Golf: Hastings club greenkeeper Jeff Tuoro will try to keep nerves in check

Scratchie Jeff Tuoro religiously finds time to practice six days a week after punching out his card as greenkeeper at the Hastings Golf Club. Photo / Warren Buckland

Figuratively Jeff Tuoro lives just a stone's throw away from Hastings Golf Club, works with the diligent course staff on the 18-hole man-made paradise daily and crams in two hours of practice six days a week.

So why is Tuoro, who has represented senior men's amateur representative golf teams in Wellington and the Bay of Plenty, trying to tame the butterflies in his tummy before he tees off at Bridge Pa tomorrow morning? "It is my first [Toro Interprovincial senior men's tournament] actually," says the 29-year-old scratchie, as a matter of fact, before teeing off with his Hawke's Bay teammates from the No 1 mound at 7.30am for a split-tee start in the country's premier provincial amateur men's team matchplay competition.

It hardly matters that Tuoro is familiar with the blades of grass that matter on the pristine course or the gradients of the slick greens or what lies beyond the blind dog legs.

"I'm definitely expecting to be pretty nervous tomorrow morning but interprovincials pretty tough and there are no easy games," says the amateur who is parked at No 4 spot in the Bay rankings, behind top seed Mako Thompson (Maraenui GC), Adam Winter (Maraenui GC) and Ben Swinburne (Ongaonga GC).

Recently crowned Asia-Pacific senior men's champion, Stuart Duff, of Hastings club, comes in at No 5 and Russell Mitchell (Maraenui GC) follows but that may be tweaked before they take on Taranaki first up.

Duff, who helped the Kiwi seniors to claim the team bragging rights, only arrived in Hastings late this morning from Kuala Lumpur via Auckland.

Thompson has shown his matchplay mettle in making the New Zealand Amateur semifinals in the past two years.

However, it is a talented Bay outfit who will benefit immensely from the 56-year-old Lindisfarne school teacher's experience in in the interprovincials dating back to 2010 when he stepped down after suggestions from then selectors that he was "too old".

Former team captain Duff, also an adroit Central Districts Stags cricketer who went on to
represent New Zealand A, is re-igniting his interprovincials campaign for an eighth season.

Stuart Duff will be gracing his home course after helping nail a double whammy in the Asia/Pacific seniors in Malaysia last week. Photo / Supplied

Tuoro, who ironically made his senior rep debut with two wins against Wellington early this year, believes his brush with elite amateurs over the years will put him good stead to help the Scott Overend-coached Bay improve from last year's lowly finish although the team were in the semifinals in 2017.

Having brushed shoulders with amateurs of similar calibre previously, he is excited about making a contribution to a team of golfers who are Bay born and bred.

Tuoro shrugs off any perceived sense of advantage he may have in maintaining the upkeep of the course on account of countless elite amateurs who have competed here at age-group nationals and what have you.

The short game is a forte for someone who doesn't regard himself as long hitter.

Before arriving here early this year, the Wairarapa-raised golfer had worked as a greenkeeper with Miramar Golf Club for nine years and Taupo GC for a year.

He is latching on to every word of Brian Doyle, who he had watched as a rival junior age-group player when the Hastings PGA professional was at the helm of Bay sides at national tourneys.

"He's really good and I've always wanted to work with him ever since I was young," he says. "I remember seeing him on the range and just thinking I wanted to work with him, so that's one of the first things I did."

As long as Tuoro can recall, he loved swinging a club following a "golf nut" father, Joe. His two younger brothers, Phil and Toby, have caught the bug, too, from their dad in Masterton.

Meeting other amateurs, especially when he was young, with a similar drive for a challenging code always beckons Tuoro back to the tee mounds.

The club was preparing for a tourney function at 5pm today with Hastings mayor Sandra Hazelhurst among the chief guests with club president Peter Clayton declaring it open.

Hastings club general manager Michelle Campbell says it's the first time the interprovincials will be staged since 1989.

Campbell welcomes players and fans to a balmy Bay climes where no rain is forecast until next month.

"It's another tournament that we're really proud to host along with the other New Zealand ones as well the as the seniors we've had this year.

"We have the strokeplay [nationals] every three years," she says, saluting the greenkeepers for preparing a fabulous course after investing some long hours.

Northland are defending champions after winning it for a historic first time.

The majestic Hastings Golf Club is in pristine condition to host the country's top six provincial amateur men's golfers for the entire week when they tee off tomorrow. Photo / Warren Buckland

DIVISIONS

One: Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu/Whanganui, North Harbour, Northland, Taranaki.
Two: Aorangi, Auckland, Otago, Poverty Bay/East Coast, Southland, Waikato, Wellington.

DRAWS

Rd 1, tomorrow, 7.30am: No 1 tee Hawke's Bay v Taranaki, No 10 Bay of Plenty v Tasman.
8.05am: No 1 Southland v Waikato, No 10 Poverty Bay/EC v Aorangi.
8.40: No 1 North Harbour v Manawatu/Whanganui, No 10 Wellington v Otago.
Byes: Northland, Auckland, Canterbury.

Rd 2, tomorrow, 12pm: No 1 Canterbury v Bay of Plenty, No 10 Hawke's Bay v Northland.
12.35pm: No 1 Waikato v Aorangi, No 10 Poverty Bay/EC v Auckland.
1.10pm: No 1 Taranaki v Tasman, No 10 Otago v Southland.
Byes: Wellington, Man/Whang, North Harbour.

Rd 3, Wednesday, 7.30am: No 1 Northland v Bay of Plenty, No 10 Aorangi v Wellington.
8.05am: No 1 Canterbury v North Harbour, No 10 Man/Whang v Hawke's Bay.
8.40am: No 1 Auckland v Southland, No 10 Waikato v Poverty Bay/EC.
Byes: Otago, Taranaki, Tasman.

Rd 4, Wednesday, 12pm: No 1 Otago v Aorangi. 12.15pm: No 10 Tasman v Northland.
12.35pm: No 1 Canterbury v Hawke's Bay. 12.50pm: No 10 Taranaki v Man/Whang.
1.10pm: No 1 Wellington v Poverty Bay/EC. 1.25pm: No 10 North Harbour v Bay of Plenty.
1.45pm: No 1 Auckland v Waikato.
Bye: Southland.

Rd 5, Thursday, 7.30am: No 1 Northland v North Harbour. 7.45am: No 10 Auckland v Aorangi.
8.05am: No 1 Canterbury v Man/Whang. 8.20am: No 10 Taranaki v Bay of Plenty.
8.40am: No 1 Otago v Poverty Bay/EC. 8.55am: No 10 Tasman v Hawke's Bay.
9.15am: No 1 Wellington v Southland.
Bye: Waikato.

Note: Every team time off afternoon.

Interprovincial players from around the country get a feel for putting at the practice greens in front of Hastings Golf Club today. Photo / Warren Buckland

Rd 6, Friday, 7.30am: No 1 Southland v Poverty Bay/EC, No 10 Auckland v Otago.
8.05am: No 1 Taranaki v Canterbury, No 10 Waikato v Wellington.
8.40am: No 1 Tasman v North Harbour, No 10 Northland v Man/Whang.
Byes: Aorangi, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay.

Rd 7, Friday, 12pm: No 1 Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty. 12.15pm: No 10 Aorangi v Southland.
12.35pm: No 1 Waikato v Otago. 12.50pm: No 10 Auckland v Wellington.
1.10pm: No 1 Man/Whang v Tasman. 1.25pm: No 10 North Harbour v Taranaki.
1.45pm: No 1 Northland v Canterbury.
Bye: Poverty Bay/EC.

Semifinals/finals: Saturday.