Tairāwhiti went into this morning sitting at the bottom of their section on zero team points and 3½ match points.
“They’ve all been tough days at the office,” team manager Dave Keown said of the week so far. “But the guys have kept fighting. They’re holding their heads high in representing the district.”
Keown said their struggles were a combination of an extremely challenging Paraparaumu course and the quality of opposition.
“It’s up to New Zealand Open standards,” Keown said of the course. “The course is extremely long. The greens are hard and fast . . . the fairways are pretty tight. And you just can’t afford to hit it in the rough.”
Keown said it was “a bit long” for their young players — 14-year-old Marcus Gray and 18-year-old Zach Rolls — but they had applied themselves superbly in challenging circumstances.
Gray, on his debut, had the daunting task of taking on former professional Trent Munn in Wednesday’s clash with Bay of Plenty.
Munn was 5-under after nine holes and possibly 7-under when they shook hands on the 13th, Keown said, but Gray made him work hard for every hole.
“It was sensational to watch.”
Keown said Munn later said Gray “reminded me of myself when I was his age”.
Rolls, who has played in three of the five rounds, had “fought and fought” and while he had struggled with the length of the course, had never stopped trying.
Tairāwhiti’s points have come from No.1 William Brown (one win, one half) and No.3 Hukanui Brown (two wins).
“Wi (William Brown) has played solidly but struggled a little today.
“Huks’ wins (against Manawatū Wanganui and Taranaki) were fantastic.”
Keown was amazed at the standard of play..
The Bay of Plenty clash was “an absolute birdie-fest”, he said.
Tairāwhiti finish the tournament today with ties against Otago and Northland.
“Two big games . . . we’ll get some rest and get up and go at it again, and continue to wear the shirt with pride.”
Win to McDonald as Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay seal semi spot
Gisborne’s Tessa McDonald racked up another win as her Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay team confirmed their Division 2 semifinal spot at the women’s national interprovincial yesterday afternoon.
McDonald, at No.3 in the team, had a 3 and 2 victory over Deanna Matthews as HBPB pipped Aorangi 3-2 in their Round 5 matchplay clash on the Paraparaumu Beach course.
No.1 Kayla Van De Ven also won while No.4 Martha Manaena and No.5 Clare Choi halved their matches and veteran No.2 Janie Field lost 4 and 3.
It consolidated HBPB’s second placing on three team points and 9½ match points with a round to go before semifinals in the two sections.
Heading into this morning’s round, Waikato led the section on four team points and 15½ match points, with Northland third and Otago fourth.
North Harbour, Auckland, Manawatū Wanganui and Bay of Plenty are the top four in Division 1.
HBPB faced Otago at the Waikanae course this morning in a round that will confirm the order of the top four for the afternoon semifinals.
