Christchurch professional Shaun Jones was always in the running for a paper (first) wedding anniversary gift for Switzerland-born wife Anita yesterday in Napier.
But Jones had his work cut out in a three-way sudden-death playoff with rookie Justin Morris and a seasoned Sean Riordan at the 18-hole Waiohiki course.
Two playoff holes later Jones, grinning from ear to ear, was primed to break the news to the barrister that he had the perfect "paper gift" - 1900 crisp ones before tax in prizemoney for their first year since they tied the knot.
Okay, the paper might be 75 per cent cotton and 25 per cent linen with a polymer security thread running through it but it's a fair hunch to say Mrs Jones would have had no qualms.
"She's stuck home at work and I'm playing golf," said the 31-year-old who jets off on March 14 to ply his trade in Europe, waiting to follow up with another text.
The couple will be based at Bern, the hometown of Anita and capital city of Switzerland.
However, it took two goes on the par-4 No 18 hole for Jones to emerge as the inaugural champion of the 18-hole Duke of Gloucester Pro-am Tournament.
It was quite satisfying for Jones to pull one back from Riordan, who had beaten him in a playoff at Kaikoura about 18 months ago.
Did the pesky drizzle in a drought region bother him?
"I'm from Canterbury. We get fours seasons in one day down there," he said.
Morris, 27, of Te Awamutu, was the first to drop out on scoring a bogey after driving long but skirting the roadside fence to find tree branches hindering his approach just shy of the elongated, uphill green for three putts.
Jones, finding a kinder lie 5m inside the fairway but behind Morris, landed his approach 3m above the sloping green and took two putts to par.
Riordan, 28, of Nelson, driving to the left, inside flank of the fairway for a 1.5m putt appeared to have the crown but his effort agonisingly pulled up short of the lip of the cup.
The pair were zipped back to the tee-off mound in karts where both homed in on the roadside of the fairway.
However, it was fist-pumping Jones who landed a metre below the pin to birdie after Riordan had pushed his tricky 5m downhill putt 12cm past the hole.
"I sort of hit it in the trees in the last [second sudden-death hole approach] but I had a gap and had run it up the green to within six foot [2m]. I actually thought I had missed it to the right but it sneaked in so it was beautiful," he said.
Jones said a never-say-die mentality was vital because of the unpredictable nature of playoffs.
"Some days you lose by three and other days you win it."
He lauded the course for the time of the year although he found the greens a tad slow for someone who preferred slick greens.
So what worked for Jones yesterday?
"I just knocked in on the par 5s and twos and putted for two for birdies, really, so I made four birdies that way," he said, reflecting on an eagle attempt on the par-5 No 17 where he lipped out on a day he considered "unlucky with the putter".
"I could have hit 10 under today because it was a good day. Five under felt like minimum, really."
Jones was surprised to be in a playoff considering it was such a strong field and that someone could have fired a six or seven under.
He handed in a card of just one bogey for the day in tying with Riordan and Morris on a 5-under par 67 round.
"I only hit three drivers today. The rest I hit woods. That's all you need. Three woods off the tees and irons."
Riordan rued missing his first playoff putt but he was mindful anything short of birdie would have cost him the title.
"All credit to Shaun who did really well and hit a second shot from the rough and under the trees ... and sunk the putt," he said, revealing they had shook hands and reflected in his Kaikoura title before the second playoff hole yesterday.
Riordan saluted the club for presenting a tidy course, following high winds on Sunday that left broken branches and toppled trees, before heading off to Wellington for the next leg of the Kiwi series.
Morris had mixed emotions in making the playoffs in his first pro-am but missing out on the title.
"I'm pretty stoked but pretty gutted at the same time," he said with a wry smile.
He made the decision to join the big boys seven months ago before going to the Kiwi Q School for his card.
"It's always good to come here," Morris said, revealing he had played at a tourney here a few months back.