Golf: HBPB dig deep after disruption to line up

Kate Chadwick

Women's Interprovincials Day 1, Ashburton

It's one thing to take a count after a knockout punch in sport but it's another to pull oneself together off the canvas to go toe-to-toe for another round .

The Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay (HBPB) women's representative golf team yesterday showed resilience and resolve when they took a 5-0 flogging from Canterbury in the morning but got straight up to wallop Tasman 4-1 in the afternoon on day one of the annual Women's Toro Interprovincial team matchplay tournament at Ashburton Golf Club.

Some of that attribute stems from the fact that the "girls" from yesteryear, No 1 Kate Chadwick and No Jamie McIvor, have come of age.

"This morning they played their 50th interprovincial match," HBPB team manager Sue Sowerby said of the pair who are competing in their eighth consecutive interprovincials.

But that's half of the story for the HBBP team who have had their share of trials and tribulations even before they teed up yesterday.

Veteran Kathy Olsen, of Maraenui GC, withdrew last Wednesday from the HBPB team because of personal matters while No 5 Fiona Ellis, of Hastings Golf Club, returned home on Monday after receiving a phone call in Ashburton the night before to inform her of a bereavement in the family.

Napier GC scratchie Chadwick, 23, said it wasn't easy for the team when the phone call came but they had Ellis on the back of their minds when trying to tame the par-72 course.

"We're doing it for them [Ellis and Olsen] because we know they'd like to have been here," said the Bay hospital nurse.

Travelling reserve Tessa McDonald, of Tolaga Bay GC, shuffled up to No 5 yesterday although she was the only one to lose in the arvo 4 and 3 to Tasman's Michele Reardon.

"Everyone played solidly, even Tessa, so we're hanging in there," said Chadwick before they tee off against Auckland this morning and Waikato in the afternoon.

Tasman came off a 3 and 2 loss to Waikato yesterday morning so HBPB fancy their chances of giving the Mooloo women a go today.

"It would have been great to roll Canterbury today but it's always difficult so we can't do much about it."

The course is in good nick on a fine day day but there was a wind-chill factor as they played in a 50 per cent split of white and yellow tee-off mounds.

"The course is quite open but some of the holes play longer and the greens are tricky."