The Salver goes to the Bay

Hawkes Bay’s Russell Mitchell and Kathy Olsen have won the NZGA / NZLGU Amateur Mixed Foursomes Salver in a thrilling final, 3 and 2.  Their opponents were the defending champions, Nathan and Kylie Jacoby who are also both district representatives, for Northland.

Mitchell and Olsen, while having some speed wobbles, took an early lead on the 3rd and 4th holes and never got below one up in a match that see-sawed till the 16th.  Kylie sunk an impressive 30-metre putt on the par 4, 8th to get the Jacoby’s back to one down, only to lose the 9th when the pair failed to get out of the greenside bunker in one.   After trading four halved holes in the back nine, Olsen finally chipped in for 2 on the par 3, 16th to take out the match.

Maraneui Golf Club hosted the 26th Championship and organisers, PaR nz Golfing Holidays under the auspices of New Zealand Golf, could not have scripted a better weekend.   The course was in excellent condition, the weather sunny with not a cloud in the sky all weekend, and players from around the country, 25 clubs in total, represented, with one visiting pair from Australia in the field.

In reaching today’s final, Mitchell and Olsen had won their 1st match comfortably 5 and 3, against Fred and Llesley Chadwick (Napier) and then faced another Napier pair in yesterday’s semi-final, Bruce Middlemiss and Janie Field, a match they won 3 and 1.

The Jacoby’s had had a slightly easier run to the final, winning their first match, 6 and 5 over Julie and Bill Steel (Manor Park) and then a further win 5 and 3, over the Hastings pair of Dennis Hirschman and Fiona Ellis.

The plate in the Championship division was won by Geof and Linda Nightingale (Titirangi), with the two flights won by Bruce Middlemiss and Janie Field, along with Julie and Bill Steel.

The tournament has multiple divisions of eight and apart from the championship division, all the foursomes are handicap match play.

Division two winners were Jason and Shelley Schlussler (Australia) with David Eddington and Christine May (Shandon) winners for the 3rd division.  Local’s Ann Herbert and David Bell won the 4th division with Carol and Kevin Bearsley (Titirangi) claiming the 5th division.

Plate winners, in the 2nd, 3rd 4th and 5th divisions, were, respectively, Paul and Julie McEwan (Waitikri), Dick and Judy Turner (Karamu), Sally and Andre Beets (Pupuke) and Murray & Marietta Durdle (Pupuke).

Flight winners included David Walton (Maraenui) and Meredith Crone (Boulcotts Farm), Hamish and Denise Sweetman (Otaki), Walter and Christine Chieng (Whitford Park), Graeme & Denise McGregor (Rotorua), Wayne and Jenny Parkinson (Wainui) and Len and Marion Bilton (Mangawhai).

PaR nz Golfing Holidays acknowledge the ongoing support of TaylorMade and BOSCH, yet again and are delighted to announce the 2019 will return to Mareanui Golf Club, between the 26-27 October.  All details and entry forms will be published early 2019.