Fresh foe for golfers

Press, 15 September 1989, Page 26

Fresh foe for golfers

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Canterbury will oppose several of the teams it has not met for some years at the New Zealand inter-provincial teams’ match-play golf championship at Bridge Pa, Hastings, from November 21 to 25.

The draw in recent years has pitted Canterbury against three or all four of its fellow South Island provinces — a rather unfortunate situation considering they have their own tournament a month before the national event — but this year only Southland and Tasman are in Canterbury’s section.

Aorangi, which Canterbury has played for the last four years, and Otago, a regular rival since 1986, are both in the second section which is headed by Waikato, champion for three of the last four years.

As defending champion, Canterbury, which won the 1988 tournament in a thrilling finish against Waikato at Shirley last November, will have a bye in the first round, and it will start its campaign against Southland on the afternoon of November 21.

Southland has often shaped among the stronger teams on paper but has failed to deliver. It has not beaten Canterbury since 1978 and last year slumped to a dismal thirteenth place in the .14team competition. Canterbury has a double-header on the second day, against Poverty Bay and ManawatuWanganui, neither of which it has opposed

since 1986. Although it surprised Canterbury, 4-1, in Gisborne in 1981, Poverty Bay should pose no real threat, but ManawatuWanganui has . been among the more unpredictable teams in recent years, finishing fourth in 1985 and 1986, before drifting back into the pack in 1987 and last year.

From 1973 to 1983, Canterbury and ManawatuWanganui met only once, the combined team succeeding, in 1979. Canterbury gained a narrow win in 1984 but was a decisive winner in 1985.

With the format change in 1985 it became possible to oppose the same team

twice at the same tournament and Canterbury and Manawatu-Wanganui did that in 1986, Manawatu prevailing in the section play, 3-2, but Canterbury exacting revenge, 5-0, in the play-off for third and fourth at Hokowhitu. Northland will be Canterbury’s rival in the one round on November 23 and, although they have met sparingly, the North Island team has not beaten Canterbury for more than 20 years. Canterbury won last year, 4-1, but Northland has a respected top pair in Kevin Billington and Saali Herewini.

The two adversaries on the final day of section play, Tasman and Auckland, finished fifth and third, respectively, last year and they will share section favouritism with Canterbury.