Kaitangata golfers had plenty of reason to celebrate last month, after an unexpected victory in the South Otago pennant competition.
Despite a century of striving, and plenty of local enjoyment taken over its nine picturesque holes along the way, a pennant win at any level had so far eluded the club.
Junior B pennant team captain Kevin McCabe said, even during play for the South Otago pennant last month, there had been no indication of a historic victory on the cards.
McCabe and team-mates Kane Marsh, Jayten Owen and Shane Alsop headed to Lawrence for the final on June 15.
The team was a blend of youth and experience, he said.
"The way the pennants are played, you’re mixed with other teams. So during the finals none of us knew how the others were going.
"We’d done well in the first and second rounds, beating Tapanui and Heriot, and we knew it would be a tight round against Allan Grange [of Clydevale].
"As it turned out, two of our games went down to the 18th hole, two on the 17th, and we won 3-1, but it was only when we got together afterwards we knew we’d won the pennant."
McCabe said celebrations ensued and continued back at the home club where other pennants rounds were taking place.
"We were rapt and the club was pretty pleased as you can imagine. The pennants have been running for 60 years or so and the club’s been around for more than 100, so it’s nice to break that duck."
He said the team would now head forward to the Otago finals in Dunedin in October, although the foursome was unlikely to change its low-key style.
"I don’t think there’ll be too much extra training or anything like that. We’ll just take things as they come, enjoy our golf and take it one hole at a time.
"We’re pretty optimistic after the win. We’ve done it once, so we can do it again."
