The 6th Annual Whakaari Hayden Marshall-Inman Memorial Golf Tournament teed off last Friday, proving as popular as ever with golfers and spectators.

The annual event was another sellout, ensuring the victims of the Whakaari disaster will never be forgotten.

Although the tournament marks a dark day in New Zealand’s history, it brings the community together to create positive experiences through friendly competition.

The tournament moved from Ōhope Beach Golf Links to the Whakatāne Golf Course this year, and introduced a new team structure, with event organiser Mark Inman intent on delivering an event that connects people.

Less confident golfers could “hire a pro”, to join their team, with the option of Jackson Price and Ryan Maxwell, who had turned professional only the day before.

A pallet of beer awaited anyone able to score a hole-in-one, along with prizes for nearest to the pin and even the shortest drive.

“We obviously changed things around this year,” Inman said.

“One of the cool things was having players compete in teams of eight instead of fours, so it’s quite social – that’s part of the connection and makes it more fun.

“Unfortunately, we can’t see Whakaari from the Whakatāne course, but we are under the flight path of the plane that brought back the last six victims of the eruption, which is kind of special.”

Inman is quick to acknowledge the people and businesses who make the event possible.

“None of it could happen without our key sponsors: Export Meats; Gibbos, who provide all of the seafood for our platters; Whakatāne New World donates all of our barbecue supplies, Lion Breweries supply all of our refreshments. Local businesses such as Glenn’s Glass and Horizon, who have two teams and sponsor a hole, it’s just so good to see them getting in behind the community,” he said.

The tournament has become the town’s largest annual tournament, with more than 160 golfers across 40 teams playing back-to-back.

Inman acknowledges the considerable support the event attracts and believes it could one day grow into a two-day tournament spanning both local courses.

However, he is mindful of not losing the meaning and message behind the event.

“You have different reasons why you do things and what drives you, and you have different coping mechanisms when you lose someone.

“Knowing the character that Hayden was when it came to his community it’s peas in a pod kind of thing; we are both of a similar vein,” Inman said.

For many involved, the tournament has become an annual reunion.

“We have Tim Burrows out here from Taupō. He’s from the Taupō helicopter crew and is here with Kahu.

“It’s the only time they get to catch up. Every year we have members of the Middlemore Hospital burns unit help out and give back. That shows the impact Whakaari had on their team.

“We have some St John staff who were there on the day, manning one of the holes today, alongside a high number of emergency services crew who are also here. That sort of thing highlights the kind of community we are.”

The event is the community’s way of not only remembering but also honouring those who suffered, helped, and supported. It is also a way of reinvesting into the community. This year, the tournament raised $45,000, bringing the funds donated to first responders over the past six years to $305,000.

This year’s recipient is the Whakatāne Police.

“The police quite often get a bad rap, so we chose them as our recipient for this year. They were the first responders on the shore once the boats arrived. It’s tricky supporting the police directly, so we’ve gone through the Police Association to donate to the Police Welfare Association,” Inman said.