Bay of Plenty capped an unbeaten week at the Manawatu Golf Club by outlasting an also undefeated Otago side in a gripping Men’s Interprovincials final that came down to the very last putt.

With the new format demanding perfection throughout the week, it was fitting that the two teams who had navigated the round robin without a loss were the ones left standing.

For much of the morning the final looked destined to hinge on the No 1s, but momentum swung repeatedly before the match was eventually decided by the players in the No 5 position.

Otago appeared to have taken control early as Ben Patson and Troy Scott secured important points, yet Bay of Plenty refused to wilt.

Showing trademark resilience and interprovincial spirit, they steadied on the back nine and began clawing their way back.

One of the pivotal matches came in the middle order, where Jordan Golding and 14-year-old Raphael Anderson were locked in a duel that never tipped decisively either way.

Both produced opportunities but neither could manufacture the late breakthrough needed, halving the match to give each team half a point.

That early split kept the final wide open and foreshadowed the drama that would unfold.

Bay of Plenty’s fightback gathered traction when Nathan Clark edged Duncan Croudis 1 up, staying composed late to haul his side within reach. The surge continued when No 1 Mitchell Kale delivered under pressure, defeating Ricky Kang 2 up and levelling the contest at 2.5-2.5.

Kale’s putting proved crucial; his consecutive clutch makes on the 17th and 18th kept Bay of Plenty alive and set the stage for a finish that will be remembered for years.

With the teams still tied, the No 5s returned to the tee for a playoff that stretched across five increasingly tense trips down the hole. Neither Golding nor Anderson looked willing to bow to the pressure or the physical wear of the week.

Each edged ahead with par putts, only for the other to match them immediately, drawing loud roars from the gathering crowd. Shot after shot, putt after putt, they refused to be separated.

Eventually, as had felt inevitable, the championship came down to a single putt.

Golding found himself with a birdie opportunity to finally close out the match.

When the ball dropped, his head went skyward in relief before he was mobbed by jubilant teammates, matched in emotion by No 4 Hayden White, who had caddied for him throughout the playoff.

Special recognition was reserved for Anderson, whose composure at just 14 years old was a standout of the final. He pushed Golding to the very last stroke and earned widespread respect for his maturity.

Golding himself was quick to praise him, admitting he hadn’t realised Anderson was so young until after the match: “Raph’s going to be a name we see plenty of in the future.”

Golding also confessed that the tension of the playoff was unlike anything he had previously experienced.

“I never want to be in something that tense ever again,” he laughed afterwards.

Reflecting on the final putt, he said: “I was just thinking of hitting it left edge and hope like hell it goes in because I didn’t want to go back up to the tee for another one.”

Having joked in the past about rarely being the one to finish last, he allowed himself a moment to savour the achievement: “I always joke about not being the one to hole the winning putt because I’m usually first finished, but today it was me, so it was pretty cool.”

With that, Bay of Plenty secured the 2025 Men’s Interprovincials title; an unbeaten campaign sealed by resilience, precision under pressure and a final moment of nerve from the man who had waited longest to deliver it.

- Content supplied by Golf NZ