Which is what the No 32 seeds and bottom qualifiers proved for two weeks running as the 2026 Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup field was whittled down to eight combinations on Saturday.
Kit Goldsmith and Dave Mettrick, after sending top seeds Manav Garewal and Ross Chalmers packing in the round of 32, chopped down tall timber twosome James Broadhurst and Hamish Evans in the round of 16.
A 3 and 2 win advanced them into quarter-final combat with matchplay specialist Tom Donovan and Darren Patumaka. “TD” has been earning plaudits for his form and he and brother in golfing arms Patumaka squashed Stephen Francks and Dean Robertson like an irritating sandfly, 5 and 4.
Gray Clapham was so impressed with 9-year-old Rua Ratima’s swing he got the phone out to record it. However, Clapham, whose golf is defined by the classic Forrest Gump line “life is like a box of chocolates”, and Alex Kirkpatrick weren’t overawed by the future Poverty Bay Open champion, ejecting Rua and his father Shannon 3 and 2.
By the end of what is always a dramatic day when it comes to the BG, only one of the top 10 seeds were still breathing.
No 2 seeds Matt Henwood and Mike Christophers pounded their chest with King Kong-like intensity in a 6 and 4 dismissal of James Situ and Lindsay Hunt.
The remaining seven pairs range in seeding status from 21 to 32.
Only two players of the 16 still in contention have won it before: Peter Stewart (with Ron Young in 2015) and Alister Jennings (with Jason Low in 2003).
Stewart’s 2026 partner is Kelly Spring while Jennings has George Brown by his side.
The others still alive in what is a lottery when it comes to choosing a champion from here are Dudley Meadows and Nigel Jones and Paul Rickard and Brad Morgan.
Willie Mortleman struck the jackpot of two twos without the use of his putter last Thursday. Mortleman sank a bunker shot and chipped in for twos on the second and sixth holes. The euphoria wore off five holes later with a double bogey on the 11th, 10 on the 12th and a pick-up on the 13th.
Mark Jefferson marked his half-century milestone birthday with victory in the Division 1 men’s Stableford on Sunday with 77-4-73, for 35 points.
TUESDAY – Veterans’ Stableford: L. Owen 37, B. Morrissey 34, J. Jenner 34, P. Rickard 34, P. Clayton 33, D. Keast 33, N. Jones 33.
Hidden hole: (No. 15): L. Owen.
Twos: J. Jenner.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford: M. Jefferson 35, J. Willoughby 35.
Division 2: M. McMenamin 38, S. Harbottle 38, R. Morley 38.
Twos: R. Chalmers, M. Callaghan.
Nearest to pin: C. Simpson.
SATURDAY – Gisborne Motors Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs, round of 16: Kit Goldsmith/Dave Mettrick def James Broadhurst/Hamish Evans 3 and 2; Thomas Donovan/Darren Patumaka def Stephen Francks/Dean Robertson 5 and 4; George Brown/Alister Jennings def Mike Dodgshun/Pat Butler 2 and 1; Peter Stewart/Kelly Spring def Brad Reynolds/Andy Daube 2 and 1; Gray Clapham/Alex Kirkpatrick def Shannon Ratima/Rua Ratima 3 and 2; Paul Rickard/Brad Morgan def Cliff Poole/Vance Richardson 1-up; Nigel Jones/Dudley Meadows def Murray Smith/Brian Read 3 and 2; Matt Henwood/Mike Christophers def James Situ/Lindsay Hunt 6 and 4.
Draw for quarter-finals: Goldsmith/Mettrick v Donovan/Patumaka; Brown/Jennings v Stewart/Spring; Clapham/Kirkpatrick v Rickard/Morgan; Jones/Meadows v Henwood/Christophers.
Men’s Stableford, Division 1: N. Mackie 34, G. Brown 33.
Division 2: N. Jones 37, C. Morton 36.
Twos: A. Jennings, M. Henwood.
Nearest to pin: D. Bullivant.
THURSDAY (June 25) – Men’s Stableford, Division 1: S. Jeune 35, J. Rowe 35, N. Mackie 34, V. Richardson 34.
Division 2: D. Keown 37, M. Thomas 37, A. Abrahams 36.
Twos: W. Mortleman 2, T. Goldsmith.
Nearest to pin: I. Murphy.
Jackpot: W. Mortleman.
Electrinet Park
American founding father Thomas Jefferson once said: “Victory and defeat are each of the same price.”
Mike Christophers might not entirely agree with that although would acknowledge the beers on the 19th still cost the same whether you win or lose.
And he did both last weekend in a bittersweet experience on two different courses with clubmate Matt Henwood playing dual roles as hero and villain.
Christophers and Henwood combined forces for the 2026 Barns-Graham Cup men’s pairs at Poverty Bay’s Awapuni Links and charged into the matchplay quarter-finals with a 14th-hole round of 16 win on Saturday.
The next day, they temporarily severed their partnership to become opponents in the quarter-finals of Electrinet Park’s equivalent: the Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs.
Reigning champions Henwood and Craig Christophers defeated Mike (Craig’s brother) and Mat Downie 1-up in a clash decided by the putter.
Josh Adams had a triumphant weekend on two different playgrounds. Adams was in goal for the Gisborne United football team who won their Central Federation knockout trophy semi-final over New Plymouth Rangers on Saturday. He returned home to partner Shaun Frame to a 4 and 2 win over Kolo Fonohema and Duane Mauheni in their Te K quarter-final and set up a semi against Christophers/Henwood.
Mike Bond got the winner for YMP A in their top-of-the-table Poverty Bay men’s club hockey game on Friday night. But he and fellow YMP hockey stalwart Heath Tupara’s hopes of repeating their 2024 Te K title-winning efforts were dashed 2 and 1 by Steve Phillips and Josh Hayes.
Their semi-final opponents will be the winner of this Saturday’s clash between Darren Kahukoti/Peter Tamatea and Glen McKinnon/Derek Craven.
The Benson Cup women’s pairs is down to the business end. Holler Miller and Emma Hayes beat Raukura Chesley and Ashley Tuari to advance to the final. The other semi – Kino White and Tai Aramakutu v Karen Hay and Jean Foot – is still to be played.
SUNDAY – Te Kanawa Cup men’s pairs, quarter-finals: Craig Christophers/Matt Henwood def Mat Downie/Mike Christophers 1-up; Shaun Frame/Josh Adams def Kolo Fonohema/Duane Mauheni 4 and 2; Steve Phillips/Josh Hayes def Heath Tupara/Mike Bond 2 and 1.
Semi-final draw: Christophers/Henwood v Frame/Adams; Phillips/Hayes v winner of Pete Tamatea/Darren Kahukoti v Glen McKinnon/Derek Craven.
Pātutahi
Lyall Anania went above and beyond in the Te Kani Pere Cup men’s handicap matchplay competition, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Andy Nimmo proved a final hurdle a little too high to clear in Sunday’s final, which, like every other match Anania experienced over the series, went 18 holes or further.
The finalists battled challenging winter conditions on a rain-sodden ’Tahi track, with Anania (off a 5 handicap) giving Nimmo (16) 11 shots.
Nimmo won an excellent battle 1-up, some good golf played considering the circumstances. He signed for 87-16-71 while Anania shot 78-5-73.
Anania played 75 holes over the series: 19 in round 1, 18 in the quarter-finals, 20 in the semis, and 18 in the final.
Nimmo’s path was a little less rocky although it did feature a gritty comeback 20th-hole win in round 2.
Kennedy Sarich proved too good for Frances Tupara in the McKeague Cup women’s final.
Giving Tupara one shot, 22-handicapper Sarich convincingly won 5 and 3 … putting on the wet greens a major factor.
SUNDAY – Women’s Stableford: K. Sarich 33.
Men’s Stableford, Division 1: H. Harris 39, R. Mottart 37.
Division 2: Beau Toa 37.
9-hole Stableford: D. Dodgshun 15.
Twos: B. Toa.
Te Puia Hot Springs
The Busby Cup men’s pairs has a proud history and Mikaera Aurupa and Haami Dewes added to that on Sunday.
In the only golf played at the Springs because of the weather, Aurupa and his uncle Haami defeated Ian Logan and Brendon McLeod 2 and 1 in the handicap matchplay final.
The winners were 2-up after three holes, 2-up at the turn and won the 10th to go three holes in front.
Logan and McLeod fought back to be 1-down with two to play and both had birdie putts on the par-4 17th.
Dewes was off the back of the green, but, in the words of Logan, “out of nowhere … drained a long putt for birdie”.
McLeod and Logan missed their attempts and that was that.
“Mikaera played exceptionally well, very solid,” Logan said.