Tatana hangs tough to win Joe Kells Memorial
Junior Tatana has drawn first blood in the Manawatu-wanganui Golf Order of Merit series win a win in the Joe Kells Memorial at the Palmerston North Golf Club on Sunday.
The Palmerston North man, who was second in the order of merit last year, fired rounds of 71 and 71 to win by three strokes.
He was the only player to go back-to-back rounds under par on the 72-par course from the 67 players.
It was the first time in seven years the Joe Kells Memorial has been on the order of merit. It was first played in 1967, but was stopped in 2010.
The overcast weather on Sunday, which followed heavy rain on Saturday, were not the best playing conditions.
‘‘It was really wet and bogey,’’ Tatana said. ‘‘There were puddles everywhere and it was really soft under foot.’’
There was also some algae on the greens which left a green slime to contend with.
Given the conditions, players’ short games became even more important.
But Tatana admitted his putting was not at its best despite getting the win.
‘‘I struggled with my short game just like every one else,’’ he said. ‘‘But I played all right.’’
The round of the day went to Manawatu’s Regan Mcconaghty who fired a 69 in the second round to fire him back into contention after a 76 in the first.
He ended up in a share of second with Regan Cording, who won the order of merit last year, both on 145 for the tournament.
Feilding’s Liam Finlayson finished on 147 for fourth, while Manawatu’s Ewan Westergaard rounded out the top five with 148.
It was a home course win for Tatana, who joined Palmerston North Golf Club in January.
Tatana will now focus on the Horowhenua Open where he is hoping to avenge his performance at the tournament last year.
‘‘I lost by countback last year,’’ he said. ‘‘I dropped five shots in three holes. That P’ed me off so I would like to get that one under my belt too.’’
He was not sure if he would take his place in the Manawatuwanganui Toro Interprovincial
team again this year.
‘‘We will see at the moment. I need to play a bit more,’’ he said.
With a new job at Mainfreight and watching her daughter play rugby for Te Kawau on Saturday mornings, his time for golf has
been a bit more limited.
But given his form over the pennants, he remains a frontrunner for selection.
Meanwhile, Brydie Hodge put on a impressive display to claim the Palmerston North Classic women’s event.
Hodge fired rounds of 83 and 76 to claim the four shot win.
But what made the performance more incredible was that she nursing a sprained ankle and had to be transported around the course in a golf cart.
The Levin-based golfer was playing her first big tournament back in New Zealand after returning from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, United States where she picked up a golfing scholarship.
Hodge is expected to be available for the Toro Interprovincial team later this year which will be a major boost to Manawatuwanganui’s chances.
Manawatu’s Mudra Lukhani was second with 163 through 36 holes, while clubmate Tania Hook was another two shots back in third.
Wanganui 14-year-old Tara Raj, who won the Manawatu-wanganui order of merit last year, withdrew from the tournament due to illness.