High excitement for Michigan Shootout

Excitement has been building all week ahead of the 18th Michigan Motors Shootout at the Rarotonga Golf Club today.

This was plainly evident at the Calcutta on Thursday night where record prices were bid for players.

Easily eclipsing bids for individual players from previous years was the price members were willing to pay for national golf representative Daniel Webb.

This establishes Webb as firm favourite even though at last year’s shootout he went out of bounds on the first tee. He has been playing good, consistent golf over the last few weeks and is never far from the front.

For those who are unaware of the Michigan Motors Shootout, the top available players, male and female, compete in one group over nine holes with players being dropped at each hole until there are two remaining at the final tee.

If, on any hole, there are more players than places for the next tee, a shootout is held where the highest scoring players at the hole are involved in shooting from a specified spot.

The players closest to the pin go through and the rest are eliminated.

The full field for the Shootout are (selection) Tom Marsters Jnr, Sonny Karati, Daniel Webb, Ned Howard, Haimona Browne, James Herman, Tom J Marsters, Henry Story, Teinaki Howard, Tuaine Marsters, Kurai Foster, Maara Kenning, Alice Pilkinton, Tania Karati, (invites) Nga Manuela, Pokoina Matara, Cedric Toru, Edwin Pittman, Mena Howard and Tereapii Urlich.

There are so many possible winners among these players that it is too hard to pick a winner in advance.

For instance, this is one of the few competitions that Ned Howard has not been able to win. Can he string his good shots together long enough and at the right time to finally emerge as winner this time?

Daniel Webb is at the top of his form at the moment and is a real chance. Can Nga Manuela, a three-time winner, reverse his latest form and triumph over the rest? Teinaki Howard has been playing good steady golf and maybe this is the way to go in this type of competition.

There are good chances from among the ladies, too.

They are never very far away from a place. Two-time winner Alice Pilkinton is still in good form and is very steady under the type of pressure that this competition engenders.

Tuaine Marsters and Maara Kenning and Kurai Foster are all playing good golf lately and, I’m sure, will be in there close to the end.

This competition, sponsored by Michigan Motors, is always exciting to watch and draws a large gallery of spectators supporting their favourites so we are in for a great day.

After the Shootout, there will be a shotgun start at 1pm for everybody.

The day will finish with the half-year prize giving in the evening and all members, especially winners so far this year are urged to attend and enjoy kaikai as well.

Thank you to all our sponsors this year and we look forward to seeing you at the prize giving.