A group of Kiwi firefighters - including well-known Māori golfer Marty Jillings - are swapping their hoses and pumps for pitching wedges and putters as they prepare to take on the hotshot Aussies at the Australasian Fire Brigades Golf Championships next month.
The Kiwis will field a team of six - three who have already been selected following the qualifying NZ Firefighters National Golf Tournament held in Taupō in June. The remaining trio will be picked from a two-day tournament in Darwin leading up to the Australian event.
The three already qualified are Lisa-Marie Ireland, Martinborough Volunteer Fire Brigade; Russell Freeman, Avalon Fire Station and Kevin Adlam, Whangapoua Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Those wanting to be selected include Jillings from Cromwell Golf Club, Andy Holmes from Boulcott Farm Golf Club in Wellington, Henry Stechman from Foxton Golf Club, Ray Shields from Springfield Golf Club in Rotorua, Allan Warnock from Judgeford Golf Club in Wellington, Dianne Sanford and Brent Sanford from Te Puke Golf Club in the Bay of Plenty, David Eddington from the Shandon Golf Club, Bob Frew from Taumarunui Golf Club, Jeremy Hay from Sherwood Park Golf Club in Whangārei and Garry Johnson from Waitara.
A travelling squad of 11 additional firefighting golfers are hoping their scores on the fairways in the qualifying rounds in Darwin will be good enough to fill one of the remaining three New Zealand team vacancies.
