"It was very nearly a great day. You can say we've had a good day with a win and a half," Howie declared, saluting teenager Dallas Williams and top Bay seed Russell Mitchell for rallying back with victories after Northland threatened to run away with the game.
"We could have won it but it didn't quite bring it our way but, hey, we'll take that," he said.
Williams, 18, a former Hastings Boys' High School pupil, was the only undefeated Bay player yesterday with a 3 and 2 win over Wellington's Daniel Hillier before again reloading at No 2 for a 2-up victory over his Northland counterpart, Kadin Neho.
The media-shy Wairoa/Hawke's Bay Golf Club member's opponents, Hillier and Neho, are pedigree players. The former is No 4 in the New Zealand Order of Merit and the latter is a former national amateur representative.
Mitchell, a Maraenui GC member, beat Northland top seed Luke Brown 1 up after a 3 and 1 loss in the morning to Wellington's Jonathan Cane.
Howie singled out Ben Swinburne, who had an unblemished run on Tuesday, for his 2 and 1 victory over Wellington's Kerry Mountcastle at No 4 with a scorching seven-under card score.
Captain Harris sat it out in the morning but halved with Northland's Alex Heeley at No 3.
"Steve hurt his ankle last week so he decided to rest it today," Howie explained.
No 3 Brad Truesdale, of Dannevirke GC, had a thumping 5 and 4 loss at the hands of Wellingtonian Elton Nicholson while fellow Bay Interprovincials rookie Tyson Tawera, of Hastings GC, had a mixed day in pipping Wellington's Brazen Mazey 1 up at No 5 before succumbing to Northland's Sheldon Kearns 4 and 3 in the arvo.
Howie said Invercargill turned it on in the weather department yesterday with a wind-whipping 29C day but there was rain forecast today.
"The guys have played at home in the rain and they're adapting well here and are relaxed right now.
"They're good enough to beat anybody if they play to their potential."
From Howie's perspective golf is a pretty simple game, actually.
"You just have to hit the ball on to the fairway and then get on the green.
"If you start going into the trees and the rough then you won't win, simple as that."
Waikato yesterday upset hosts Southland on the final hole.
The youthful Waikato outfit, with Sam Vincent and Luke Toomey, stole half point each in the dying stages much to the dismay of the parochial gallery descending on the final green to watch the visitors do the unthinkable with a 3-2 result.
Jason Gulasekharam was the backbone for second-placed North Harbour's two victories yesterday in div one as he defeated No 1 amateur Josh Munn on the final hole.
"He gave me a hiding last year. Josh went scuba diving, he was shooting so low."
