GOLF - Bon pins hopes on beating Aussies

Caroline Bon burnt the course up at the New Zealand Strokeplay golf championships at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club at the weekend.
Now she hopes she can repeat the feat when she lines up for her first official appearance as a senior New Zealand Golf representative in the Trans Tasman Cup at the Royal Wellington course tomorrow.
Bon will team up with new strokeplay champion Dana Kim, Larissa Eruera and Penny Smith in the New Zealand Senior Women's team to battle the Australians. It is a golfing milestone she is anticipating with some relish.
Bon, who is coached by Whangarei golf professional Quentin Diment and is a member at the Northland Golf Club, set the course record on the final morning of the strokeplay championships at Paraparaumu, a performance that rocketed her to hold first place for the title-deciding afternoon round.
Bon recorded a course record 68 to grab the lead, but she couldn't quite hold top spot, finishing third behind Dana Kim after the 18-year-old fired a one-under-par 72 in the afternoon to edge out Whakatane's Zoe-Beth Brake by a shot.
Bon then played the National Matchplay Championships yesterday, but lost in the first round.
James Betts gave his home club the perfect gift when he outlasted his more experienced opponents in a playoff to win the men's New Zealand Strokeplay title.
The 19-year-old became just the second Paraparaumu Beach player to win the title since the late John Durry, the four time amateur champion, who won back in 1965 at nearby Miramar.
"It's great to win here at my home club. Down the stretch I just went for the centre of the greens and make pars. That was good enough to make the playoff. Anything could happen and it did," Betts said.
Sherwood Park golfer Dale Clarke also suffered a first round matchplay loss yesterday.
On Saturday, Clarke finished the New Zealand Amateur Strokeplay Championship with a total of 285, six shots off the pace. Clubmate Gary-John Hill finished a further five shots adrift of Clarke on 290 and missed qualification for yesterday's matchplay championships.