GOLF - Only way is up for North team

Northland representatives are guarded on their chances at the New Zealand Golf Women's Masters Interprovincial Tournament at the Kerikeri Golf Club this weekend - and with good reason.
Their placing at the 2006 event at the Aviation Club in Auckland leaves plenty of room for improvement - they came 13th out of 14 teams in the competition.
"Well, we're looking to improve on what we did last year, that's for sure," Northland captain Denise Pilbrow said.
"There's only one way to go really, isn't there, and that's up in the rankings."
Pilbrow said that playing in front of home supporters on a Northland golf course gave them an edge over most of the travelling teams.
"The Kerikeri club has given us the courtesy of using the course over the last couple of months and we've also had a couple of trials on the course so we should be ready," she said.
The tournament, that features women golfers over 45 years old, got under way this morning on the Kerikeri course, and the team are hoping that local knowledge will be worth something in the stableford, off the stick competition.
Northland have enlisted Kerikeri local Ann Hathaway into the team for her first masters competition, while Northland Golf Club's Roz Fitzpatrick and Whangarei's Pilbrow return from last year. Northern Wairoa's Leslie Cunliffe plays her third masters with Waitangi's Merle Mounsey as the team's reserve.
The 14 teams all play 72 holes each at Kerikeri with the best three scores from each round counting toward their final total.
After playing 18 holes today, the teams play 36 holes tomorrow and 18 on Sunday to find the champions.
Last year Wellington came from behind in the final round to snatch victory away from Auckland, with Taranaki third, North Harbour fourth and Hawke's Bay and Waikato, the 2005 champions, fifth equal.
The winner will most likely come from those teams again - but if Northland get off to a strong start then anything is possible.