The 2014 Auckland Disc Golf Championships.

With the last three events on the NZDG tour all being effected by weather (Wellington heavy rain, National Park rain, sleet and wind and Wanaka howling gales), most players had their fingers crossed that they would get to play the temporary Monte Cecilia Championship course in fine sunny conditions. Alas, they would have to wait till the Sunday to do that.

The forecast for Saturday was for winds gusting to 90kph and it didn't disappoint. At least players were able to vacate the park just before the torrential rain came down which lasted most of the night (saving on security: no one was going to be getting up to mischief in the park in weather like that!).

So as you can imagine frisbees and wind are not the best of friends so it was going to affect the scoring. And that it did. Keith 'Woody' Inwood playing Masters shared the lead after the morning round with Brad Muir equalling his one under 57. The rest of the field were all over par, including the multi time NZ Champ Simon Feasey who turned in what he called his "worst competition score ever".  This did in some ways comfort many competitors, knowing he's human.

After the second championship round things were still outta whack with the SGM GM sharing the lead with Logan Papuni. (We think he bought a lotto ticket that night on the way home - ed.)

Sunday morning and the day couldn't have been more different. The wind had dropped considerably and swung to the southwest which means most of Monte is 'out of it' - the wind that is. This helped some players but a few had trouble getting a grip on the near perfect conditions...just didn't seem right, something was missing.

Following the full 18 hole third round we cut to the 'Super 6', which looked like this; Logan Papuni [O], Hazen Simson [O], Nigel Hailstone [M], Pete Boyle [GM], Hadyn Shore [O] and The GM [GM]. Nigel decided that he was happy with 6th and really needed to rest up his damaged throwing arm ahead of heading off with the New Zealand team to the Australian Disc Golf Champs next weekend at Lake Macquarie just up the coast from Sydney so pulled out of the 6, so an intrepid '5' took on the Safari Super 6.  

Heading into the Super 6 Logan had a 3 shot buffer over our visitor from the Southern Alps Hazen Simson, after hole 1 that was cut to 2, after hole 3 it was cut to 1 and by the time hole 5 had been completed they were all tied up. On hole 6 of the disc golf display Hazen had a chance to take it with a 9 metre uphill putt, but was impeded by a solid tree trunk between his lie and the basket. An honest attempt ... a sudden death playoff was called for ... Extra hole 1 and they both par it, Hazen missing a 10 metre put and Logan missing a 12 metre run at the basket.  Two great drives on extra hole #2 saw them both with 8 metre putts to make, Hazen's up first by a whisker and to the amazement of the gallery sends his nerves put over the basket. Logan takes a few seconds to re-focus, puts his foot on the mark, takes a couple of deep breaths and goes through an exaggerated  pre-put routine ... BANG! ... nothing but chain ... and Hazen is the first to shake his hand.

Well done Logan ... We know you've taken out an Open Championship win earlier in the year at Tauranga but to clinch your first event win and a 60 pointer at that was well deserved.

Congratulations also to another first on the NZDG tour as well ... let's not over look Jenny Joynt taking out her first win over Ming Menzies by 3 shots, they'll be partying in Tokoroa all week, maybe a parade down the main street and a mayoral reception.

In other results Nigel 'The Prez' Hailstone took out Masters, Pete Boyle Grand Masters, Ian Robertson SGM, Toby Gentil J18 and Talia Feasey J12.

We also had 4 Open Rookie players and that title went to first time tournament player Tony Donaldson. Good skills all!

The Pictures

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