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Wade Wesche delivered the shortest but most memorable speech at his home on Sunday. Wesche only needed three words to get the clubhouse charging their glasses after he was presented the Charlie Austin Trophy for the best performance by a local at the annual Fiordland Lobster Company Māhia men’s open. “For my dad,” Wesche said with a one-handed raise of the trophy.

Wayne “Cowboy” Wesche died on July 23. He was a massive supporter and popular member of the club. Acknowledgements were made to Wayne and another former member, Tom Hema, who died in Australia in May.



Both would have smiled at another successful Mahia Open on a course one local hailed as being in the best condition he had ever seen it. No one was arguing with that. Mahia has been slammed by the weather gods in the last couple of years and greenkeeper Bernie Crowley and his team deserved applause for the work they have put in.

Those weather gods were once again in fickle mood. Saturday was glorious, Sunday hideous as players battled morning rain and powerful winds on top of Mahia’s infamous ball-gobbling hazards. Another long-time Mahitian, Roger Bremner, handled the conditions best to win the overall net with a 139 total – anchored by his Saturday round of 85-19-66.

Wade Wesche posted the low gross total of 152 (76 76), with Poverty Bay’s Waka Donnelly a stroke back in his first experience of the course. The 36-hole net winners were Bruce Yates (senior division, Tolaga Bay), Mason Birrell (intermed.

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