurs who make up the bulk of the field and play a ‘best three of the four players’ stableford deserve a lot of exposure too. After the first day at Eketahuna the leading team was Brushstrokz with 136 points and they continued this form on to Masterton to win the pro am by 4 points
Abbreviated results-
1st Brushstrokz (Robert Braddick, Hamish Anderson, Brian Smith0 256
2nd Pacific Hygiene (Peter Kenny, David Cameron, Roger Allen) 252
3rd Eketahoons (Robert Cameron, Ewen Cameron, Mike Wyeth) 252
4th The Anzacs (David Lochore, Paul Deardren, Tom Leask) 247
5th Pea Straw Man (Philip Rutene, Wayne O’Donnell, Leith Comer) 245
6th John Griffith and Co Ltd (David Cook, Mike Falloon, Geoff McKay) 244
7th Farmlands (Paul Hurley, Colin May, Robbie McLachlan) 242
8th Why Shearing (Kelvin Bassett, Regan Duffy, Lawrence Aspinall) 241
There were numerous other prizes, with a prize list down to 19th place and closest to the pins, longest drives, and a shootout on each course. However, the big winner was the weather and the presentation of both courses, a credit to all the members and volunteers from both clubs
In Round 1 of the Wellington Premier interclub, Gibson Sheat Premier Masterton played Paraparaumu at Manor Park. It was always going to be an uphill battle with the round clashing with the pro am and an order of merit tournament in Hawkes Bay and so it proved. The 12-3 loss saw singles wins to Owen Lloyd and Pim Borren.
The 9 holers commenced their season with an ambrose competition. Winners were Di Alexander, Geri Southey and Fran Stewart with 21 nett. Upcoming events are a ‘Bring a Friend’ Day on 24 February and interclub starts on 3 march.
The vets had 40 players at their opening day on Monday where they played an ambrose competition. Results were-
1st Ash Peterson, Mick Gates, Helen Falloon, John Whitehead 35
2nd Jamie Brunton, Roger Gardner, Graeme Jones, Mary Herrick 35
3rd Alan Sadler, Alan Kirkham, Ivan Eyre, Pam Sutherland 34
The Fagan Ford Nearest the Pin went to Carl Christensen.
The Thursday New World stableford competition saw some ‘hot’ scoring and some mediocre scores. The competition was won by Steve Hemingway with 42 points from Ewen Macdonald with 41, then visitor John Duffy with 40. Perhaps the best result of the day was the birdsnest being won by Ewen Macdonald who got three two’s rather than the mandatory two!
Last Tuesday the women had the 2016 opening day and played a South African stableford which was won by the team of Jane Williams, Cindy Giles and Marilyn Strang.
This week the competition was a Bisque Bogey. Results were-
Silver
1st Carolyn Stevenson +3
2nd Nooroa Rota +1
3rd Jeanette McNae Sq
Bronze
1st Lorraine Stewart +7
2nd Trish Newcombe +6
3rd Janice Hayes +5
Jeanette McNae won the All Teed Up No 8 and Jane Buchanan was nearest the pin on the New World No 18.
Twilight, on Wednesday, was cancelled.
This Saturday is Waitangi Day and the club is holding the annual Margaret Wallace mixed, drawn combined stableford day. Cards have to be in by 12 noon and there will be a separate competition for those men who aren’t lucky enough to draw a women partner!
Off The Fairway – There always a hard luck story in the pro am! No 14 at Eketahuna is a beautiful hole with a manicured sloping bank down the left and a long drop to the river all down the right and then once you get to the green having avoided the lake, the green slopes viciously. You have to feel for the team whose pro shot a 13 on this hole- he managed to put three drives into the river and when he finally got to the green, he three putted. This wasn’t helped by another team member (a left hander!) also putting two drives into the river before he decided to walk the hole.