McDonald to the rescue

Gisborne’s Tessa McDonald is to rack up another national interprovincial tournament in Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay colours in December. She made her debut in 2011. Picture by Paul Rickard

And we are loyal, keep it that way.”

Dave Dobbyn’s anthem aptly sums up the black and white blood that has flowed through Gisborne golfer Tessa McDonald’s veins at national interprovincial level for the past 11 years.

And she will be flying the HBPB flag once again at the 2023 edition on the Waikanae course in December.

She wasn’t supposed to be.

McDonald was meant to be pulling the bag of partner and professional golfer Tyler Hodge at tournaments in Europe.

Family reasons, however, cut their time short. They returned recently to New Zealand and have been based in Levin while Hodge competes in Charles Tour pro events.

McDonald and Hodge were en route to the latest of those — the Clearwater Open in Christchurch — when The Herald caught up with her.

The 28-year-old confirmed she had made herself available for HBPB.

“I was going to take the rest of the year off  (from competitive golf) but since coming home I told Janie (long-time HBPB rep player, selector and Golf HB&PB board member Janie Field) I would play if they were short.”

Short they were. So much so, they were considering pulling out of the national interprovincials.

McDonald’s availablity was a lifeline.

Manawatu Wanganui, Hodge’s home province, had shown an avid interest in her.

Manawatu Golf generously gave her and Hodge free membership and she was fourth in the women’s gross at the Joe Kells Memorial and Ladies Classic 36-hole tournament at Manawatu in August — her 80, 77 McDonald’s only two official rounds this year.

But she “feels so strongly” for HBPB and wanted to “be loyal” to her “home” province.

Field welcomed her back with open arms and got her a membership at country course Puketitiri located 50km west of Napier so she was eligible.

“We need her desperately,” said Field, who confirmed they were considering not having a women’s team at the nationals.

Field said several of the older players had “retired” and the rising juniors were not yet ready.

With McDonald back, Field was able to convince “one of the older ones” to have one more year at rep level. McDonald will return to action for HBPB, at No.2 in the team, at the Sybil Green interprovincial at Castlecliff course in Whanganui at the end of the month.

While she has had only the two competition rounds this year, she has been practising a lot alongside Hodge. McDonald is a particularly strong matchplayer.

Since making her national interprovincial debut as a 16-year-old in 2011, she has played in it every year since bar 2014 — the last five of those at No.1 in the team.

Along the way she has amassed an impressive record including six wins from seven matches in 2013.

McDonald has been working remotely for Gisborne business PhysioFIRST but is to return home nex month and will be based here permanently.

Meanwhile, Hodge, who has spent a lot of time in Gisborne in recent years, goes into the Clearwater tournament on the back of impressive form.

He was second at the Tauranga Open at the start of the month — carding a 14-under total of 266 (65, 70, 68, 63), one shot behind Josh Geary.

That followed a third placing, also on 14-under (64, 68, 68, 70) at the Mount Maunganui Open.