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Led by their home player Zoe Brake, who has returned from Navy duty to be number one for the Bay this week, the locals only dropped one and a half points all day and confirmed why they are among the favourites for the title.
The Bay has won three of the past seven Toro Interprovincial titles and fancy their chances of continuing that run on the home links of Whakatane.
North Harbour and Auckland both had the bye on day one but recorded wins from their day one matches. Auckland number one Cecilia Cho, who has been at the Aaron Baddeley Junior Invitational in China, arrives in tonight and
will play her first game tomorrow morning. Wellington were a class above Taranaki as they beat them 5 -0 and then had the bye this afternoon.
Other comfortable winners were last year’s beaten finalist Waikato who dismissed Aorangi South Canterbury 4-1 in their only match.
“Finishing runner up last year adds to our motivation,” said New Zealand rep Chantelle Cassidy.
Left: World Number One Lydia Ko in action at Whakatane as North Harbour began their title defence in the Toro Interprovincials. Image courtesy of Troy Baker (Beacon Photography)
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“We are pretty confident in our team and we are all pretty close which helps. The course is playing great with really nice greens. It is good to get off to a solid start and hopefully we keep it up.”
Hannah Seifert, who has a great record in the event, managed a comfortable 5 and 4 win over Barbara O’Connell this afternoon.
“I love this format and I won eight out of eight last year at Miramar so that is a tough one to follow but I’d like to do that again. I think I am good at Match Play because of my tennis background and I play the opponent and try to beat them.”
The only loss that Waikato suffered was a shock 8 and 7 win by Aorangi’s number one Catherine Knight over New Zealand rep Emily Perry.
North Harbour number one Lydia Ko was also dismayed to finish all square with Stephanie McKillop from the Manawatu Wanganui.
The World Number One amateur, who is playing her first tournament following wrist surgery, led by three up with six holes to play but nothing separated the pair in the end after a good fight back from McKillop.
“I played well until the 10th hole and things went down from there,” said the 14-year-old.
“She came back well and I made a few mistakes but it’s a start. We want to defend our title but to do that we have to focus on each round and take it as it comes. My wrist felt all good so I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Southland, who were beaten 5-0 by Auckland this morning, caused an upset of sorts when they defeated Canterbury 3-2 in the afternoon sun.
“We know we can do it,” said former North Harbour rep Jenna Gainford (nee Hurst), who has moved to Southland because her husband is a farmer there.
“It is all about belief in ourselves and putting the golf we can play on the range in practice onto the course when it counts and we did that today. Many people wouldn’t be expecting that result but we are pretty happy.”
Southland’s manager Robyn Boniface, a handy golfer in her own right who could easily be playing in this event, said the team came with a goal in mind.
“We’d like to make the top two in our division and progress to the semifinals and we think we can do that,” said the 55-year-old.
“I chose to retire in 2003 in Invercargill in front of my friends and family and I am happy not playing now – most of these girls are 10 years younger than my children.”
2011 TORO New Zealand Women’s Interprovincial
Round One Scores from the Whakatane Golf Club
Manawatu / Wanganui 2 Northland 3
Stephanie McKillop lost to Kylie Jacoby 1down, Kelly Nicholas bt Racheal Williams 8/7, Emma Clayton lost to Aroha Tito 2/1, Keita Durie lost to San Dangen 7/6, Brydie Hodge bt Jo Wech 3/2
Bay of Plenty 5 Tasman 0
Zoe Brake bt Emily Stenhouse 3/2, Susan Lines bt Katrina Manaena 3/2, Grace Senior bt Andrea Corbet 6/5, Tyla Kingi bt Lesley Baxter 1up, Shelly McElroy bt Clare Kydd 3/2.
Wellington 5 Taranaki 0
Julianne Alvarez bt Rochelle Keegan 2/1, Lucy Davis bt Nicole Keegan 3/2, Te Rongopai Clay bt Melissa Hill 8/6, Imogen Donnelly Lawrence bt Celeste McLean 3/1, Barbara Parreno bt Holly Winter 3/2
Byes : North Harbour & Waikato
Aorangi 2 1/2 Hawkes Bay PB 2 1/2
Catherine Knight bt Kate Chadwick 1 up, Catherine Bell halved with Jaimie McIvor, Ginny Bolderston lost to Angela Jones 4/3, Barbara O’Connell lost to Janie Field 8/7, Jenny Kellahan bt Lynne Roberts 1up
Otago 2 Canterbury 3
Laura Hoskin bt Elisha Crosbie 2up, Jo Hicks-Beach lost to Jess Guenzerodt 1 down, Shani Arona lost Georgia Wayman 2down , Liz McRae lost to Sylvie Williams 6/5, Susan Greig bt Jocelyn Blackmore 1up
Auckland 5 Southland 0
Jesse Hamilton bt Robyn Pullar 1up, Munchin Keh bt Angela Gerken 4/2, Wen Yung Keh bt Olivia Frost 1up, Larissa Eruera bt Anne Osment 3/1, Celyn Khoo bt Jenna Gainford 5/3
Round Two:
Waikato 4 Aorangi 1
Emily Perry lost to Catherine Knight 8/7, Chantelle Cassidy bt Catherine Bell 6/5, Sarah Bradley bt Ginny Bolderston 6/5, Hanna Seifert bt Barbara O’Connell 5/4, Fai Tongdethsri bt Jenny Kellahan 6/5
Otago 2 ½ Hawkes Bay PB 2 1/2
Laura Hoskin lost to Kate Chadwick 5/4, Jo Hicks-Beach halved with Jaimie McIvor, Shani Arona bt Angela Jones 2 up, Liz McRae lost to Janie Field 3/1, Susan Greig bt Lynne Roberts 6/5
Canterbury 2 Southland 3
Elisha Crosbie bt Robyn Pullar 4/3, Jess Guenzerodt lost to Angela Gerken 4/3, Georgia Wayman lost to Olivia Frost 3/2, Sylvie Williams bt Anne Osment 4/3, Jocelyn Blackmore lost to Jenna Gainford 5/4
Manawatu / Wanganui 2 North Harbour 3
Stephanie McKillop halved with Lydia Ko, Kelly Nicholas bt Kristin Farrell 2up, Emma Clayton lost to Julitta Lam 4/3, Keita Durie lost Faye-Amy Nickson 5/4, Brydie Hodge halved Rebekah Brownlee
Northland 1 ½ Bay of Plenty 3 1/2
Kylie Jacoby lost to Zoe Brake 3/2, Racheal Williams lost to Susan Lines 2/1, Aroha Tito bt Grace Senior 2/1, San Dangen halved with Tyla Kingi, Jo Wech lost to Shelly McElroy 1 down
Taranaki 4 Tasman 1
Rochelle Keegan bt Emily Stenhouse 1up, Nicole Keegan lost Katrina Manaena 1 down, Melissa Hill bt Andrea Corbet 2up, Celeste McLean bt Lesley Baxter 4/3, Holly Winter bt Clare Kydd 3/2
Division One leaderboard: (individual wins) * Already had the bye
4 (8.5) Bay of Plenty
2 (5) Wellington *
2 (4.5) Northland
2 (4) Taranaki
2 (3) North Harbour *
0 (4) Manawatu Wanganui
0 (1) Tasman
Division Two leaderboard:
2 (5) Auckland *
2(5) Canterbury
2(5) Hawkes Bay
2(4) Waikato *
2(3) Southland
1 (4.5) Otago
1 (3.5) Aorangi
For more information, contact:
Peter Thornton
New Zealand Golf Media and PR Manager
021 482 788 |
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