The 2026 Canterbury 4BBB Championship delivered a day to remember at Waimairi Beach Golf Club on Sunday, with history made in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Played in warm winter conditions on a beautifully presented course, the championship attracted a full field of 108 players competing across the men’s and women’s divisions. The popular pairs format once again produced plenty of outstanding golf, but no one could have predicted the remarkable result that unfolded.
For the first time in the event’s history, both the men’s championship and women’s championship ended in a three-way tie for the title. Under the championship conditions of play, tied winners share the trophy, meaning three pairs were crowned the respective men’s and women’s Canterbury 4BBB Champions after all posting superb rounds.
David Zohrab and Ronan Restieaux, Shane Whooley and Etienne Collier, and Louis Edwards and Nash De Klerk all shared the championship honours after matching scores of eight-under-par. The trio of champion pairings produced exceptional rounds in a highly competitive field and could not be separated after 18 holes.
Defending champions Mitchell Redmayne and Alfie Bell, who were chasing a rare third consecutive title, were just one shot back in fourth place with a 65 (-7), while the pairing of Sebastian May and Sam Harris claimed the fifth place prize on 66 (-6).
The remarkable scenes continued in the women’s championship where, in another tournament first, three pairs also shared the Women’s title. Eva Yin and Junie Chang, Vanessa Lim and Yoonae Jeong, and Naomi Wallace and Katrina Hall each returned even-par rounds of 72 to finish tied at the top of the leaderboard and become co-champions.
The defending champions from 2025 were unable to reunite this year, creating an open contest, and the three winning pairings took full advantage to produce an historic finish. Alice Fry and Zaria Bourne were the next best performers, finishing fourth on 74 (+2), while Nutcha Sirawattanakul and Subin Bae rounded out the leading contenders with a score of 75 (+3).
While the Gross divisions produced shared championship honours, the Net competitions rewarded some excellent scoring performances of their own. Aaron Neill and Jason Campbell claimed the Men’s Net title with an impressive net 64 (-8), while Naomi Wallace and Katrina Hall completed a memorable day by adding the Women’s Net title to their share of the Gross championship after posting a net 65 (-7).
Several on-course competitions added to the excitement throughout the day. Josh Smith claimed the Men’s Nearest the Pin prize on the 17th hole, while Junie Chang enjoyed a standout day by winning both the Women’s Nearest the Pin on the 8th hole and the Women’s Longest Drive on the 18th. Tim Graham took home the Men’s Longest Drive honours on the 18th hole.
A popular addition to this year’s championship was the Trackman activation on Hole 10. Players embraced the opportunity to test themselves against the technology, with swing speed, ball speed and driving distance all recorded throughout the day. The feature generated plenty of discussion among competitors and provided another fun element to complement the championship competition, with players receiving their data and leaderboard results following the event.
Canterbury Golf would like to extend its sincere thanks to Waimairi Beach Golf Club for its outstanding hosting of the championship. The course was presented in excellent condition and received widespread praise from competitors throughout the day. Combined with the warm winter weather and strong spectator support, it provided the perfect setting for a memorable championship that will long be remembered for its unprecedented six-way share of the Gross titles.
View the full results – HERE.
View the full event Photo Album – HERE.
