Thursday, October 5, 2017
Ross McCullough
A MENTALLY challenging 36-holes of golf on Sunday rain, hail, or shine will determine the club champions at the Opotiki Golf Club for 2017.
Three earlier rounds of qualifiers determined the seedings for the three rounds of match play to find the finalists for Sunday in the four men’s senior, intermediate, junior and junior Bs divisions and one women’s division.
In addition, plate finals will also be contested on Sunday.
In the men’s senior division, a match many members and friends will be out on the course to support is the one between Charlie Hayes and Hayden White, who will duke it out for top honours with plenty riding on the outcome.
The winner of the division will get to represent the Opotiki Golf Club at the Bay of Plenty Championships, a title Micky Huriwaka, 27, won two years ago, as did the club’s women’s champion, Tyla Kingi.
Another match to keep an eye on, with neither giving an inch when it comes to match play, will be between Milton Kiri and Bain McKay in the intermediate division.
The junior champion of the club will be decided between Pete Gleeson and Trevor Harris, while young Jock Butler will be trying to win his first club championship title in the junior B division against the more experienced Bob Papuni.
To cater for the extended play on Saturday, tee times will be from 9.30am, much earlier than the usual midday tee off time.