Club results for 18/5/24

The first round of the individual matchplay - one of our premier club competitions - provided plenty of talking points.

Eleven knockout matches were played, while five lucky golfers got a bye through to the second round.

Conditions were again good which helped offset the challenge of playing off the back blue tees.

At the top of the draw, Jonathan Tuheke twice came from two-down against a dogged Richard Pearson - including winning the 18th to force extra holes - before prevailing at the 20th.

Neil McLaren had a much easier time of it against Michael Savage. Two up at the turn, Neil then won three holes in a row to coast to a 5/4 victory.

Maurice Woodhouse mounted a spirited comeback against Peter Green to pip him on the 20th. Two down with four to play, Maurice - who started with a 13-shot advantage - parred his last hole, the difficult No 3, to prolong proceedings before parring the par-three No 5 for a surprise win.

It wasn't pretty but Andrew Craig and Mike Williams battled to the end, before Andrew won the tricky 18th with a double bogey to advance. Mike had earlier recovered from being three down at the midway mark to take it to the last hole.

Geoff Halkett  - who shot a solid 74 - was too steady and experienced for a game Gareth Edwards, winning 4/2 after asserting his dominance on the back nine.

Garth Jameson was made to work hard against Chris Louth who started with a 13-stroke head start, before overcoming him 2/1.

Roma Elkington showed that hitting it shorter and straighter is often better than longer and wayward as he bested big-hitting Craig Barron 3/2.

Aaron Kotua took time to subdue Duncan Isle, who started 17 shots to the good. All square with five to play, Aaron won the 17th, 18th and the 1st to canter to victory as Duncan wilted.

The Keri Kotua and Dean Goodman clash shaped as close one, but after sharing the first three holes Keri - who gave away three shots to Dean - then won the next seven by playing par golf to waltz to a 6/5 win. His tidy 78 off the stick included a jackpot two twos at No 5 and 11.

Paul Tunnicliff came from two down after 12 holes to surge past a faltering Lewis Wilson. Paul won four of the last five holes to clinch a 2/1 victory..

In an intriguing and classy battle of the big guns, Andy Isle edged James Campion at the death for a 1-up win. James started with a four-shot deficit but birdies at No 1, 6 and 12 saw him draw level with an on-song Andy with six to play. James then took the lead at No 15 before surrendering it at No 16 with an ugly double bogey. They halved No 17 with pars but Andy -  who got a shot at the last - won it after both bogeyed the hole. In the end, it was fitting that Andy's net 71 topped James's net 72.

In the match of the day for those not involved in matchplay, Phil Sellers warmed up for his second round tie with a net 71.

Among the nine-holers, Andrew Dean's net 32 off the front nine took the honours. Paul McCrae (33) and Heather Carey (36) filled the minor placings.

Apart from Keri, Aaron and Graham Galt also recorded twos.

Next Saturday (May 25) we play the second round of the individual matchplay, while first-round losers go into a plate competition. All matches are again off the blue tees.