Waka Donnelly has returned to the golf course where his successful amateur career began.
Donnelly is among the field competing in the Te Puia Hot Springs Hotel East Coast Open, starting on Saturday.
The seven-time Poverty Bay Open champion and former Poverty Bay-East Coast representative took up the game at Te Puia when his family were living on the Coast.
He was taken under the wing of East Coast legend Peter Rouse.
Donnelly’s family shifted to Gisborne, where he forged an impressive record before joining the navy.
He returned to Gisborne from Napier this year to work for LeaderBrand and rejoined the Poverty Bay club.
As of Thursday, he was No 1 seed on handicap in the East Coast Open championship 16. Should he go on to win the crown, he would join the exclusive “Grand Slam” club of players who have won the region’s three “majors”: the Poverty Bay Open, Tolaga Bay’s King of the Coast (which Donnelly won in 1988 and 1989) and the East Coast Open.
But standing in his way are some formidable challengers.
Teenager Apirana Ngarimu caused a sensation last year when he became the youngest winner in the history of the tournament, dating back to 1950.
Ngarimu, then 13, defeated William Brown on the 18th and he and younger brother Mutu – members of the Judgeford club in Porirua – have returned, as have Ōpōtiki father and son Micky and Elijah Huriwaka.
Brown, the head greenkeeper at Poverty Bay who plays pennants for Te Puia, will once again lead the local charge alongside the likes of Donnelly, 2016 East Coast Open champ Simon Jeune, Māhia’s Wade Wesche, Electrinet Park’s Daniel Collier and 2007 EC Open winner Neil Hansen.
As of Thursday, veteran leftie Tene Goldsmith was in the top 16. “Goldie”, at the age of 77, is 64 years older than Mutu.
The East Coast Open features 72 players split into five divisions. For some, the golf will be secondary to the famous Springs hospitality.
Late call-up Gemmell wins women’s shootout
Anne Gemmell had intended to help out at the Poverty Bay Golf Club’s women’s shootout final on Monday. She won it instead.
Outgoing women’s club captain Gemmell was a late call-up for the annual shootout in which 19 players tee off on the first hole and one by one are eliminated until just one remains.
“It was very unexpected ... I was put in at the last minute so had no expectations,” she said.
Gemmell, on a 25-handicap, defeated 2023 shootout champion Mary Allan (20) in a chip-off on the 18th to claim the crown. She estimated her ball ended about six inches closer to the hole than Allan’s.
The final format is net off handicap. The player with the highest net score on a hole is eliminated. If there is more than one on the same worst net, a chip-off or putt-off is held to decide who goes.
The final featured four putt-offs – on the first, fourth, sixth and 13th holes – and chip-offs on the 17th, where Vonnie Fletcher was knocked out, and 18th.
Gemmell’s formula for success was simple: ”I just kept being safe.”
Kirsty Shaw suffered the unfortunate fate of being the first out, which meant she had to wear the “traditional” yellow. This year’s tie featured the words “Kiss Me”.
Kevin Hollis Glass women’s shootout order of elimination: Kirsty Shaw (No 1); Miggles Shanks (No 2); Jan Steele (No 3); Pen Wanklyn (No 4); Viv Bell (No 5); Birgitt Whyte (No 6); Peri Gayford (No 7); Marg Colebourne (No 8); Jan Utting (No 9); Vicki Fraser (No 10); Maxine Francois (No 11); Pauline Zame (No 12); Marg Lane (No 13); Megan Allen (No 14); Odette Thompson (No 15); Carnie Nelson (No 16); Vonnie Fletcher (No 17); Mary Allan (No 18).
Bounceback victory for Tolaga’s Tuapawa
Peewee Tuapawa put behind him a disastrous final round at the Mahia men’s open tournament the previous weekend with a winning one on his home Tolaga Bay course on Sunday.
Tuapawa, who signed for 112 off a 16-handicap at Mahia, won the club stableford with 43 points, winning the approach and picking up a two along the way.
He wasn’t the only player in hot form. Rewi Castle was second on countback, also on 43, and Peter Stevenson was third on 37.
Tolaga Bay’s Christmas tournament is being held on Sunday, December 1. Tee-off times from 8am and 12 noon. Men’s and mixed pairs section.
