Sports Report 08.07.15

The Jimmy Shearer is the clubs combined mixed fourball matchplay trophy and the final was played on Saturday. In actual fact this ‘trophy’ is not a trophy at all, but a large coloured aerial photo of the Masterton course as it was in 1952, when the ‘trophy’ was first played for. In the intervening 63 years it has become very faded and is currently not displayed in the club house. Saturday’s final was a very unusual match with Simon Buckley and Nooroa Rota being 5 up after 9 holes only to have the ‘office’ pairing of Russell Stewart and Lorraine Stewart come right back into the match by winning the next six holes to go one up with two holes to play. However, they had ‘done their dash’ and Simon and Nooroa won the Jimmy Shearer, one up.   Last Saturday’s club day was another Challenge Shield and Chairman’s Trophy stroke round for men. However neither the gross nor nett scores could beat the 70 gross set by Kerry Mountcastle or the 66 nett set by Sila Fa’aiuaso, in previous rounds. Results were- 1^st        Allan Carroll                                      67 nett 2^nd       Ray Verhaart                                                69 3^rd        Dennis Hogg                                                69 The All Teed Up Nearest the Pin on No 8 was Michael Batley and on No 18, Mike Falloon.   The Thursday New World competition saw Ewen Macdonald win with 40 points from Gary Stewart, also with 40. Third was Jeff Ogg, Peter Forrester and Paul Fouhy. The All Teed Up Nearest the Pin was Geoff Masters.   The vets played a stableford round on Monday and attracted an excellent field. Results were- Women 1^st        Venetta Justice                                27 2^nd       Helen Falloon                                  24 3^rd        Beryl Stuart                                       20 Men Group 1 1^st        Charles Anderson                           27 2^nd       Jamie Brunton                                  26 3^rd        Terry Harrison                                   24 Men Group 2 1^st        Peter Smith                                       23 2^nd       David Brenkley                                 22 3^rd        Ian Hull Brown                                 21 A putting competition was also held which was won by Venetta Justice with 15 putts from Blyth King, also on 15 and Charles Anderson with 17.   The 9 holers had a stroke and nett round which saw Kate Bunny win with 35 from Val Diedrichs, also on 35. The PGG Wrightson Longest Drive went to Rosey Wellbrock.   This weekend, on Saturday, the men will play a stroke round which will be a Moore Stephen Markham Shootout qualifier and the women will have a Home Pennants stableford.   Off The Fairway The improvements to the surrounds of No 8 have been completed and the green is back in play, but with ‘placing through the green’ allowed on this hole only. However with the way the new turf is ‘bedding in’ this will not last for long. The end result is a more natural and fairer surround than what is used to be like.