Otago club cruises to pennant title

Wanaka No 1 Ryan Shuttleworth tees off at the seventh hole during his match with Michael Smith in the Otago provincial Senior A pennant final at Chisholm Links yesterday. Shuttleworth lost 3 and 2, having beaten Lower Waitaki’s Zain Pennycook 6 and 4 in the morning. Photo: Gregor Richardson

The top Balmacewen team finished with two points and nine games while Wanaka was  second with one point and seven games.

With no entry from South Otago, the event became a triangular format rather than the traditional semifinal and  final.

Otago was in the box seat at lunchtime after winning six games in the morning  — three against Wanaka and the other three at the expense of top North Otago team  Lower Waitaki.

But Paul Velanski, Stephen Waby (Lower Waitaki) and George McDonald (Wanaka) rallied in the afternoon, taking three games off the winning team.

For Otago, the top three were in good form with Michael Smith, Ben Patston and Jason Hughes all finishing the day with two wins.

George McDonald (Wanaka)  was the only other player to emerge with two wins, playing at No 5 in his team.

The 16-year-old beat Stephen Waby  7 and 5 in the morning and Otago’s Ben Turner on the 17th  green in the afternoon.

The Otago Golf Club team has achieved the double this year, adding the provincial title to the Metropolitan win it had earlier this year.