Against Southland, Jones got a 4 and 3 workout against Angela Gerken and so did Deam by the same margin to Olivia Frost but veteran Field vented her frustrations on Helen Baird to the tune of 6 and 5 although McIvor couldn't find her mojo against Kate McGregor in the 3 and 2 defeat.
"Auckland were steady golfers who got pars and birdies but we gave it our all, though," said the 21-year-old two handicapper from Gisborne.
In the lunchtime huddle before they teed off against Southland, HBPB agreed they were capable of better and simply need to play to their ability.
The post-match verdict in the afternoon?
"I think some played reasonable [but] I don't think Ange had a very good round at all [because] she played a much better game against Auckland," said McDonald, echoing similar sentiments on Deam.
While Auckland had drained their energy, she said in their defence it was a hot and humid day on a predominantly blind-tee course.
"The greens were fast and pretty hard to line up [because] everything slopes of the mountain," she said.
So which approach to the pins appealed more - uphill lie or downhill?
"Mmm ... on the side," she said with a laugh.
For McDonald, her fairway shots were probably the key against Southland and she was finding the greens in regulation more than she was in the morning.
It was dinner, korero and smartly to bed for the HBPB battlers and no word that reserve player Nicole Aluni, of Sacred Heart Girls' College, would be exposed to such intensity.
"We have a pretty tough day tomorrow."
They face defending champions Canterbury who whipped Otago 4-1 yesterday afternoon after a first-round bye.
The statements from Amelia Garvey (5 and 3), Juliana Hung (4 and 3) and Catherine Bell (9 and 7) need no commentary.
Besides, the Cantabrians made their intentions clear at the Toro Shootout Challenge, which follows the opening ceremony, on Monday night.
Teams had the task of hitting balls into the tray of a Toro Workman, a utility vehicle.
"It'll just be another day and we'll just try to be the best we can be," said McDonald.
She wasn't sure what the weather was doing but it's a forecast of intermittent rain on a spring-like 19C.
Waikato also pipped the hapless Southlanders 3 and 2 in their only match yesterday.
A familiar foe for HBPB, especially Field and McIvor, will be Waikato No2 Jill Morgan, who lost 1 down to Pullar.
Morgan is a former Bay representative who moved to the agricultural province to be closer to her family.
McDonald, who is looking for any kind of employment, first picked up a golf club when she was six, thanks to her maternal grandfather, Cliff Poole.
"He took me out every Sunday morning for coachings."
McDonald didn't have any qualms meeting new people but she didn't find much traction with the game.
"I wasn't too keen on it," she said. "I don't know [why]. I guess I didn't have patience for it but it [eventually] grew on me."
It wasn't until the former Gisborne Girls' High School pupil turned 18 that she thought she could make something of herself as a golfer.
Dave Keown mentors her and fuels her passion.
HBPB play Otago tomorrow and Aorangi on Friday. The two sides played against each other yesterday with Otago edging through 3 and 2.
